NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Metropolis (film)

Metropolis is a silent science fiction film created by the famed Austrian-German director Fritz Lang. It was produced in Germany in the Babelsberg Studios and released in 1927 during the height of the Weimar Republic. In addition, it was the most expensive silent film of the time, costing approximately 7 million Reichsmark (equivalent to around $200 million in 2005) to make.^[1] // A metropolis is a city that is a major cultural or economic center. ... Image File history File links Metropolisposter. ... Friedrich Christian Anton Fritz Lang (December 5, 1890 â€“ August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-German-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known Ã©migrÃ©s from Germanys school of Expressionism. ... Erich Pommer (July 20, 1889 â€“ May 8, 1966) was one of the most influential producers of the silent film era, having been one of the most influential creators being the German Expressionism movement as the head of production at Ufa from 1924 to 1926. ... Thea von Harbou (December 27, 1888 â€“ July 1, 1954) was a German actress and author of some noble Prussian descent. ... Alfred Abel (12 March 1879 â€“ 12 December 1937), was a German film actor. ... Brigitte Helm in Metropolis Brigitte Helm (March 17, 1908 â€“ June 11, 1996) was a German actress. ... Gustav FrÃ¶hlich Gustav FrÃ¶hlich (March 21, 1902 - December 22, 1987) was a German actor. ... Rudolf Klein-Rogge (1885-1955) was an German stage and silent film actor of the 1920s and 30s // He was born as Friederich Rudolf Klein-Rogg in Cologne, Germany on November 24, 1885. ... Karl W. Freund (January 16, 1890-May 3, 1969) was a German cinematographer who worked on over 100 films, including Metropolis (1927), Dracula (1931), and Key Largo (1948). ... Walter Ruttmann (born December 28, 1887 in Frankfurt am Main; died July 15, 1941 in Berlin) was a German film director and along with Hans Richter the most important practitioner of experimental film. ... UFA logo Universum Film AG, better known as Ufa or UFA, was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema during its brief existence from 1917 to 1945. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... User(s) Germany Subunit 1/100 Reichspfennig Symbol RM Reichspfennig Rpf. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Science fiction film is a film genre that uses speculative, science-based depictions of imaginary phenomena such as extra-terrestrial lifeforms, alien worlds, and time travel, often along with technological elements such as futuristic spacecraft, robots, or other technologies. ... Friedrich Christian Anton Fritz Lang (December 5, 1890 â€“ August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-German-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known Ã©migrÃ©s from Germanys school of Expressionism. ... Filmstudio Babelsberg Logo showing a scene from Metropolis The Babelsberg Studios is a film studio located in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany. ... See also: 1926 in film 1927 1928 in film 1920s in film years in film film // Events January 10 - The film Metropolis by Fritz Lang premieres. ... Anthem Das Lied der Deutschen Germany during the Weimar period, with the Free State of Prussia (in blue) as the largest state Capital Berlin Language(s) German Government Republic President - 1918-1925 Friedrich Ebert - 1925-1933 Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor - 1919 Philipp Scheidemann(first) - 1933 Kurt von Schleicher (last) Legislature... User(s) Germany Subunit 1/100 Reichspfennig Symbol RM Reichspfennig Rpf. ... USD redirects here. ...

The screenplay was written in 1924 by Lang and his wife, Thea von Harbou, and novelized by von Harbou in 1926. It is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and examines a common science fiction theme of the day: the social crisis between labour and management in capitalism. Thea von Harbou (December 27, 1888 â€“ July 1, 1954) was a German actress and author of some noble Prussian descent. ... This article is about the philosophical concept and literary form. ... Look up work in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Management (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ...

Plot

The film is set in the year 2026, in the extraordinary Gothic skyscrapers of a corporate city-state, the Metropolis of the title. Society has been divided into two rigid groups: one of planners or thinkers, who live high above the earth in luxury, and another of workers who live underground toiling to sustain the lives of the privileged. The city is run by Johann 'Joh' Fredersen (Alfred Abel). Lost film is a term used to describe any feature film that no longer exists in either studio archives or private collections. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Channing Pollock (March 4, 1880 - August 17, 1946) was an American playwright, critic and writer of film scenarios. ... The western facade of Reims Cathedral, France. ... For other uses, see Skyscraper (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alfred Abel (12 March 1879 â€“ 12 December 1937), was a German film actor. ...

