Metropolis (1927)

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Thea von Harbou (screenplay)
Thea von Harbou (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

13 March 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Fritz Lang's 1927 Masterpiece Now With 25 Minutes of Lost Footage (2010 re-release)

Plot:

In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.

Plot Keywords:

Worker | Children | Future | Savior | Garden

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Alfred Abel	...	Joh Fredersen
Gustav Fröhlich	...	Freder - Joh Fredersen's Son
Rudolf Klein-Rogge	...	C.A. Rotwang - the Inventor
Fritz Rasp	...	The Thin Man
Theodor Loos	...	Josaphat
Erwin Biswanger	...	11811 - Georgy
Heinrich George	...	Grot - the Guardian of the Heart Machine
Brigitte Helm	...	The Creative Man / The Machine Man / Death / The Seven Deadly Sins / Maria
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fritz Alberti	...	Creative Human - Man who Convinces Babel (uncredited)
Grete Berger	...	Working Woman (uncredited)
Olly Boeheim	...	Working Woman (uncredited)
Max Dietze	...	Working Man (uncredited)
Ellen Frey	...	Working Woman (uncredited)
Beatrice Garga	...	Woman of Eternal Gardens (uncredited)
Heinrich Gotho	...	Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Dolly Grey	...	Working Woman (uncredited)
Anny Hintze	...	Woman of Eternal Gardens (uncredited)
Georg John	...	Working Man Who Causes Explosion of M-Machine (uncredited)
Walter Kuehle	...	Working Man (uncredited)
Margarete Lanner	...	Lady in Car / Woman of Eternal Gardens (uncredited)
Rose Lichtenstein	...	Working Woman (uncredited)
Hanns Leo Reich	...	Marinus (uncredited)
Arthur Reinhardt	...	Working Man (uncredited)
Curt Siodmak	...	Working Man (uncredited)
Henrietta Siodmak	...	Working Woman (uncredited)
Olaf Storm	...	Jan (uncredited)
Erwin Vater	...	Working Man (uncredited)
Rolf von Goth	...	Son in Eternal Gardens (uncredited)
Helen von Münchofen	...	Woman of Eternal Gardens (uncredited)
Helene Weigel	...	Working Woman (uncredited)
Hilde Woitscheff	...	Woman of Eternal Gardens (uncredited)

Directed by
Fritz Lang

Writing credits
Thea von Harbou		(screenplay)
Thea von Harbou		(novel)
Fritz Lang		screenplay (uncredited)

Produced by
Erich Pommer	....	producer

Original Music by
Gottfried Huppertz
Abel Korzeniowski		(2004)
Giorgio Moroder		(1984)
Peter Osborne		(1998)
Bernd Schultheis
Benjamin Speed		(2005/2011)
Wetfish		(1999)

Cinematography by
Karl Freund
Günther Rittau
Walter Ruttmann

Art Direction by
Otto Hunte
Erich Kettelhut
Karl Vollbrecht

Costume Design by
Aenne Willkomm

Art Department
Otto Hunte	....	set designer
Erich Kettelhut	....	set designer
Walter Schulze-Mittendorff	....	sculptor (as Walter Schultze-Mittendorf)
Karl Vollbrecht	....	set designer
Edgar G. Ulmer	....	set designer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ernst Kunstmann	....	special effects
Konstantin Irmen-Tschet	....	special photographic effects sequences (uncredited)
Erich Kettelhut	....	trick photography (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jeff Matakovich	....	color and opticals (1984 restoration)
Eugen Schüfftan	....	special visual effects
Erich Kettelhut	....	painting effects (uncredited)
Ernst Kunstmann	....	assistant compositing effects artist (uncredited)
Willy Muller	....	model maker (uncredited)
Hugo O. Schulze	....	assistant trick photography (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Karl Freund	....	camera operator
Günther Rittau	....	camera operator (as Gunther Rittau)
Robert Baberske	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Horst von Harbou	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hermann I. Kaufmann	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Otto Harzner	....	conductor: original score (uncredited)
Frank Strobel	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Rudi George	....	key production assistant (uncredited)
Erich Holder	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Erich Kettelhut	....	technical consultant (uncredited)
Gustav Püttjer	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Hans Taussig	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Bob Badami	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Eileen Bowser	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
John Branca	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Mark Damon	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Michael Dilbeck	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Jere Huggins	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Dieter Kosslick	....	special thanks (2010 restoration)
Rusty Lemorande	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Tom Luddy	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Mike Lynskey	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Alan Marshall	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Michael Maslansky	....	special thanks (1984 restoration) (as Mike Maslansky)
Alan Parker	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Paul Schrader	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
David Shepard	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Gary Stiffelman	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)
Walter Yetnikoff	....	special thanks (1984 restoration)

