The Complete Metropolis

Fritz Lang's 1927 epic is revered as a silent film masterpiece and landmark work of science-fiction. Set in a fantastical utopia of immense architectural wonders and technological marvels, where the privileged class lives in a glorious city aboveground while slave workers toil in a sunless subterranean realm below, Metropolis is an astounding technical triumph, although for decades the only surviving version was incomplete. With the discovery of a damaged and worn 16mm print in Argentina, the Murnau Institute has been able to finally restore the film to its almost complete form (it's still missing a couple of minutes). The visually weak footage from the Argentinean print is woven through the film, clearly standing out from the majority of the restoration (which comes from the best materials available and looks superb), but the overall effect of seeing the new material is thrilling. The plot's sociopolitical themes are simplistic—Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), the son of Metropolis founder Joh (Alfred Abel), falls in love with working-class woman Maria (Brigitte Helm), which leads him to seek to improve the plight of the oppressed, after which his enraged father plots to undermine the incipient workers' movement—but the restored scenes wonderfully fill out the narrative. Both the DVD and Blu-ray versions feature a newly recorded performance of Gottfried Huppertz's original symphonic score, an interview with Paula Felix-Didier (curator of the Museo del Cine, where the missing footage was discovered), and an excellent documentary on the original production and history of the restorations, which began in 1970 and—barring a miracle—end with this definitive edition. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Axmaker)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—Oct. 25, 2011—Kino, 82 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $34.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, this 1984 version of 1927's Metropolis sports a good transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on DVD and DTS-HD 5.1 sound on Blu-ray. Extras include “The Fading Image” featurette by Giorgio Moroder on the 1984 restoration, preservation, and scoring—featuring Moroder's music along with selections by Freddie Mercury, Pat Benatar, Adam Ant, and others—of this version of the film (18 min.), a text message from Moroder, a stills gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: while this is no substitute for The Complete Metropolis, this 1984 curio truncated version was instrumental in introducing Lang's masterpiece to a new generation of viewers, and will be appreciated by fans of ‘80s music.]