The beautiful and evangelical figure Maria (Brigitte Helm) takes up the cause of the workers. She advises the desperate workers not to start a revolution, and instead wait for the arrival of "The Mediator", who, she says, will unite the two halves of society. The son of Fredersen, Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), becomes infatuated with Maria, and follows her down into the working underworld. In the underworld, he experiences firsthand the toiling lifestyle of the workers, and observes the casual attitude of their employers (he is disgusted after seeing an explosion at the "M-Machine", when the employers bring in new workers to keep the machine running before taking care of the men wounded or killed in the accident). Shocked at the workers' living conditions, he joins her cause. Brigitte Helm in Metropolis Brigitte Helm (March 17, 1908 â€“ June 11, 1996) was a German actress. ... Gustav FrÃ¶hlich Gustav FrÃ¶hlich (March 21, 1902 - December 22, 1987) was a German actor. ...

Meanwhile his father Fredersen consults with the scientist Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge), an old companion and rival. Fredersen learns that the papers found with dead workers are plans of the catacombs and witnesses a speech by Maria. He also learns that Rotwang has built a robotic gynoid. Rotwang wants to give the robot the appearance of Hel, his former lover who left him for Fredersen and died giving birth to Freder. Fredersen persuades him to give the robot Maria's appearance, as he wants to use the robot to tighten his control over the workers. Rotwang complies out of ulterior motives: he knows of Freder's and Maria's love and wants to use the robot to deprive Fredersen of his son. Rotwang is a mad scientist guy. ... Rudolf Klein-Rogge (1885-1955) was an German stage and silent film actor of the 1920s and 30s // He was born as Friederich Rudolf Klein-Rogg in Cologne, Germany on November 24, 1885. ... In practical usage, a robot is a mechanical device which performs automated tasks, either according to direct human supervision, a pre-defined program or, a set of general guidelines, using artificial intelligence techniques. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The real Maria is imprisoned in Rotwang's house in Metropolis, while the robot Maria is first showcast as an exotic dancer in the upper city's Yoshiwara nightclub, formenting discord among the rich young men of Metropolis. After descending to the worker's city and encourages the workers into a full-scale rebellion, and destroy the "Heart Machine", the power station of the city. Neither Freder nor Grot, the foreman of the Heart Machine, can stop them. As the machine is destroyed, the city's reservoirs overflow, flooding the workers' underground city and seemingly drowning the children, who were left behind in the riot. In fact, Freder and Maria have saved them in a heroic rescue, without the workers' knowledge. Metropolis - Fritz Lang. ... Metropolis - Fritz Lang. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Prostitutes on display in Yoshiwara during the Edo Period This movie set in Kyoto recreates the appearance of a red-light district such as Yoshiwara. ... Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... The Ashokan Reservoir, located in Ulster County, New York, USA. It is one of 19 that supplies New York City with drinking water. ...

When the workers realize the damage they have done and that their children are lost, they attack the upper city. Under the leadership of Grot, they chase the human Maria, whom they hold responsible for their riot. As they break into the city's entertainment district, they run into the Yoshiwara crowd and capture the robot Maria, while the human Maria manages to escape. The worker burn the captured Maria and burn her at the stake and Freder, believing this to be the human Maria, despairs but then he and the workers then realize that burned Maria is in fact a robot.

Meanwhile, the human Maria is chased by Rotwang along the battlements of the city's cathedral. Freder chases after Rotwang, resulting in a climactic scene in which Joh Fredersen watches in terror as his son struggles with Rotwang on the cathedral's roof. Rotwang falls to his death, and Maria and Freder return to the street, where Freder unites Fredersen and Grot, fulfilling his role as the "Mediator". For other uses, see Cathedral (disambiguation). ...

Cast

Alfred Abel (12 March 1879 â€“ 12 December 1937), was a German film actor. ... Gustav FrÃ¶hlich Gustav FrÃ¶hlich (March 21, 1902 - December 22, 1987) was a German actor. ... Rudolf Klein-Rogge (1885-1955) was an German stage and silent film actor of the 1920s and 30s // He was born as Friederich Rudolf Klein-Rogg in Cologne, Germany on November 24, 1885. ... Fritz Rasp (13 May 1891 â€“ 30 November 1976), was a German film actor. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Heinrich George (October 9, 1893 - September 26, 1946) was a German actor. ... Brigitte Helm in Metropolis Brigitte Helm (March 17, 1908 â€“ June 11, 1996) was a German actress. ...

