The Complete Metropolis 2010
Distributed by Kino Lorber Edu, 333 West 39 St, Suite 503, New York, NY 10018; 212-629-6880
Produced by Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, Wiesbaden, Germany
Directed by Fritz Lang
DVD, color and b&W; 140 min.
High School - General Adult
Film Studies, Media Studies, Popular Culture, Science Fiction
Date Entered: 06/27/2011
Reviewed by Brad Eden, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication, University of California, Santa BarbaraMetropolis is one of those rare films that had a tremendous influence on an entire generation of films and filmmakers. First appearing in 1927, its plot, score, and visual effects were ahead of its time. This 2010 restoration is the definitive edition of this film, as it incorporates 25 minutes of newly-discovered footage, English intertitles, and a new recording of the original 1927 score by Gottfried Huppertz, recorded in 5.1 stereo surround, performed by the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, with Frank Strobel as conductor. Other special features include: a 50 minute documentary titled Voyage to Metropolis on the making and restoration of this movie; an interview with Paula Felix-Didier, curator of the Museo del Cino, Buenos Aires, where the missing footage was discovered; and a re-release of the trailer.
Anyone interested in the cinematic works of Fritz Lang, in particular this ground-breaking film, will want to own this 2-DVD special edition with the missing footage. It will change the whole history of this particular film and its influence on cinematography.