Production Companies

• Universum Film (UFA)

Distributors

• Paramount-Ufa-Metro-Verleihbetriebe GmbH (Parufamet) (1927) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1927) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1928) (USA) (theatrical)
• Wardour Films (1927) (UK) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Home Theatre (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Metropol-Filmverleih (1984) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release) (Moroder short version)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1985) (West Germany) (VHS) (Moroder short version)
• Vestron Video (1985) (USA) (VHS) (1984 version)
• Vestron Video (1985) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Lax Video S.A. (1986) (Spain) (VHS) (1984 version)
• Vestron Video International (1986) (Belgium) (video)
• Divisa Ediciones (1995) (Spain) (VHS)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Eureka Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Kino International (2003) (USA) (DVD) (digitally restored version)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2003) (Germany) (DVD) (DeLuxe Edition)
• Delta Expedition (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (on "Fritz Lang Epic Collection")
• MK2 Éditions (2004) (France) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (video)
• Reel Media International (2005) (USA) (TV)
• SBP (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (2005) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Kinokuniya (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Forward (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Vivarto (2008) (Poland) (all media)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Divisa Home Video (2010) (Spain) (DVD) (2010 new version)
• Kino Lorber (2010) (USA) (all media)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (restored version) (two-disc special edition)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1984) (Canada) (theatrical) (1984 version)
• Producers Sales Organization (PSO) (1984) (USA) (theatrical) (1984 version)
• Shochikuza (1929) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Towa Shoji Bunka Eiga-bu (1929) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Avid Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS) (1984 version)
• Cable Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Crown Video (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• IVC (1985) (Greece) (VHS) (1984 version)
• Killiam Collection (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Pan-Canadian Video Presentations (1985) (Canada) (VHS) (1984 version)
• SBP (2008) (Argentina) (DVD) (Double feature with 'Nosferatu' (1932))
• Stokey Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2012) (Argentina) (DVD) (4-disc Inicios del Cine)
• Video Yesteryear (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Alpha-Omega Digital  digital restoration (as ALPHA-OMEGA, Munich)
• August Scherl Verlag  original book publisher
• Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv Koblenz  film processing: restoration (as Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv, Berlin / Koblenz)
• Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv Koblenz  restoration carried out by (as Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv, Berlin)
• Centrimage  digital restoration (as centrimage, Paris)
• Cinémathèque Française  restoration contributor (as Cinémathèque Française, Paris)
• Deutsches Filminstitut (DIF)  restoration carried out together with (member of the Association of Cinematheques) (as Deutsches Filminstitut - DIF, Frankfurt am Main / Wiesbaden)
• Deutsches Filmmuseum Frankfurt  restoration carried out together with (member of the Association of Cinematheques) (as Deutsches Filmmuseum, Frankfurt am Main)
• Filmmuseum Berlin  restoration carried out together with (member of the Association of Cinematheques) (as Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin)
• Filmmuseum Düsseldorf  restoration carried out together with (member of the Association of Cinematheques) (as Filmmuseum der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf)
• Filmmuseum Munich  restoration carried out together with (as Filmmuseum im Stadtmuseum Munich)
• Fondazione Cineteca Italiana  restoration contributor (as Fondazione Cineteca Italiana, Milan)
• Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung  restoration carried out by (as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation, Wiesbaden)
• George Eastman House  restoration contributor (as George Eastman House, Rochester)
• Gosfilmofond  restoration contributor (as Gosfilmofond, Moscow)
• Kinograph Inc.  English translation: restoration (as Kinograph, Montréal)
• LISTO Videofilm  digital restoration: grading, film recording and digital cinema mastering (2010) (digitally restored version)
• Modegeschaft Knitze  costume fitting
• Museum of Modern Art, The (MoMA)  restoration contributor (as The Museum of Modern Art, New York)
• National Film and Television Archive  restoration contributor (as National Film and Television Archive, London)
• Ray Mercer & Company  color and opticals (1984 restoration) (as Ray Mercer & Co.)
• Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken  original score performed by: restoration
• Schuhgeschäft Breitspecher  men's shoes
• Schuhgeschäft Reiss  women's shoes
• Screensound Australia  restoration contributor (as Screensound Australia, Canberra)
• Studio Babelsberg  sound stages
• Transit Film  world sales: restoration (as Transit Film GmbH, Munich)
• TrickWilk, Berlin  intertitles: restoration (as trickWILK, Berlin)
• Werkstätten der UFA  costumes

