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'Metropolis' Now
WSJ ^ | February 11, 2010 | A.J. Goldmann

Posted on 02/23/2010 4:53:09 PM PST by SunkenCiv

83 years after its Berlin premiere, "Metropolis" can finally be seen as Lang originally intended it. Well, almost.

A restored version that incorporates over 20 minutes of newly discovered footage was screened last Friday at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival. Tickets to the gala, featuring the original score performed by a live symphony orchestra, sold out quickly. But throngs of cinéphiles braved subfreezing temperatures to congregate at Pariser Platz, where the film was beamed onto a screen set up at the Brandenburg Gate.

Since the 1980s, there have been multiple attempts to reconstruct the film using imperfect sources. Until now, the most definitive version was the 124-minute 2001 restoration supervised by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation. That organization, named for the great movie director, is dedicated to preserving Germany's cinematic heritage and also behind the current restoration.

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/ED-AK973_metrop_D_20100216183940.jpg

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/ED-AK973_metrop_G_20100216183940.jpg

Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung / Museo del Cine Metrop

A still from Fritz Lang's film "Metropolis."

In 2008 a 16mm negative was found in Buenos Aires that ran nearly half an hour longer than any known "Metropolis" print. Incorporating this new footage, the version screened at the festival runs 147 minutes—just six minutes shy of the running time of the film shown at the Jan. 10, 1927, Berlin premiere.

Those hoping to discover more lascivious outtakes might be disappointed that the restored material mainly makes the narrative less disjointed. While "Metropolis" came under attack for some sexual content, most of the censorship cuts were restored in the '70s and '80s.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: fritzlang; godsgravesglyphs; metropolis

1 posted on 02/23/2010 4:53:09 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: nickcarraway; martin_fierro; Fred Nerks; KevinDavis

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2 posted on 02/23/2010 4:54:06 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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Oh, for...

The preview looked good, somehow the freakin' thing reverted to the first clip I pasted.

A 2008 story about the discovery, linked in the pic:
Missing scenes from Fritz Lang's Metropolis turn up after 80 years, Kate Connolly in Berlin, guardian.co.uk, Thursday 3 July 2008 15.07 BST

3 posted on 02/23/2010 4:55:30 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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To: SunkenCiv
I would love to see this version. Metropolis has always been one of my favorite films.
4 posted on 02/23/2010 4:56:07 PM PST by Bad Jack Bauer (Fat and Bald? I was BORN fat and bald, thank you very much!)
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To: SunkenCiv

bookmark


5 posted on 02/23/2010 4:56:48 PM PST by ElayneJ
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To: SunkenCiv

The film had amazing special effects for its time. Fritz Lang was one of the all-time great movie directors.


6 posted on 02/23/2010 4:56:58 PM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: SunkenCiv; Petronski; Slings and Arrows

7 posted on 02/23/2010 4:59:11 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: Bad Jack Bauer
Definitely a landmark film in cinema history. I'm also kind of fond of the tribute to it that showed up in Queen's Radio Ga Ga video back in the 80's...
8 posted on 02/23/2010 5:01:11 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: SunkenCiv
Last time I saw Metropolis it was projected on the wall in a corner at The Edison: Downtown LA .
9 posted on 02/23/2010 5:16:02 PM PST by steelyourfaith (FReepers were opposed to Obama even before it was cool to be against Obama.)
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Anybody else see the version set to rock music?

I even bought the soundtrack. It was pretty good.

10 posted on 02/23/2010 5:32:57 PM PST by Rio (Don't make me come over there....)
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To: Joe 6-pack

Per Wikipedia:

David Mallet’s music video for the song features scenes from Fritz Lang’s 1927 sci-fi movie Metropolis—Freddie Mercury’s solo song “Love Kills” was used in Giorgio Moroder’s restored version of the film, and in exchange Queen were granted the rights to use footage from it in their “Radio Ga Ga” video. However,.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Ga_Ga


11 posted on 02/23/2010 5:40:08 PM PST by bleach (Sarah, Wake me in 2012)
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To: SunkenCiv


12 posted on 02/23/2010 5:48:17 PM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: JoeProBono
There is a 1988 Hong Kong movie entitled "I Love Maria" ("Tie jia wu di Ma Li A") which includes a robot named Maria...that of course resembles the Metropolis robot...
13 posted on 02/23/2010 7:52:22 PM PST by Nepeta
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To: SunkenCiv

When the lost footage was discovered I posted a thread to inform other interested in such important cinema news. In a very short time there was a number of replies. Then without rhyme or reason the mods then deleted the whole thread. I guess not everybody is into German Impressionism.

Since then I’ve been waiting for the day I could see the entire film. It won’t be long now. Delightful.


14 posted on 02/24/2010 12:25:22 AM PST by tlb
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