Architecture and visual effects

The film features special effects and set design that still impress modern audiences with their visual impact—the film contains cinematic and thematic links to German Expressionism, though the architecture as portrayed in the film appears based on contemporary Modernism and Art Deco. The latter, a brand-new style in Europe at the time, had not reached mass production yet and was considered an emblem of the bourgeois class, and similarly associated with the ruling class in the film. Special effects (also called SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to realize scenes that cannot be achieved by live action or normal means. ... Expressionism in filmmaking developed in Germany (especially Berlin) during the 1920s. ... Modern architecture, not to be confused with contemporary architecture, is a term given to a number of building styles with similar characteristics, primarily the simplification of form and the elimination of ornament. ... Asheville City Hall. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Bourgeois at the end of the thirteenth century. ...

Rotwang's Art Deco laboratory, with its lights and industrial machinery is considered by some to be a forerunner of the Streamline Moderne style, highly influential on the look of Frankenstein style laboratories and 'mad science' in pop culture. When applied to science fiction, this style is sometimes called Raygun Gothic. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 89 KB)Fritz Langs Metropolis. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 89 KB)Fritz Langs Metropolis. ... This article is about the Biblical story. ... Bathers building, now a Maritime Museum at San Franciscos Aquatic Park, 1937, evokes a streamlined doubleâ€“ended ferryboat Judges tower at San Franciscos Aquatic Park The Bauhaus style, also kown as Art Moderne, the International Style or Streamline Moderne succeeded the closely related Art Deco style... This article is about the 1818 novel. ... Definition A catchall term for various facets of the googie, Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architectural styles. ...

The effects expert, Eugen Schüfftan, created innovative visual displays widely acclaimed in following years. Among the effects used are miniatures of the city, a camera on a swing, and most notably, the so-called Schüfftan process, later also used by Alfred Hitchcock. In the field of special effects a miniature effect is a special effect generated by the use of scale models. ... It has been suggested that Shuftan process be merged into this article or section. ... Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 â€“ April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ...

The Maschinenmensch, actually played by Brigitte Helm was created by Walter Schultze-Mittendorf. A chance discovery of a sample of "plastic wood" (a kneadable substance designed as wood-filler) allowed him to sculpt the costume like a suit of armour over a plaster cast of the actress. Spraypainted a mix of silver and bronze, it helped create some of the most memorable moments on film. Helm suffered greatly during the filming of these scenes, wearing this rigid and uncomfortable costume, cutting and bruising her. But Fritz Lang insisted on her playing the part, even if nobody would know it was her. Walter Schulze-Mittendorf (Mittendorff), the sculptor, is still the owner of the copyrights for the Maschinenmensch – Robotdesign. Brigitte Helm in Metropolis Brigitte Helm (March 17, 1908 â€“ June 11, 1996) was a German actress. ... Friedrich Christian Anton Fritz Lang (December 5, 1890 â€“ August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-German-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known Ã©migrÃ©s from Germanys school of Expressionism. ...

Themes

The film contains a scene where Maria retells a variation of the story of the Tower of Babel from the Biblical book of Genesis, but in a way that connects it to the situation she and her fellow workers face. The scene changes from Maria to creative men of antiquity deciding to build a monument to the greatness of humanity and the creator of the world, high enough to reach the stars. Since they cannot build their monument by themselves, they contract workers to build it for them for wages. The camera focuses on armies of workers led to the construction site of the monument. They work hard but cannot understand the dreams of the Tower's designers, and the designers don't concern themselves with the mind of their workers. As the film explains, "The dreams of a few had turned to the curses of many". It then ironically inverts the original story's conclusion, noting that the planners and the workers spoke the same language but didn't understand each other. The workers revolt and in their fury destroy the monument. As the scene ends and the camera returns to Maria, only ruins remain of the Tower of Babel. This retelling is notable in keeping the theme of the lack of communication from the original story but placing it in the context of relations between social classes. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the Biblical story. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... For other uses, see Genesis (disambiguation). ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ...

The story at its base level is also heavily based on the Book of Exodus, with Freder representing Moses and his father representing the Pharaoh of Egypt. This article is about the second book in the Torah. ...