Also Known As:

"The Complete Metropolis" - International (English title) (restored version)

Runtime:

153 min | Germany:210 min (premiere cut) | Germany:93 min (re-release version) | USA:114 min (25 fps) (1927 cut version) | USA:123 min (2002 Murnau Foundation 75th aniversary restored version) | 119 min (DVD edition) (2002 Murnau Foundation 75th aniversary restored version) | 80 min (Giorgio Moroder version) | 145 min (2010 restored version)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (1995 restored version) | Silent (original release)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Norway:12 (1986) | Peru:PT | Portugal:17 (original rating) | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:T (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Germany:12 (video rating) (re-release) | West Germany:16 (theatrical re-release) (1962) | Germany:18 (original rating) (1927) | Germany:o.Al. (DVD re-rating) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | USA:Not Rated | Finland:K-7

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Universum Film (UFA)

Trivia:

The robot of this film inspired the look for C-3PO in Star Wars (1977).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: On the Kino DVD, a shot in chapter 7 that lasts nine seconds is backwards. The shot starts at 16 minutes, 33 seconds. It is the third of four cityscape shots in a row. The vehicular traffic in this third shot moves on the left side. The traffic moves on the right side in the second and fourth shots. There is a backward script letter "B" on the left side of the third shot. These indicate the third shot is backwards. If the third shot is reversed, it becomes apparent that it is a close-up of the bottom of the fourth shot.

Quotes:

Freder:It was their hands that built this city of ours, Father. But where do the hands belong in your scheme?
Joh Frederson:In their proper place, the depths.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "How I Met Your Mother: Do I Know You? (#4.1)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Love Kills

So old…and yet so futuristic!

Fritz Lang's groundbreaking landmark remains one of the biggest mysteries in the world of cinema. How can a movie that'll soon turn 80 years old still look so disturbingly futuristic?? The screenplay by Thea Von Harbou is still very haunting and courageously assails social issues that are of all ages. The world has been divided into two main categories: thinkers & workers! If you belong to the first category, you can lead a life of luxury above ground but if you're a worker, your life isn't worth a penny, and you're doomed to perilous labor underground. The further expansions and intrigues in the screenplay are too astonishing to spoil, so I strongly advise that you check out the film yourself. It's essential viewing, anyway! "Metropolis" is a very demanding film-experience and definitely not always entertaining. But, as it is often the case with silent-cinema classics, the respect and admiration you'll develop during watching it will widely excel the enjoyment-aspect. Fritz' brutal visual style still looks innovative and few directors since were able to re-create a similarly nightmarish composition of horizontal and vertical lines. Many supposedly 'restored' versions have been released over the years (in 1984 and 2002, for example) but the 1926-version is still the finest in my opinion, even though that one already isn't as detailed and punctual as Lang intended it. "Metropolis" perhaps is THE most important and influential movie ever made. "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Star Wars" and "Blade Runner" owe their existence (or at least their power) to it.