Review by Justin Bateman
Stars Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Brigitte Helm, Rudolf Klein-Rogge,
Fritz Rasp, Theodor Loos, Erwin Biswanger, Heinrich George | Written by Thea Von Harbou
UK certification PG | UK RRP £24.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 150 minutes | Directed by Fritz Lang
When Fritz Lang’s science fiction epic Metropolis was first released in 1927 it ran a mammoth 153 minutes. Almost immediately it was cut by 25 minutes for the US release, and the edited footage was seemingly lost forever. Only in 2008 was the missing footage rediscovered in a small museum in Argentina. This restored and reconstructed re-release of Fritz Lang’s masterpiece is as the director intended the film to be seen.
The plot, at a very basic level, is a quest. Joh Fredersen (Abel) rules Metropolis, a futuristic city where a literal underworld of workers toil day and night to provide the city with energy for the ‘upper’ class. His son Freder (Fröhlich) lives a life of luxury but one day he sees Maria (Helm) working with the children of the workers. He follows her into the underworld and witnesses a machine exploding, killing numerous workers. After telling his father about the tragedy, he sets out to help the underclass from their living hell and find Maria.
For a film that is 83 years old, Metropolis is a stunning spectacle with the restored footage pin sharp. The found, newly inserted footage is less than perfect and it’s a shame because it has the effect of taking the viewer out of the film. Perhaps the most striking feature though is Lang’s vision. Not his ability to see into the future per se – although the appearance of a car phone is rather prophetic – but the world he created, how it looks and how it is all put together. Size may not be everything but the sheer scale of Metropolis is nothing short of breathtaking at times.
Without the benefit of CGI or other modern special effects, Lang uses scale models of cityscapes alongside some truly spectacular sets. The influence on more modern television and film is instantly apparent, from The Jetsons and Star Trek to Star Wars and most obviously Blade Runner. Then there is the robot made by the inventor Rotwang, a now iconic creation (C3-PO anyone?) and the instantly recognisable face of the film, designed to lead the workers into a self-destructive riot.
While the social commentary on capitalism is crucial to the film’s message, it is the love between Freder and Maria which gives Metropolis its emotional core and drives the narrative forward. Their relationship, though nascent, is believable and moving. As a silent film with intertitles the acting is necessarily over-dramatic at times and to modern audiences seems anachronistic. But it is quick to get used to and for all the wondrous scope and scale of Metropolis, the characters are in the end what you will care about. A truly visionary science fiction epic, Metropolis is a genuine classic and one which is as spectacular now as it doubtless was on its original release.
EXTRAS ★★★½ The full 150-minute restored director's cut of the film, digitally remastered for hi-def; audio commentary by David Kalat and Johnathan Rosenbaum; the documentary Die reise nack Metropolis (55:00); the 2010 theatrical re-release trailer.