Okay, those who know me very well, know I'm a big Fritz Lang fan and that I'm postively goofy about "Metropolis." Like the complete "Greed," a complete version of the film has been one of the cinema's Holy Grails. UFA made cuts to the film after it ran for two weeks in Germany in 1927. Paramount made additional cuts for the American release.
I first saw the version assembled with a rock score by Giorgio Moroder in 1984 and was blown away. The scope of Lang's imagery of the future married to the story that as technology advances so must the human condition made the film instantly one of the my favorites.
Despite the criticisms of the Moroder version – purists didn't care much for the rock score – the film was able to bring "Metropolis" to a new generation.
One of my best moments as a film fan was being invited to a screening of the restored version of the film released in 2001. I saw the movie in the former Columbia Pictures screening room in New York City and again was blown away.
Now here is great news.
Anyone out there wants to finance my trip to Berlin?
© 2010 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Metropolis is my number one favorite move. I have both versions on VHS and DVD. The cultural influence it's had on the modern world is astounding.
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