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 multiple-exposed sequences were not created in a lab but right during the filming on the set. The film was rewound in the camera and then exposed again right away. This was done up to 30 times.

Goofs:

Continuity: The lever on the heart-machine pulled by the false Maria to destroy it is pointing upwards and downwards between shots.

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:

Featured in "The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Episode #1.3" (2011)

Soundtrack:

On Your Own

Highly influential and, dare I say, prophetic?

Fritz Lang's Metropolis is the first true masterpiece of science fiction in film. You can see it's influence in films such as Star Wars, The Matrix, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Blade Runner, and countless others. Despite the fact that parts of the film are no longer available, the efforts to reconstruct the original film from its remains are valiant enough to provide enough to make the story clear. The special effects were far ahead of their time and the set designs were, in some cases, phenomenal. I can see where some people may not enjoy this movie. It is hard for some to really appreciate a movie that is 77 years old, because a lot has happened in film since then. Yet, if you look at the basic elements of this movie - its story, characters, artwork, cinematography, etc., I believe this movie has just as much to offer now as it must have in the late 1920's. Also, take into consideration the asthetics of German expressionist film when viewing this. The performances and set designs are going to be over the top. That was part of the style. Metropolis may not be for everyone, but, for those willing to read between the lines, this film still has a lot to offer!