Metropolis (Heathen Edition)

By Thea von Harbou

Thea Gabriele von Harbou (1888-1954) was a German screenwriter, author, film director, and actress best remembered as the screenwriter of the 1927 sci-fi classic Metropolis and the 1925 novel on which it was based . . . A dystopian and haunting vision of the future eerily resonant with our present-where humanity teeters between progress and collapse-where a privileged elite live above ground in luxurious gilded towers while oppressed workers slave below ground maintaining their monstrous machines. As tensions rise and revolution brews, Freder, the idealistic and privileged son of the city's ruler, falls in love with Maria, a poor, compassionate woman from the underground who preaches peace and unity among the laborers. While searching for meaning in the fractured society, Freder defies his father's authority and seeks to bridge the gap between the classes and unite the disparate social orders. Pulsing with mythic symbolism, philosophical depth, and poetic urgency, each page-turn of Metropolis feels like plunging deeper into a prophecy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1948316617
• ISBN13: 9781948316613
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Heathen Editions
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A story of love and redemption.

I was always fascinated by the movie "Metropolis" (1927, Fritz Lang). I followed the movie from the recovered fragments to the almost complete version with the added footage from Argentina. Then it dawned on me that the movie was probably adapted from a story. Looking at the credits, I found this story, "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou (1888-1954). I had no idea that Thea Gabriele von Harbou was part of 77 great movie titles, including "M" and "Siegfried". She was a German screenwriter, author, film director, and actress. You might find Thea's (second wife of Fritz Lang) writing style quite interesting, not quite modern, but clear. She repeats herself quite often, sort of in the style of the Bible. As with many movies at that time, the story in the description stuck a lot closer to the book than they do nowadays. Today's movies should say inspired instead of adapted from. Reading the book, you could see the movie almost blow-by-blow. However, with a few strategic modifications here and there, the book and movie deviate greatly in their purpose and delivery. While the movie was about the class struggle between what was called the hands and the head, with a mediator, the heart. The book was more of a personal struggle for man's soul and redemption. Of course, the book had the freedom to take more time than the movie to describe actions and actors. Also, of course, there were a lot of scenes that would have to be cut out for the movie. But of those who left him, they were quite accurate. Whether you liked or didn't like the movie, you cannot afford to overlook this book. There are a lot of shocks and surprises awaiting you. And there is always time enough for love.