Metropolis - Masters of Cinema series [DVD] [1927]

Metropolis as originally conceived by Fritz Lang only survived a short premiere run at one Berlin cinema after which it was withdrawn and the negative sent for re-editing to Paramount the Holly wood associates of the German UFA company.

Paramount considered Metropolis incomprehensible and created a new simplified plot line discarding twenty five percent of the film, and for over fifty years this was the only version available. The vast majority of the missing material is now considered lost forever.

However as a result of research in the 1990s it was possible to definitively reconstruct the plot and the current restoration incorporating all the available material was undertaken. The missing sections of the film are narrated by means of the original captions for the missing sections and additional notes. In addition there is an excellent commentary filling in the gaps.

So at last we can see Lang's original 1927 vision of a horrific future with a favoured elite living on the surface of the earth enjoying a life of luxury, and a vast army of nameless workers living in a grim underground city toiling ten hour shifts.

Freder (Gustav Frolich) son of the ruler of Metropolis and one of the favoured elite investigates the plight of the workers and is so horrified decides to do something about it, and falls in love with Maria (Brigitte Helm) who gives a stunning performance in her first film role. Maria is a leader of the workers seeking justice for them by mediation and sees Freder as the mediator. A major sub plot is the enmity between the ruler (Alfred Abel) and Rotwang (Rudolph Klein-Rogge) who is attempting to create a mechanical version of the dead woman they both loved.

The 1927 sets and special effects are spectacular, reflecting in many ways the art of the period.The acting is good throughout except for Frolich who in my opinion is over the top, the original score (making wide use of leitmotivs) in a modern recording is a major contribution to the success of the restoration, and the digital restoration provides us with a near pristine copy.

This is not a film for a relaxed evenings viewing, but more than repays the effort needed to fully appreciate it.

Set in the far future of 2000, a future where the privileged few live on the backs of a hidden mass of workers knowing nothing but their dark barracks and the machines that ruled their lives, Metropolis tells the stories of Maria, a teacher who urges the workers to wait for the earthly paradise; Joh Fredersen, who ruled the city; his son; and the mad Scientist Rotwang who hated Fredersen for prospering on the back of Rotwang's inventions. So when Fredersen asked Rotwang to... replace Maria with a mechanical copy, Rotwang sees a perfect chance to gain his revenge!
Despite the age of the film, and the fact that the year 2000 wasn't anything like this, the film still has the power to shock. In particular, the conditions that are endured by the underground slaves are truly horrific.
Even though it nearly bankrupted the film company - there was a cast of of almost 38,000 and it cost over $2 million in 1920s money, it was to become Fritz Lang's directorial monument and it was a massive hit with the emerging Nazi party, leading to Hitler offering Lang the job of making prestige pictures for them. Lang left Germany immediately for Hollywood.
Looking at the film and seeing the conditions that the workers lived in, it was not just the way the film is ended that made an impression on the Nazi leadership.
This is the original black and white version with the musical score based on the original Gottfried Huppertz score. Unfortunately the restorers did not have a complete version of the film to work from. But the silent nature of the sound track enabled them to fill in the gaps with explanitory story boards.

Released in 1927, this legendary film has been re-edited many times, and much of the original material was thought lost. This superb presentation restores much of the previously missing material, and provides comprehensive descriptions of the still missing segments.

The story follows the doings of the inhabitants of the futuristic city, Metropolis. There is the over privileged upper class, who run everything and reap the reward, and the exploited workers, who actually do the work but live in poverty. There is revolution in the air, brewed by the beautiful Maria and Freder, the son of the city's sinister overlord Jon Frederson.

To help uncover the workers plans, Frederson turns to the inventor Rotwang, (played by a manic Rudolf Kleine-Rogge, who was pretty much designed for the role of the mad inventor) who has developed a robot. In a now famous scene, the robot is turned into a perfect replica of Maria and sent into the city to spy out the revolutionaries plans, and to stir up discord in the ranks.

This film stands alone in cinematic history for many reasons. The sheer ambition of the scale, the visionary futuristic nature, the amazing special effects and the amazing cinematography. It contains a series of now iconic images, instantly recognisable even today.

The shots are all carefully composed, the movements of the characters almost balletic, a feeling underlined by the superb orchestral score. Look, for example, at the wonderful scenes of worker 11811 having to move the hands on the clock machine, or the workers slaving at the machine Freder witnesses exploding as they frantically struggle to prevent the overload. It is simply breathtakingly choreographed and quite mesmerising. Such is the film's power that many of the images have permeated right through our culture, even being referenced in the opening sequence of Futurama!

A classic of the silent era, quite unlike any film I have ever seen.

This is yet another superb presentation from Eureka, with an excellently restored print of the film, restoring many sections previously thought lost. The soundtrack is a new full orchestral recording of the original score by Gottfried Huppertz, and fits the film beautifully. The interframe titles are all in German, but there is the option for subtitles in a variety of languages including English. There is an extensive booklet containing a detailed synopsis of the film (with descriptions of still missing segments) and several learned essays. The second disc is packed with interesting extras concerning the making, loss and restoration of the film.

An essential film for any film lover's collection.