By Spencer Lloyd Peet
Metropolis is undoubtedly one of the greatest films of all-time and is a major influence on countless artists, filmmakers, musicians and fashion gurus. That’s quite an incredible achievement considering that when it premiered in Germany in 1927 the film became a major flop for the studio UFA. Being the most expensive film made at that time, it brought the studio to its knees; audiences and critics just weren’t ready for director Fritz Lang’s depiction of a socially inapt future world. But like many works of art that are ahead of their time but unappreciated during the age of their creation, Metropolis has stood the test of time and is better received today than it’s ever been. Moreover, it is acknowledged by recent generations as being an important and groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece.
The narrative takes place in the future, where downtrodden workers slave away in the bowls of the city whilst the higher caste of society enjoys the fruits of life above ground. The appearance of the transformed seductive robot Maria (Brigitte Helm), who was created by the inventor Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge), leads the workers to revolt against their master Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel).
The film is an infusion of sex, religion, science, and mythology, incorporating moralistic values and providing a social commentary on workers and capitalism. Set within a dystopia future, it is man against machine; the repress against the repressor. Its message is just as relevant today as it was some 80 plus years ago. Visually it’s one of the greats, with spectacular set pieces and architecture of epic proportion.
Much of the interest in Metropolis comes from the fact that when it was first shown to German audiences it originally ran at 150 minutes. Shortly after its release a quarter of the film was cut by Paramount for the US release and UFA in Germany, much to the dismay of Lang. Various versions have appeared over the years including a colourised rendition from 1984 released with a contemporary rock soundtrack with tracks by Freddie Mercury and Pat Benatar – many fans proclaimed it outlandish and accused director Giorgio Moroder of producing an outrageous piece of work. The 25-minute footage that was removed shortly after its premiere had been thought lost or even destroyed. But in 2008, an incredible discovery was made. Several dusty reels, which contained the previously missing scenes, were located in a small museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The finding became one of the biggest events in cinema history. A team of experts painstakingly worked on reconstructing the film at the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung in Germany. The outcome was marvellous and premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2010 and then in various locations all around the world.
The butchering of Metropolis in the 1920’s by the studios UFA and Paramount, left audiences perplexed by the storyline and the seemingly insignificant characters. So, not only has the previously thought lost footage been reinstated, but so too has the profundity of the plot and the importance of the secondary characters such as the sinister “The Slim One†played by Fritz Rasp, as well as revealing the true meaning behind the creation of the robot.
Eureka! Entertainment has released this definitive version of Lang’s masterpiece on DVD and Blu-ray, and is available in a slipcase or in a steelbook - a must for any serious film fan.
At long last, Metropolis can now be seen as Lang originally intended.
Special features:
· 150-minute reconstructed and restored 2010 version (including 25 minutes of footage previously thought lost to the world)
· New 2010 symphony orchestra studio recording of the original Gottfried Huppertz score in 5.1
· Newly translated optional English subtitles as well as the original German intertitles
· Full-length audio commentary by David Kalat and Jonathan Rosenbaum
· Die Reise nach Metropolis (2010, 55 minutes) documentary about the film
· 2010 re-release trailer
· 56-page booklet featuring an archival article by Fritz Lang; a 1927 review by Luis Buñuel; articles by Jonathan Rosenbaum and Karen Naundorf; and restoration notes by Martin Koerber
Click here to order from Amazon UK on Region 2 PAL format
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