Metropolis - Restoration
Release Date:
July 12, 2002
Limited release
Arguably the first science-fiction motion picture ever filmed, Metropolis is once again being restored and will play in several art-house cinemas on a limited release basis before the new version is released on VHS and DVD later in the year. This classic film is the granddaddy of a number of archetypal sci-fi movies, including Blade Runner and Dark City, and also was a fair influence on the creation of the settings and storylines present in the Batman comic and films.
Metropolis was originally released as a silent film in 1927, and has undergone several treatments and transformations since that time. A popular choice for updating the film for modern audiences has been the addition of modern music to the soundtrack, which generally works rather well, considering the subject matter (in fact, I vividly recollect my first viewing of the film with Queen providing the backing soundtrack). For this particular restoration, specialists Alpha-Omega have located the seven remaining existing source copies of the film and have laboriously worked to digitally recreate 1,257 scenes for what is being called the most complete version of the film to date. Adding to the complete authenticity of this new version, the original orchestral score by Gottfried Huppertz has been newly recorded to actually match that of the original film.
For those who are unfamiliar with the film (and even if you've never seen the movie itself, you've almost certainly seen clips of important scenes), it is director Fritz Lang's vision of "the future", where all buildings are skyscrapers and humans are divided into two separate groups: the Thinkers and the Workers. The Thinkers make plans, but don't understand how things work, while the Workers achieve goals but have no vision. When a young man ventures into the depths of the city and discovers the slave-like workers who make Metropolis run, he is awe-stricken by his discovery, which eventually leads a strange inventor to create a robot woman to maintain order.
For aspiring cinephiles, Metropolis is an essential starting point, and this full restoration is the perfect opportunity to see the film in all its big-screen glory. Kino currently has plans to show the film on a limited basis in New York City, and if screenings go well, additional expansion may be considered. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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