Gorgeous Trailer For The Super Restoration Of Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS - One Of The Literal Greatest Films Of All Time!
Published at: Aug. 20, 2002, 5:44 a.m. CST by staff
Harry here.... All the time you see these lists of the greatest films of all time... I hear fans constantly list the best science fiction films of all time, and constantly I hear Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS as not being on that list.
Now I understand... I'm a lucky fucking geek. I've seen METROPOLIS projected on a big screen at least 20 times in my life beginning at the age of 6. I have seen the film with a full on orchestra performing live.... I've seen it with a cool alternative synth-band playing with it at the Drafthouse.... I've seen the film screened with an organ player. I've seen it with that Giorgio Moroder soundtrack and I've seen it with other attached scores by various other folks. I've seen many many cut lengths of the film. Everytime it goes out, they find more of the original film as each print is found.... PLEASE SOMEONE FIND "Lon Chaney's LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT!!!!" FIND PLEASE!!! And each time I go I'm astonished all over again at the majesty, brilliance and downright audacity of Fritz Lang's towering work of science fiction.
The second I heard about this Kino Release of METROPOLIS and the sort of work they were doing... Repairing the master negatives - digitally cleaning it all.... finding the original full orchestral score and doing a full on digital multi-track recording to accompany the film... The fact that the original edit of the film ran 153 minutes long. Weeks after its release the distributor PARAMOUNT PICTURES and UFA making typical idiotic studio boss decisions decided to cut this masterpiece down to a 'typical' film length and the original cut of the film went the way of the dodo. When I first saw the film it was around 80 minutes long. Missing right at around an HOUR and ten minutes of the original film. Then in 1984, Giorgio Moroder came out with an edit that was 87 minutes long. Being the geek that I was, and being utterly in love with Queen at the time - I adored this version of the film. Watching it countless times on video and many times in theaters. Then around 15 years ago a new edit emerged that was 107 minutes long... I figured... ah... it's only missing 45 minutes... it'll never get more complete than this!
Well - METROPOLIS is now 122 minutes long... it is still missing 31 minutes, but you have to realize that this film has genuinely been considered to be one of the greatest works of film since the day it was released. For me... over the period of my life that I have lived... I've been lucky enough to see the movie gain 42 minutes of its original length. I dream of seeing the full 153 minute cut, but the reality of history, odds and the chances that a full print survived World War 2... well, I hope, but I realize this may very well be it. This might be all that there will ever be, and I cherish it. Also - the restoration of the original intended score can not possibly be overlooked.... To hear Gottried Huppertz's original score... My heart flutters in anticipation.
You look at this trailer below and can you really imagine a better time with a movie? I mean, this is METROPOLIS, and it will never have looked better in most of your's lifetimes (I'm putting a condition on that, just in case a few of you saw that original cut back in 1927... if you did and can honestly remember it, feel free to write in about that experience, I'd love to hear it!) The PLAYDATES for the film are very few and far between, but here they are!!! If your town is on the list don't hesitate for a second in buying your ticket and watching it. This is an experience that your grandparents and parents have never had. This is YOUR EDIT of METROPOLIS. A new film, that you've never seen. And it kills me that I'm going to be in China when it plays for its ONE DAY in Austin, Texas on the 23rd of August at the glorious Paramount Theater. Hopefully, I will get a chance someday to see this print theatrically... And even more than that, I hope you take the time to discover this work of genius. Would Science Fiction Film be as wonderful as it has been without METROPOLIS, I don't know... but one question I have asked myself and have always smiled with the lack of answer is this.... HAS SCIENCE FICTION FILM EVER BEEN BETTER THAN METROPOLIS? I don't know. But I love looking...
