Film Festival to Show Restored Uncut 'Metropolis'

[IndianaGreen]

Film Festival to Show Restored Uncut 'Metropolis'

One of the most important works in cinematic history is to be shown in its complete uncut version at next year's Berlin International Film Festival. The restored version of Fritz Lang's silent classic "Metropolis" is to hit the silver screen 83 years after it first premiered in Berlin.

Fritz Lang's silent opus "Metropolis" was the first film ever to be granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. Yet for years the version film buffs and auteurs had hailed as a masterpiece was incomplete. But next February, a Berlin audience will finally get to see the original version of the sci-fi classic in the city where it first premiered 83 years ago.

The Berlin International Film Festival is to show the fully restored movie in the city's Friedrichstadt Palast venue on Feb. 12, accompanied by an orchestra playing the original score by Gottfried Huppertz. "Just about no other German film has inspired and influenced history as greatly as Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis,'" Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick said in a statement released on Thursday. "We are especially pleased and honored to be able to present the reconstructed original cut of this legendary and seminal film classic at the festival's 60th anniversary."

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,658367,00.html

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. Excellent!

:thumbsup:

[Forkboy]

2. I can't wait to see it.

The first cut was cool enough, so I'm dying to see it with all the footage restored.

[Warpy]

3. Neat! I hope Ted Turner snaps up a copy

to run on Silent Sunday on TCM.

It's one of my two all time favorite dystopian classics, both of them silent. The other is King Vidor's "The Crowd."

[jonnyblitz]

4. the vhs version I had circa late 80's must have been the "cut"

version then. who knew. i guess i shall seek this version out! thanks for posting.

[rpannier]

5. Great Movie

I have a copy that I bought in Korea.
It's one thing I do love about being in Korea

I've found Metropolis, The Cabinet of Dr Caliguri, Nosferatu (The Original) and Birth of a Nation (While a repugnant theme is still interesting to watch as a period piece)

[Bolo Boffin]

7. I don't have Birth but I've got the others.

I've also got Lon Chaney's Phantom and The Golem. There are some crappy soundtracks added to them! Most are just classical pieces, ill-suited at times, good at others. But Nosferatu has some weird jazz music to it. Dracula is distinctly less scary when he's sliding down the hallway to a soft cymbal beat.

Really looking forward to the restored at last cut of Metropolis. They keep restoring it and restoring it! But it's worth it.

[madrchsod]

6. they have to release it!

one of my top ten movies.....

[Bolo Boffin]

8. And I hope they record the orchestra doing the soundtrack as well. n/t