The legendary author H.G.. Wells once penned a harsh critique of the film Metropolis by Fritz Lang. He dismissed the work as boring and pretentious, a stark contrast to its modern status as a cinematic landmark.
The clash between Wells' literary realism and Lang's visual spectacle
H.G. Wells defined the science fiction genre through foundational novels such as The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. These works established a standard for speculative storytelling that prioritized conceptual rigor and social commentary, creating a blueprint that continues to influence the genre today.
The tension between Wells' literary approach and Fritz Lang's cinematic expressionism is evident in how the author viewed Metropolis. While modern audiences praise the film for its depiction of the gulf between the subterranean workers and the comfort-dwelling elites,Wells saw no merit in these thematic ambitions. For Wells, the visual grandeur of the film did not compensate for what he perceived as a lack of intellectual depth.
A 'sauce of sentimentality' and other withering labels
In his assessment of Metropolis, H.G. Wells claimed the film was an "eddying concentration" of foolishness, clichés, and platitudes regarding mechanical progress. According to the report , Wells believed these elements were served up with a "sauce of sentimentality" that undermined the film's intended gravity.
Wells further attacked the performances and the logic of the production, stating that the film was "immensely and strangely dull." He argued that there was no room for any character to act like a "rational creature" amidst the "mindless, imitative absurdities" of the plot.. as the source notes, Wells ultimately concluded that the film's attempt to appear grave and wonderful was nothing more than "transparent pretence."
Why The Sleeper Awakes served as a low bar
The comparison between Metropolis and The Sleeper Awakes reveals a surprising level of self-criticism from H.G. Wells. In The Sleeper Awakes, Wells tells the story of a man who awakens in a dystopian London to find himself immensely wealthy; however, the author later dismissed his own novel as "juvenile." Despite this low opinion of his own work, Wells still found Metropolis to be an inferior experience, suggesting that the film's stylistic excess failed to mask its narrative immaturity.
The missing response from Fritz Lang
The report does not provide a response from Fritz Lang regarding these accusations, nor does it offer contemporary reviews to balance the singular vitriol of H.G. Wells. This leaves a significant gap in the historical record: it remains unknown whether Lang was aware of the critique or if he viewed Wells' literary standards as inapplicable to the medium of film.
Furthermore, it is a matter of pure speculation whether H.G. Wells would have preferred a film that was a genuine science fiction misfire over a "pretentious" masterpiece. While later generations of critics have treated Metropolis as an essential text for understanding the trajectory of the genre, Wells remained entirely unmoved by its stature.
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