The entire film is dominated by technology, with Lang using a mixture of both 1920s and futuristic devices. Much of the technology portrayed in the film is unexplained and appears bizarre—such as the enormous "M-Machine" and the "Heart Machine." The Heart Machine is implied to be the electrical power station of the city and appears to be a massive electric generator, but the purpose of the M-Machine or the other vast machinery around it is never revealed. The dial machine at which Feder works also has no explanation in the film, although the novel reveals that that it runs the massive system of Paternoster-lifts in the New Tower of Babel. Technology is also visible in Federsen's office: he has a television-like device which allows him to contact the foreman in the factories, and built into his desk is an electronic console which allows him to remotely open doors. The office features two unfamiliar clocks: a 24-hour clock and a ten-hour clock, ten hours being the length of the workers' shifts. In the city itself, we see a mixture of futuristic monorails and airships combined with 1920s-style cars and aircraft. A paternoster at the University of Vienna, NIG (Neues InstitutsgebÃ¤ude), late 1950s, still in operation A paternoster or paternoster lift is an elevator which consists of a chain of open compartments (each usually designed for two persons) that move slowly in a loop up and down inside a building... The KL Monorail in Kuala Lumpur, a colorful straddle-beam monorail A monorail is a single rail serving as a track for a wheeled vehicle; also, a vehicle traveling on such a track. ... USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, November 2, 1931 An airship or dirigible is a buoyant lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ... â€œCarâ€ and â€œCarsâ€ redirect here. ... Flying machine redirects here. ...

Dualism is a running theme amongst many of the characters, who demonstrate that they cannot be confined to the rigid class system of the city. The workers are dehumanised, existing either as part of a mob or as work-units, almost part of the machines themselves (the shots of them working do not let the viewer see their faces, and they work and move as rhythmically as the machines they operate), and yet they are also human beings who are being exploited. Rotwang is an intelligent philosopher, in many ways far more prescient than Joh Frederson, but also an obsessive and selfish man who uses his skills for his own purposes, and by the end of the film has deteriorated almost into machine-like monomania. Joh Frederson cannot reconcile his role as ruler of the city and as a father, which leads him to make rash and damaging decisions. Meanwhile, Maria expresses this theme most literally of all by being physically replicated as a robot. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The ultimate expression of technology in the entire film is the female robot built by Rotwang, referred to as the Maschinenmensch ("Machine Human" or "Machine Man"). In the original German version Rotwang's creation is a reconstruction of his dead lover, a woman called Hel (a reference to the Norse goddess Hel). Both Rotwang and Joh Fredersen were in love with her. She chose Fredersen and became Freder's mother, though she died in childbirth. Rotwang, insanely jealous and angry about her death, creates the Maschinenmensch Hel. In other versions, The Machine Man is merely a fully functioning automaton designed to replace human workers, whilst its appearance can be synthesised to resemble any human being - little or no connection is made between Hel and the robot, or Rotwang's motives in creating it. For other uses, see robot (disambiguation). ... The Maschinenmensch from Metropolis, played by German actress Brigitte Helm in both her robotic and human incarnations, is one of cinemas most famous icons. ... Indy Norse mythology, Hel is the queen of Helheim, the Norse underworld. ... The Canard DigÃ©rateur of Jacques de Vaucanson, hailed in 1739 as the first automaton capable of digestion. ...

In the U.S. version, the Machine Man is sentient, and eventually Rotwang loses control of it. It performs the required task of fomenting revolution, but then becomes an exotic dancer, turning the young men of Metropolis against one another for its own entertainment. This echoes themes from Karel Čapek's 1921 play Rossum's Universal Robots and anticipates the themes of many late-twentieth century films, in which seemingly unsentient machines gain consciousness and turn against the intentions of their creators. In the original version, the robot is apparently following Rotwang's instructions throughout, implying that the ruination of Metropolis and its master is actually the inventor's goal, not one chosen by the machine itself. Karel ÄŒapek (pronounced ; IPA: ) (January 9, 1890 - December 25, 1938) was one of the most important Czech writers of the 20th century. ... R.U.R. (Rosumovi Umělí Roboti) (Rossums Artificial Robots, but usually translated as R.U.R. (Rossums Universal Robots) to preserve the acronym) is a science fiction play by Karel Čapek. ...

Part of Fritz Lang's visual inspiration for the movie came during a trip to Manhattan, New York. He is quoted on the DVD of the Murnau Foundation version as saying "I saw the buildings like a vertical curtain, opalescent, and very light. Filling the back of the stage, hanging from a sinister sky, in order to dazzle, to diffuse, to hypnotize." Lang, in his later years did claim New York inspired Metropolis, but a mention of the script for Metropolis being recently finished is made in the Licht-Bild-Bühne journal of June 1924, Lang traveled to New York in October of the same year. Friedrich Christian Anton Fritz Lang (December 5, 1890 â€“ August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-German-American film director, screenwriter and occasional film producer, one of the best known Ã©migrÃ©s from Germanys school of Expressionism. ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ...

Rotwang's home is decorated with a pentagram which may be seen as being a symbol of Pythagoreanism, an ancient Greek philosophy, or of magic. A pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha or pentangle or, more formally, as a star pentagon) is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes. ... Bust of Pythagoras Pythagoreanism is a term used for the esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were much influenced by mathematics and probably a main inspirational source for Plato and platonism. ...

Release

On January 10, 1927 the film premiered in Berlin with moderate success. The film was cut and re-edited to change many key elements before screening. Also, theatre managers saw to it that the film was screened at an incredibly fast speed of up to 26 frames per second (as at its Berlin premiere). This affected the rhythm and pace of the original film, which had most likely been cranked at the standard speed of 16 frames per second. The butchered, sped-up version which was presented to European and American audiences in 1927 was disjointed and illogical in parts.^[2] is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

American and foreign theatre managers were generally unwilling to allow more than ninety minutes to a feature in their program, during a period when film attendance figures were high. Metropolis suffered as the original version was thought to be too long. Few people outside of Berlin saw Metropolis as Fritz Lang originally intended. In the United States, the movie was shown in a version edited by the American playwright Channing Pollock, who almost completely obscured the original plot, considered too controversial by the American distributors, and is considerably shortened. In Germany, a version similar to Pollock's was shown on August 5.^[2] Channing Pollock (March 4, 1880 - August 17, 1946) was an American playwright, critic and writer of film scenarios. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The premiere theatrical release and original version is believed to have been 153 minutes long, before it was edited for its second theatrical release in Germany. A quarter of the film is believed to be lost forever.^[3]

Despite the film's later reputation, some contemporary critics panned it. New York Times critic Mourdant Hall called it a "technical marvel with feet of clay." The Times went on the next month to publish a lengthy review by H. G. Wells who accused it of "foolishness, cliché, platitude, and muddlement about mechanical progress and progress in general." He faulted Metropolis for its premise that automation created drudgery rather than relieving it, wondered who was buying the machines' output if not the workers, and found parts of the story derivative of Shelley's Frankenstein, Karel Čapek's robot stories, and his own The Sleeper Awakes. The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 â€“ August 13, 1946), better known as H. G. Wells, was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ... This article is about the 1818 novel. ... Karel ÄŒapek (pronounced ; IPA: ) (January 9, 1890 - December 25, 1938) was one of the most important Czech writers of the 20th century. ... The Sleeper Awakes is a dystopian novel by H. G. Wells about a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years, waking up in a completely transformed London, where, because of compound interest on his bank accounts, he has become the richest man in the world. ...

Fritz Lang himself expressed dissatisfaction with the film. In an interview with Peter Bogdanovich,(available in Who The Devil Made It...) he expressed his reservations. Peter Bogdanovich Serbian Cyrillic ÐŸÐµÑ‚Ð°Ñ€ Ð‘Ð¾Ð³Ð´Ð°Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ› (born July 30, 1939) is a Serbian-American film director, writer and actor. ...

Restorations and re-releases

Several restored versions (all of them missing footage) were released in the 1980s and 1990s, running for 90 minutes. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (587x896, 152 KB) Summary 2002 Re-release poster for Metropolis (1927 film). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (587x896, 152 KB) Summary 2002 Re-release poster for Metropolis (1927 film). ...

In 1984, a new restoration and edit of the film was compiled by Giorgio Moroder, a music producer who specialized in pop-rock soundtracks for motion pictures. Moroder’s version of the film introduced a new modern rock-and-roll soundtrack for the film. Although it restored a number of previously missing scenes and plot details from the original release, his version of the film runs to only 80 minutes in length, although this is mainly due to the original intertitles being replaced with subtitles, and being run at 24fps. The “Moroder version” of Metropolis sparked heated debate among film buffs and fans, with outspoken critics and supporters of the film falling into equal camps. There have even been petitions to get the Moroder cut released along side the uncut version on DVD. Giorgio Moroder (born Giovanni Giorgio Moroder on April 26, 1940 in Ortisei, Italy) is an Academy Award-winning Italian record producer, songwriter and performer, whose groundbreaking work with synthesizers during the 1970s was a significant influence on new wave, techno and electronic music in general. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... In motion pictures, an intertitle is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i. ... In printed material In printed material, a subtitle is an explanatory or alternate title. ...

Enno Patalas made an exhaustive attempt to restore the movie in 1986. This restoration was the most accurate for its time, thanks to the script and the musical score that had been discovered. The basis of Patalas' work was a copy in the Museum of Modern Art's collection. German film historian, collector, and restorer. ... This article is about the museum in New York City. ...

The film fell into the United States public domain, but was eventually restored to copyright in 1998.^[4] The lawsuit Golan v. Gonzales unsuccessfully attempted to block Metropolis' copyright restoration. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Golan v. ...

The F.W. Murnau Foundation released a 123-minute, digitally restored version in 2002, undertaken by Martin Koerber. It included the original music score and title cards describing the action in the missing sequences. Lost clips were gleaned from museums and archives around the world, and computers were used to digitally clean each frame and repair minor defects. The original score has been re-recorded with an orchestral ensemble. Many scenes have still not been recovered, however, and are considered lost. Scenes which remain missing include the adventures of 11811, a worker who trades places with Freder, Maria's incarceration, Rotwang's gloating and her subsequent escape, and scenes which establish the longstanding rivalry between Joh Fredersen and Rotwang. F W Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (December 28, 1888 – March 11, 1931) was one of the most influential directors of the silent film era. ...

Most silent films were shot at speeds of between 16 and 20 frames per second, but the digitally restored version with soundtrack plays at the speed of 25 frames per second (the standard speed of PAL videos and DVDs, the US-DVD is a PAL to NTSC conversion). This speed often makes the action look unnaturally fast. The reason for showing the film at this speed is unclear. A documentary on the Kino DVD edition states that Metropolis may have been filmed at 25 frames per second, but this is disputed. There have been reports stating that the world premiere of Metropolis was shown at 24 frame/s, but these, too, are unconfirmed. In the 1970s the BBC prepared a version with electronic sound that ran at 18 frames per second and consequently had much more realistic-looking movement. Since there is no concrete evidence of Fritz Lang's wishes on this subject, it continues to be hotly debated within the silent film community. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

Remakes and adaptations

Several remakes have been made of the original Metropolis, including at least two musical theater adaptations (see Metropolis). The 2001 animated film Metropolis, is based on an original manga by Osamu Tezuka (see Metropolis); Tezuka's manga was in fact inspired by a poster for the film, and he never saw the film itself.^{[citation needed]} The anime's story is a lot closer to the original film than Tezuka's manga, although all three feature similar themes. Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Metropolis was a musical based on the 1927 movie of the same name that was staged at the Piccadilly Theatre in London in 1989. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... Metropolis, also known as Osamu Tezukas Metropolis or Robotic Angel (in Germany) is a manga by Osamu Tezuka and an anime movie based on the manga. ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... Tezuka redirects here. ... Metropolis ), also known as Osamu Tezukas Metropolis or Robotic Angel (in Germany) is a Japanese manga by Osamu Tezuka published in 1949. ...

Influence

The "Tower of Babel" structure is a key element in several films; in turn, Metropolis' tower appears to derive from Hans Poelzig's stocky, polygonal, modernistic water tower built in Posen (Poznań) in 1911. But the earliest films to be influenced^{[citation needed]} were Just Imagine of 1930, which also featured a city with much air transport among and between skyscrapers connected by bridges, and Vultan's city in the first Flash Gordon serial of 1936, which had a sweatshop controlled by an operator who moved the needle of a huge dial while standing up. Hans Poelzig (30 April 1869 Berlin â€“ June 14, 1936 Berlin) was a German architect, painter and set designer active in the Weimar years. ... Coordinates: , Country Voivodeship Powiat city county Gmina PoznaÅ„ Established 8th century City Rights 1253 Government - Mayor Ryszard Grobelny Area - City 261. ... Just Imagine was a humorous science-fiction movie musical presented by 20th Century Fox in 1930, directed by David Butler, to console audiences distressed by the Great Depression. ... For other uses, see Flash Gordon (disambiguation). ...

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster decided to name Superman's base of operations after the Metropolis of the film.^[5] Batman's Gotham City, as designed by the late Anton Furst for the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, borrows significantly from the noirish, art deco mood of Metropolis.^{[citation needed]} Although the most consistent depiction of Gotham is as an analogue of actual cities (such as New York), comic book artists working on Batman stories frequently borrow elements from Furst. Superman's Metropolis is a comic book trilogy from DC Comics in which Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman inhabit the world of German Expressionist cinema, including Metropolis.^{[citation needed]} Jerome Jerry Siegel a. ... Joseph Joe Shuster (July 10, 1914 - July 30, 1992) was a Canadian-born comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1 (March 1938). ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Metropolis Skyline, as seen in Smallville. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... This article is about the fictional place. ... Anton Furst is a distinguished production designer who won an Oscar for designing the Batmobile and the noirish nightmare version of Gotham City in Tim Burtons Batman (1989). ... Timothy Tim William Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an Academy Award-nominated American film director, writer and designer notable for the quirky and gothic atmosphere of his films. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... Asheville City Hall. ... This article is about the state. ... Supermans Metropolis is a DC Comics comic book Elseworlds trilogy, based on German Expressionism cinema, written by Jean-Marc Lofficier, Randy Lofficier and Roy Thomas (first volume only) and illustrated by Ted McKeever. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature or film, that are connected and can be seen as a single work, as well as three individual ones. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... For other uses, see Wonder Woman (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

There are salient parallels in regards to the structure and socio-economic traits of the city of Metropolis and the city of Midgar featured in the epic Japanese role playing game Final Fantasy VII, as well as some of their inhabitants. In both cities the affluent citizens live decadent lifestyles at the expense of the working class who live in spatially lower segments of their respective cities. Also the theme of resented technology is evident in both cities. In addition the mad scientist stock character may be found in both cites. Moreover both cites adhere to the urban noir stereotype and there is a prolertariat uprising in each city, both aided by a young woman of virtuous character, Maria in Metropolis and Aeris in Midgar. Finally a parallel may be drawn between the Frederson father-son business relationship in metropolis and the relationship between the president of the Shinra corporation and his son Rufus Shinra.^{[citation needed]} Midgar Midgar is a fictional city and de-facto capital of the world in the RPG Final Fantasy VII. It is controlled by the Shinra Company. ... Final Fantasy VII ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), and the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy video game series. ... Aeris Gainsborough (originally Aerith Gainsbourg in Tetsuya Nomuras art), is a major character from the video game Final Fantasy VII, and one of the main playable characters. ... Shinras corporate logo which depicts the now-retconned Romanization once used in Japan In the video game Final Fantasy VII, the Shinra Electric Power Company ), or simply the Shinra Company ) is a ruthless mega-corporation which controls most of the world. ... Rufus Shinra ) is a non-player character in Squares (Now Square-Enix) RPG Final Fantasy VII. His appearance is marked by neatly-groomed blonde hair, blue eyes and a white three-piece suit with a distinctive double-breasted jacket. ...

The electronic band Kraftwerk has a song titled Metropolis on The Man-Machine album. The rock band Motörhead has a song titled Metropolis which was inspired by the movie.^{[citation needed]} Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) is a German musical group from DÃ¼sseldorf that has made immense contributions to the development of improvisational rock and electronic music, most notably within the latter categorys sub-genres which later became known as synthpop, electro, techno, house and IDM. Early musical... The Man-Machine is a 1978 album by Kraftwerk. ... This article is about the band. ...

