I have a love for the films of Fritz Lang and especially for ‘Metropolis’ (1927). Not just because of my unrequited love for Brigitte Helm, but because of the verve of cinematic experimentation thanks to Freund, Rittau and Ruttmann.
Here’s a short video outlining some of the techniques they used on the film.
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Thanks for sharing!
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Geoff Hall Thank you for posting this. Metropolis is an amazing movie, with a story that is as relevant and thought provoking now as it was. The effects must have been awe inspiring when the picture was released.
This is the kind of picture that has the ability to drive home the impact that our medium can have. The strong mixture of social commentary with art creates an enormously effective experience for the viewer. Just watching this for the cinematic art is incredible but misses what the total experiences offers.
If anyone has not seen this picture then do watch it. Entirely worthwhile. I’d be very interested in the thoughts of anyone here seeing it for the first time. Might be that I am adding intensely rose colored glasses to my memories.
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Andrew Sobkovich rose coloured spectacles? Never! I just wish I could travel back in time and see it in a Berlin cinema when it was released (January 10th, 1927) and also watch the audience’s reaction to it. I love the film and I also have the version with the extra reel found in Argentina.
Andrew, is this your favourite Lang film?
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Geoff Hall The rose colored glasses view is mine, but I’ll share :-).
I’m very much a science fiction fan. The imagination, the visions, in so many books and stories is wonderful. A great escape that I’ve used since shortly after I learned to read. As such Metropolis is my favourite Lang picture by far, in a class all of its own. Certainly parts of his contemporaneous “Woman In the Moon” has some wonderful scenes and is apparently the origin of the now universal countdown from 10 when launching a rocket but as a movie it is way too long. Lang’s movies are worth watching because of the expressionist art that always sneaks onto the screen to varying degrees.
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Truly amazing how masterful these original craftsmen were. Metropolis remains a masterpiece. And, for my money, Buster Keaton's The General and Sherlock Jr. are still masterpieces that can teach us everything. Thanks, Geoff!
Sam Sokolow thank you kindly, Sam. Yes, I love Metropolis and its pioneering spirit. Let’s make a movie and figure out how to do it, along the way. Love it!