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| Metropolis Restored Authorized Edition
Year: 1927
Classification: Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)
Directed:
- Fritz Lang
Actors/Actresses:
- Alfred Abel
- Brigitte Helm
Monumental movie but still *not* an original transfer.
Let me start by saying that a movie of this stature can't be praised highly enough. Having said that I beg to differ with all the five star rave reviews concerning the DVD transfer. I'm quite the Metropolis fan and my toes curled when I saw that the newest and latest official release has its intertitles translated into English up to the point of actually changing the original images as well.(The address card Freder shows Josaphas, the Hel memorial plaque, the tower of Babel sequence, a business card picked up by Freder, etc, are all English translations inserted by digital or other means into the film.) So, claiming that this version is original is dubious to say the least. Why not benefit from DVD's technology to leave it up to the viewer to choose between the (original) German or English intertitles? If it can be done with subtitles, I'm sure intertitles can't pose a problem. Imagine the frustration of the German movie buffs who have to watch one of their greatest movies of all time with English intertitles and German subtitles! What really made me frown is that in the scene selection section on the DVD you can make out the original German intertitles in some of the preview windows! The frustrating part about this is that even when using DVD's technological advantages to choose between intertitles, changes made onto the print by substituting English text over the images are permanent.
Furthermore I challenge any film technician or any of the members on the restauration team of the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation to tell me that this version of Metropolis is transfered at the correct speed. And by that I mean the speed at which any normal human being walks, runs and can gesticulate without looking like an episode from Comedy Capers. Have a look at the final scene where Rotwang chases Maria up the Cathedral. It is actually comical and embarassing to see, taking into account the enormous effort the F.W.M. Foundation took in restoring this monument. Trust me, you don't have to be an animation student or an expert in locomotion to see that the actor's movements are sped up. Even the big clock's second hand in Frederson's office races by at exaggerated speed. When Joh Frederson stands opposite of Rotwang (Hal statue sequence), Rotwang waves his hands frenetically in Fredersen's face to gesticulate refusal. For a moment his hands elude me because of motional blur. Eureka's 1999 release of Metropolis had much better and natural movement of the actors. What very few people know is that Fritz Lang under-crancked the camera for some of the shots in his movie to add drama and weight to some scenes. These little moments of genius gave Metropolis some of its extraordinary atmosphere and appeal and are now completely lost with this release.
In 1927 the German production company UFA ordered the film to be cut for the US release. The American editor charged with this operation also exchanged the German intertitles and scenes with German texts for
A Classic Film Restored
It is sad that so many great works of art have been lost or butchered for various reasons over the centuries. And even though it is often impossible to restore them to their original glory, it is a worthy effort to try to do so. Recut and reworked after its original presentation in 1927, Metropolis will likely never again be seen in its original form due to lost footage; however, the creators of the cut shown on this DVD have given us a good sense of what that film was like.
Though my experience with silent films is minimal, a youth spent as a science fiction buff introduced me to this film. I had seen bits and pieces of it growing up but had never sat down to watch the entire thing until I obtained this DVD. What an amazing experience! I am sorry I waited so long to see it. This film intertwines a love story, revenge story and social commentary with amazing special effects to c
wer out on these movies. They start after the series' end, with first "Return to Cutter Gap" and then "A Change of Seasons" and "A New Beginning." Start a Christy newbie with the first few series epi
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