The greatest science fiction film of the silent cinema, Metropolis was made by Lang at Berlin’s UFA studio, with an unprecedented budget allowing for impressively huge sets inspired by the New York skyline. Set in the 21st century, the story is derived partly from medieval legends, partly from a dystopic vision of a future of intensified conflict between capital and labor. Photographed in Expressionist style, and designed to display powerful geometric symmetries, many of the film’s sequences are unforgettable, especially those with the frightening female robot.