The rock band Queen uses some scenes of this film in the videoclip for their 1984 song Radio Ga Ga.^{[citation needed]} The industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails has similarities to Metropolis in their video for We're in This Together in which the singer, Trent Reznor, is seen running through a city with a number of other men all wearing the same uniform, similar to that of the main character in Metropolis.^{[citation needed]} Madonna's video for her song Express Yourself, directed by David Fincher, is heavily influenced by Metropolis.^{[citation needed]} Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Radio Ga Ga is a song performed and recorded by the band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. ... Industrial Rock is a musical genre which is a fusion between Industrial Music and specific Rock n Roll subgenres such as Punk, Oi!, Hardcore and later on Hard Rock. ... Nine Inch Nails (abbreviated as NIN) is an American industrial rock band, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. ... Additional covers Disc 2 Disc 3 [[Image:|200px|Promo|200px]] Promo Were in This Together (also known as Halo 15) is a 3-disc single by Nine Inch Nails for the song of the same name released in 1999. ... Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965), is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... This article is about the American entertainer. ... Express Yourself was the second single from Madonnas multi-platinum selling 1989 album Like a Prayer. ... David Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American music video and film director known for his dark and stylish portraits of the human experience, particularly Fight Club and Se7en. ...

In November 2007, U.K. grime artist Akala released a video for his song 'Electro Livin' that was entirely composed of scenes from the film 'Metropolis'.^[6] Grime(also known as hip house) is a sub-genre of urban music which first emerged in London in the early 2000s, primarily a development of UK garage, drum and bass, dancehall and hip hop. ... Akala (real name Kingslee Daley) is a British rap and grime artist. ...

Music

The original score

Like a lot of big budget films of the time, Metropolis also received an original musical score meant to be performed by big orchestras accompanying the whole film in major theatres. The music was composed by Gottfried Huppertz who by then had already composed the original scores for Lang's Die Nibelungen duology in 1924. As for this film, Huppertz composed a leitmotific big orchestral score for Metropolis as well, which included a lot of elements from the music of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss plus some mild modernisms for the city of the workers and the use of the popular Dies Irae for some apocalyptical imagery. His music played a quite prominent role while shooting the picture since during principal photography a lot of scenes were already accompanied by him playing the piano to get a certain effect from the actors. Die Nibelungen is a duology of fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 â€“ 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ... This article is about the German composer of tone-poems and operas. ...

The score was rerecorded for the most recent DVD release of the film with Berndt Heller conducting the Rundfunksinfonieorchester Saarbrücken. It was the first release of the reasonably reconstructed movie, which was accompanied by the music that was originally intended for it.

Other Soundtracks

There have also been many other soundtracks created for Metropolis, by many different artists. Releases include, but are not limited to:

Giorgio Moroder (born Giovanni Giorgio Moroder on April 26, 1940 in Ortisei, Italy) is an Academy Award-winning Italian record producer, songwriter and performer, whose groundbreaking work with synthesizers during the 1970s was a significant influence on new wave, techno and electronic music in general. ... Pat Benatar (born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski on January 10, 1953) is an influential four-time Grammy Award-winning American rock singer with many million and multi-million selling records worldwide. ... Bonnie Tyler (born June 8, 1951 in Skewen in Wales, United Kingdom) is a pop/rock singer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 â€“ 24 November 1991) was a British musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Queen (inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001). ... Rambo Amadeus (Serbian and Montenegrin: Ð Ð°Ð¼Ð±Ð¾ ÐÐ¼Ð°Ð´ÐµÑƒÑ), born June 14, 1963 in Kotor, Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia, is the stage name of the Belgrade-based Montenegrin singer-songwriter Antonije PuÅ¡iÄ‡, popular all over the former Yugoslavia. ... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... This article is about the country in Europe. ... DJ Dado (Flavio Daddato) is an Italian disc jockey with Croatian roots who is most known for the Mark Snows theme for X-Files. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Kino International is a film and video distributor, based in New York City that specializes in art-house films, such as low-budget current films and classic films from earlier periods in the history of cinema. ... Art Zoyd is a French band formed in 1968, mixing free jazz, progressive rock and avant-garde electronica. ... Mister Speed (b. ...

References

2004 -2007 D.I.N. Re-Score using contemporary electronic music Performed at Norwich Cinema City and The Big Chill festival available upon request is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Contents

Plot

Cast

Architecture and visual effects

Themes

Release

Restorations and re-releases

Remakes and adaptations

Influence

Music

The original score

Other Soundtracks

References

See also

External links

Contents

Plot GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Cast

Architecture and visual effects

Themes

Release

Restorations and re-releases

Remakes and adaptations

Influence

Music

The original score

Other Soundtracks

References

See also

External links

Plot