Metropolis

Metropolis (1927)

Runtime: 148 minutes

Directed by: Fritz Lang

Starring: Gustav Frohlich, Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp

From: UFA

Note that the first part of this review is me talking about the 2010 restored version, running 148 minutes long, then I talk about the 1984 version of the film done by Giorgio Moroder where he tried restoring it with what was available at the time and added some real 1980's touches to it. Both those Letterboxd reviews are below and I'll return tomorrow night.

"The Mediator Between Brain And Hands Must Be The Heart!"

Like many people, I did see one of the shorter versions of this legendary film that were floating about, aided by it becoming public domain. I thought it was great at the time. Despite that and being quite excited to hear that longer versions were discovered in Argentina then New Zealand and it would be released on disc, I waited until last night to finally watch that definitive version on Blu-ray. Even I can't quite adequately explained why I did this, but at least I finally gave it a viewing.

I don't want to say too much for those that haven't seen this classic yet, but it's set in a 2026 futuristic city and it is a real case of “the haves vs. the have nots” as the elite live in luxury in a lovely looking burgh while everyone else lives underground and they have to work to supply the power and electricity to those in power. The city is run by a Joh Fredersen; he has an adult son named Freder and he falls in love with an attractive blonde of “the lower class” named Maria and trouble happens when the lower class plans on an uprising. Also factoring into an equation is a mad scientist with the hilarious name of Rotwang and a human-like robot he created.

The reputation of this is well-deserved. Besides an epic story which touches on such things as the seven sins, romance, betrayal, oppression, madness, and greed, the effects/background/sets are all tremendous and even now they are quite impressive. You are immediately brought into that expressionistic universe and you're always engrossed throughout by this film that is filled to the brim with imagination, unforgettable expansive sets and big moments.

I do always think it's great whenever films that are considered “lost” can be rediscovered, which has sometimes happened in recent years. When a half hour of material thought gone forever has been added to an all-time great that influenced the likes of Star Wars (with C-3PO), Blade Runner, Dark City, The Fifth Element, the Burton Batman films, Superman, and others... it can be considered a miracle and it made a great film even better. If you have never watched this before, the 148 minute version is clearly the way to go.

Now, the Moroder version:

Earlier in the day I posted a review of the 2010 fully restored 148 minute version of Metropolis. To be brief, I gave it 5 stars and praised how great the movie is even in 2015. However, I had never seen this version of the film, released in 1984.

Legendary music producer Giorgio Moroder used some of his disco cash to try and restore the movie to the best he could with the footage and techniques available at the time. There are only a few interlaced titles, subtitles are used instead to show dialogue, the footage is shown at a faster rate (which is why this is 83 minutes long), the footage is tinted various colors but usually is subtle, there are added sound effects and the score is replaced with one Moroder did himself and includes 80's pop ditties done by the likes of Loverboy, Freddie Mercury, Billy Squier, Pat Benatar, and Bonnie Tyler.

Now, while the 2010 version is definitely the definitive version to watch, this is a rather interesting alternate version. I am not always sure if the music fits the scenes but the score itself is pretty great; then again I tend to dig Moroder's music a lot so I may be biased there. The added color and sound effects put a different spin on things and I was fine with it being shorter, but there was nothing wrong with the original length either.

Above all else, I commend Giorgio Moroder for trying to put together the best possible version of the film that he could at the time. How effective the 80's touches are... it can certainly be debated but I appreciate that he's a big fan of the movie and was able to put this project together to introduce it to a new generation.