Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Metropolis (1927)
Metropolis
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Metropolis (1927) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 72 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Fritz Lang
Writers:
Thea von Harbou (screenplay)
Thea von Harbou (novel)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Metropolis on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 March 1927 (USA) more
Tagline:
There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(40 articles)
Might Smallville Make It To Season 10?
 (From Screen Rant. 5 July 2009, 6:37 PM, PDT)

Smallville May Get Another Season
 (From TVovermind.com. 2 July 2009, 9:12 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Restored Kino DVD changed my view of this film. more

Cast

  (Credited 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
Heinrich George ... Grot, the guardian of the Heart Machine
Brigitte Helm ... Maria
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
153 min | Germany:147 min (2001 restored version) | Germany:210 min (premiere cut) | Germany:80 min (Giorgio Moroder version) | Germany:93 min (re-release version) | USA:114 min (25 fps) (1927 cut version) | USA:123 min (2002 Murnau Foundation 75th aniversary restored version) | Spain:118 min (DVD edition) | USA:117 min
Country:
Germany
Language:
German
Color:
Black and White (tinted)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital (1995 restored version) | Silent (original release)
Certification:
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 | 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)
Filming Locations:
Berlin, Germany

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
For decades, all that survived of "Metropolis" were an incomplete original negative and copies of shortened, re-edited release prints; over a quarter of the film was believed lost. However, in July 2008 Germany's 'ZEITmagazin' reported the discovery of a copy of the original, full-length print which had been sent to Argentina in 1928. Examining the reels in Buenos Aires, cinema experts realised that they contained the missing sequences (predominantly those involving the Thin Man who spies on Freder, and worker 11811 in Yoshiwara). Additionally, in October 2008 it was announced that another (hopefully) early copy in the obsolete 9.5mm format had been held in the University of Chile's film library, intentionally mislabelled to avoid destruction during 1973's military coup. It is as yet unknown if this holds any further viewable footage. After almost 80 years, the film is now hoped to be complete. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Freder, and Rotwang are fighting on top of the Cathedral, it is daytime. But in the shot of the workers, Grot, and Joh on the ground, it is night. more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep (2006) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
What's Going On more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "Metropolis" based on a novel?
How did they shoot the rings around the machine when it was transforming into the guise of Maria?
more
75 out of 86 people found the following comment useful:-
Restored Kino DVD changed my view of this film., 13 March 2004
10/10
Author: Bockharn from Long Island, NY

I doubt that I'd ever seen anything resembling a "complete" version of METROPOLIS before, though certain of its scenes were familiar to me, if only as used and abused in such films as Diane Keaton's HEAVEN (1987). In any case, whatever I had seen before had nothing like the clarity and beauty of the Kino restoration. I expected to be distracted by the restoration's technique of concise written descriptions of missing sequences, but the narrative coherence that these provided was definitely worth it. As "exaggerated" as the style of acting seems by contemporary standards, some performances, such as the Master of the city, are amazingly nuanced and layered, and Brigitte Helm is stunning as both Maria and her evil clone. The meticulous design of the film, the unerring camera placement and Lang's muscular choreography of the crowd scenes are breathtaking. I'd thought of METROPOLIS as a curiosity ("important" = "dull") but now I've come to appreciate it as the seminal work it has always been.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Metropolis (1927)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Top 10 films(poll) warrel
Alfred Abel mwarhover
Anyone here see the Moroder version in theatres? DrMario
Going to see it on the big screen aresu
Genuinely enjoyed this film Reichswasserleiche
Is This A Silent Film?? rustynail925
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
King Kong Blade Runner V for Vendetta Big Fish Brazil
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb top 250 movies IMDb Action section
IMDb Germany section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.