A review on the uncut version of Fritz Lang’s silent film Metropolis.

Metropolis Movie Poster 1984

Throw away your Metropolis DVD! The version of Fritz Lang’s sci-fi classic seen and admired by the world for nearly a century is far from the epic that the director originally envisioned.

The film was significantly altered and recut after its German premiere in 1927. Theatre managers used to screen films in strict 90-minute slots and would project Lang’s original Metropolis at the wrong length. It was eventually cut by over 30 minutes for the international market and the full-length masterpiece was lost. But last night, 83 years after its first world premiere, the silent movie was shown just as Lang had intended it. The open-air gala screening on Berlin’s beautiful FriedrichstadtPalast was accompanied by the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra playing its soundtrack, as part of the city’s film festival.

Read the rest of the review at  The Independent.

This is one of my favorite silent films. What turned me on to it in the first place was the Giorgio Moroder remastered, colorized version, set to 80’s music that was released in 1984.  Purists however were horrified.