Fritz Lang's Metropolis
Did you know? Many different versions of Metropolis have been released, including:
- The original 1927 version (no longer exists);
- The version subsequently released in the USA received a lot of cuts, and was only 63-minute long. Some of the lost scenes have been added to the restorations (see bellow), but some scenes have disappeared forever;
- A B&W 90-minute long version was re-released in German in 1927 or 1928, and it is called the '28 German
version;
There were also at least four major restorations:
- by East German "Staatliches Filmarchiv" by the end of the 1960s (see note);
- by Giorgio Moroder, released in 1984, with colors, sound effects and a modern soundtrack. Moroder's version, despite being one of the most complete, has one of shortest run times. See the reasons here;
- by Filmmuseum Munich, from 1995, restored according to the original script, with the lost scenes replaced either with stills or titles. It is reported that it has also totally "new" scenes that doesn't appear on any other version, and to have been produced in 3 sub-versions.
- a newer, even more complete digital restoration was released in 2002, and is being distributed by Kino International, by Eureka and by other companies.
There is also a false restoration:
- JEF Films calls its B&W 139-minute long release "newly restored version". But there is nothing restored in it. It has more missing scenes than any other available version, and image quality is the worst of all. This version runs in very low speed, all that's why it is so long.
There are a lot of versions of Metropolis available at video stores. If you would like to buy one of them, you would better visit this page before. For me, the many different soundtracks, as well as the differences in movie speed and in the number of missing scenes, make each version actually a different movie. That's why I think that one can not say that he liked (or did not like) Metropolis without specifying what specific version he saw.
Undoubtedly, Moroder's restoration was a rather controversial one. Many people loved it, but many people hated it. I'm in the first group. Moroder's version of Metropolis is my favorite movie, and Moroder's soundtrack is my favorite soundtrack
ever.
I think you should see Moroder's version, no matter if you have read or heard any unpleasant comments about it. You might hate it, as some did, but you might also find it a superb, unforgettable movie. Would you dare missing this possibility? The problem, however, is that Moroder's version appears to be no longer available for sale anywhere.
* Assorted bits of information about the movie and about its many versions (including info and comments sent by visitors of our site) are being added to this page.
- Useful links:
- Images:
Images from the movie:
Covers:
- Covers of released VHS, Laserdisc and DVD versions.
- Covers of released CDs with Metropolis soundtracks.
Some other "cities that never were":
This site was made by Augusto Cesar B. Areal, Brazil.
We would like to acknowledge the assistance and comments of
Aitam Bar-Sagi, Erika Hawkins and João Evangelista de Sousa Filho.
Links to this site are welcome!
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First version: June 19, 1996.
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