Kid Metropolis: The Synchronicity of Radiohead's Kid A and Fritz Lang's Metropolis

I’m sure I’m not the only person to have discovered this but, back in 2001, in a fit of boredom, I made an exciting discovery: Radiohead’s “Kid A” makes a phenomenal soundtrack to Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent Science Fiction masterpiece Metropolis.

While at times, particularly later in the album, the mood of the song does not always match the scene exactly, there is an incredible amount of synchronicity. To share this, I have uploaded it to youtube to share with all of you. The following footage/audio is unaltered (though I have started the audio a few seconds after the movie) and cut at the ends of the tracks, so any periods of silence are as represented on the album. Also, this is the unrestored version of the film.

Part 1: “Everything In Its Right Place”

The opening track coincides with the opening credits, expressionistic imagery, and the changing of the shifts of workers and trails to silence as we see the worker’s city.
I love the way the lyrics synch with the expositional text:
Far away from them.
Everything…
High in the heavens.
In its right place
The sun. Life……
In its right place

Part 2: “Kid A”

The quiet, dreamlike air of the first part of song laid over both the workers returning home and the wealthy frolicking only emphasizes the disparity in class, particularly when the drums kick in. And the way the song cuts to almost nothing at the moment Maria and Freder make eye contact is perfect.

Part 3: “The National Anthem”

Freder takes action at the moment the song, the first truly intense sounding piece on the album, kicks in. As he watches the horrors of the workers city, the distorted horns and increasingly frantic noise intensify as he hallucinates his nightmare vision of the devil swallowing the laborers. Even as the vision fades, the music falls into greater chaos; Freder’s world has been shattered.

Part 4: “How to Disappear Completely”

Quiet, music transitions from the last song to this as we are given a montage of the marvelous future city. The lyrics (“This isn’t happening/ I’m not here,”) adds a particular resonance to this scene, as Freder reaches out to his father, Joh Fredersen, only to be ignored.

Part 5: “Treefingers”

An slow, sad instrumental as Fredersen surveys his city and contemplates his sons words and tells him the harsh “truth” of his world. Towards the middle of the track, it falls out of the mood of the scene, but the timing of it’s increasingly dissonant end leads flawlessly into…

Part 6: “Optimistic”

With a casual gesture, Fredersen destroys the life of his assistant, Joseph as the music jumps to action. A quiet rage starts to build in Freder’s mind as he watches his father through his new eyes, realizing that, as the lyrics say “The big fish eat the little ones” even “If you try the best you can.” The music kicks up a notch as he as Freder, with Joseph’s help, leaves for the undercity. The song comes to a climax and its extended outro as Freder takes on a laborer’s post.

Part 7: “In Limbo”

The change in scene to Rotwang’s laboratory coincides with the beginning of the song. Then, back in the undercity, Freder assures the laborer “I’m on your side.” Is it he or Rotwang who is “Living in a fantasy?” Either way, it is clear that Fredersen has “lost [his] way.” The dissolve into dissonant noise comes as the robot stands from her chair, stepping forward in ominous quiet.

Part 8: “Idioteque”

The music, all glitchy electronics and mechanical percussion underscores Rotwang demonstrating the robot’s versatility, the madness of the lyrics fitting not only Rotwang’s dangerous intellect, but the insanity of Freder’s workday and Fredersen’s cold, evil decision to replace the workers with robots and “Take the money [and] run.” But a change in the song forecasts something new, a worker tells Freder about a secret event to occur that evening. As the monotony of the work day bears down on Freder, the song falls into a simple, repeating patter, ending as he cries out in agony to either his mortal father or god.

Part 9: “Morning Bell”

The beginning of the song marks the end of Freder’s day. Again, the middle of the song falls out of key with the sentiment of the film, but catches up to it at the end of the track, where increasing discord and waves of distortion coincide with the laborers entering the “chapel,” drawing to a quiet close as Freder, clutching his heart, finally looks up to see Maria, standing in holy grace in front of her crosses.

Part 10: “Motion Picture Soundtrack”

Organ music drives home the impact of the sight to Freder as a look of hope and ecstasy falls over him. The lyrics become a cynical counterpoint, causing the beauty of the scene to stand even sharper in contrast before the song falls to silence while Maria describes the plight of the laborers in her parable. But the silence doesn’t last; the music rise up as the workers do, only to fade out again, allowing Maria’s moral a silence to sink in.

And that’s the end of the album. If you haven’t seen the rest of the movie, you should. It’s an amazing piece.

Also, I’ve already checked; Amnesiac does not cover the rest of the movie.

Also, sorry for the delay on this post. It was going to be a simple thing, but quickly got big. Future Friday posts will generally not be this extensive, though every now and then, I may go all out again. Thanks for reading!

Kid A
MP3: CD:

Metropolis
Restored: