Metropolis, one of the greatest films of all time and arguably one of the most influential, inspiring over 80 years of cinema and countless number of film-makers has never been seen in full and the way German auteur Fritz Lang originally intended by anyone who is likely to still be alive.
All that is about to change.
Astonishingly, the hugely significant 25% portion of footage that was cut from Fritz Lang’s original vision for what was at the time the most expensive film ever made film and opened to mainly disgust by critics in 1927 (and so chopped and cut down… oh yes this practice of shortening director’s visions is nothing new), is to be restored after the original negative prints were miraculously found in Argentina.
It’s by complete luck it happened. The Museo del Cine (Cinema Museum) in Beuenos Aires stumbled across the footage after it turned out a full length version of the film was sent to Argentina in 1928. The prints then ended up with a film critic who decided to keep it for his private collection where it was then later sold to an Art Fund and then to the Museum where it is currently located and recently rediscovered.
Understandably without much care and attention over the years the footage is not in the greatest shape but it’s watchable and a valuable piece of cinema history. Coincidentally, Metropolis was already set for a Blu-Ray release sometime next year from Kino, so let’s hope they are able to incorporate this new footage in their edition.
The news comes from Zeit Online…
“No matter how bad the condition of the material may be, the original intention of the film, including all of its minor characters and subplots, is now once again tangible for the normal viewer. The rhythm of the film has been restored.”
MUCH MORE HERE (a must-read, quite frankly).
Amazing news. Remember, film historians believe somewhere between 80 and 90% of all silent films have been lost forever over time… we were lucky to have Metropolis at all. Now to have it restored and in it’s original vision after so long?
Well it’s extraordinary. One of the happiest news stories I have ever had to write on Obsessed With Film.
source – aicn
2 Comments
Excellent news! To see the whole film as originally planned would be brilliant. It’d also be interesting how this new footage impacts upon the film’s ideology and deeper themes.
Whatever, if the powers that be can compile this material with care and consideration, then that is great news and gives us something to look forward to.
This story really made my day. Having seen the last (current) 2001 restoration, with the additional footage in place, it should be an overwhelming exsperience.
I think the salvation of the footage was that it was in fact, as I understand it, copied to 16mm (safety) film in Argentina. Had it been the original 35mm nitrate reels, I suspect the outcome could have been much less happy.
Great News Indeed,
Claus.
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[...] and films (or parts of films) which we previously thought had been lost have since been found. Most explicitly earlier this month when lost footage from Metropolis, thought to have been seen for the last time eight decades ago [...]