COMPLETE, ORIGINAL cut of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" located in Argentina!

BenPanced · Jul 4, 2008

A long-lost original cut of the 1927 silent film sat for 80 years in a private collection and then in the Museum of Cinema in Buenos Aires, where it was discovered in April with scratched images that hadn't been seen before.

Museum director Paula Felix-Didier said theirs is the only copy of German director Fritz Lang's complete film.

"This is the version Fritz Lang intended," said Martin Koerber, a curator at the Deutsche Kinemathek film museum in Berlin, Germany.

I'm weeping with joy right now. This is my favorite movie ever, and I may finally have the chance to see it as it was originally released.

When it was first released, it was approximately 3.5 hours. Edits over the years had cut it down to between 1.5 and 2.0 hours. A restoration in 2002 brought it back to just over 2.0 hours, with approximately 2/3 of the original footage found and reassembled. Missing scenes, having been declared lost forever, were replaced with title cards narrating the deleted story.

Let's say your favorite movie is three reels. Drop the middle reel and try watching it that way.

Inkdaub · Jul 5, 2008

Good news, Ben.

LloydBrown · Jul 5, 2008

That's awesome. I've only read about the movie--never seen it. It was tragic that so much of the movie had been lost. Excellent news.

Ken · Jul 5, 2008

awesome.
Saw Metropolis twice.
Looking forward to seeing the uncut one.
Thnx for the good news.

jessegrillofilm · Jul 5, 2008

Awesome! I still love the Moroder version version the best though. The 80s music goes great with the film. I love the devo scene in the factory.

steveg144 · Jul 5, 2008

What in incredible find! I look forward to its appearance on DVD.

Saanen · Jul 5, 2008

jessegrillofilm said:
Awesome! I still love the Moroder version version the best though. The 80s music goes great with the film. I love the devo scene in the factory.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves the Moroder version!

Metropolis is one of my favorite movies too. I hope they can restore the footage they found to a good, watchable state so they can release it.

HeronW · Jul 5, 2008

Fricking Awesome!

I love Metropolis! That and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari are a great double header. Dreyer's Vampyr, Wegener's Der Golem and Nosferatu with Max Schrek are three more classic favs.

robeiae · Jul 5, 2008

Who plays Superman in this version?

childeroland · Jul 5, 2008

Anyone know when they'll start working on the DVD?

mscelina · Jul 5, 2008

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh.

Metropolis, Bigger, Longer and Uncut.

I can't wait! I had the privilege of first watching Metropolis in a masters' class in film and I've loved it ever since. I've got a poster of it sealed away in acid-free paper in my inventory...might be time to get it framed.

maxmordon · Jul 5, 2008

¡Oh my God!, freaking fantastic! I am so happy about this!

BenPanced · Jul 5, 2008

jessegrillofilm said:
Awesome! I still love the Moroder version version the best though. The 80s music goes great with the film. I love the devo scene in the factory.

Saanen said:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves the Moroder version!

Metropolis is one of my favorite movies too. I hope they can restore the footage they found to a good, watchable state so they can release it.

As much as I love and revere Metropolis, I'd have to agree the soundtrack to the '84 restoration was fantastic. He did a great job of matching the music to the mood.

robeiae said:
Who plays Superman in this version?

I don't get it.

Sheryl Nantus · Jul 5, 2008

BenPanced said:
As much as I love and revere Metropolis, I'd have to agree the soundtrack to the '84 restoration was fantastic. He did a great job of matching the music to the mood.

I still have my worn-out cassette around here somewhere... re-release that on CD, please!!!

best. movie. EVAH!

BenPanced · Jul 5, 2008

Sheryl Nantus said:
I still have my worn-out cassette around here somewhere... re-release that on CD, please!!!

best. movie. EVAH!

Yes, Cinderella, you SHALL go to the ball!

DING!

Zoombie · Jul 5, 2008

HeronW said:
Fricking Awesome!

Sounds just about right to me ^_^

Claudia Gray · Jul 5, 2008

NO WAY! This is phenomenal news. I rewatched this film recently and was thinking what a tragedy it was that the full version was lost, but no longer. Fabulous for all us film buffs. I hope they'll have it on DVD and/or Turner Classic Movies very soon.

WriteKnight · Jul 5, 2008

"Scratched images that hadn't been seen before..." makes me wonder. Were the 'lost' images the only ones scratched, and if so, why?

Computer clean-up will go a long way in fixing that though. Can't way to see the complete version.

Terrific news indeed.

ALG71 · Jul 6, 2008

LloydBrown said:
That's awesome. I've only read about the movie--never seen it. It was tragic that so much of the movie had been lost. Excellent news.

Hey Lloyd, Scifi.com had a version of it (I'm assuming the incomplete version) on their website a while back for viewing.

EDIT: Hmm, I can't find the link to a section on the site that had about 2 dozen old horror/sci-fi movies in streaming video to watch for free.

BenPanced · Jul 6, 2008

WriteKnight said:
"Scratched images that hadn't been seen before..." makes me wonder. Were the 'lost' images the only ones scratched, and if so, why?

I'm thinking it was a matter of how the article was edited. Or not, in this case.

robeiae · Jul 6, 2008

BenPanced said:
I don't get it.

I don't think I can handle this
A cloudy day in Metropolis
I think I'll talk to my analyst
I got it so bad for this little journalist
It drives me up the wall and through the roof
Lois and Clark in a telephone booth
I think I'm going out of my brain
I got it so bad for little miss Lois Lane...

Sarpedon · Jul 7, 2008

Oh! I am immensely pleased!

However, this means I'll have to shell out again. Alas.

More Rotwang!

BenPanced · Dec 11, 2009

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

Reconstructed cut of Metropolis will premiere at the Berlinale 2010 film festival!

This will be followed by the US premiere at the TCM Classic Festival in April, a short theatrical run then...DVD AND BLU-RAY RELEASE!

Sheryl Nantus · Dec 11, 2009

BenPanced said:
UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

Reconstructed cut of Metropolis will premiere at the Berlinale 2010 film festival!

This will be followed by the US premiere at the TCM Classic Festival in April, a short theatrical run then...DVD AND BLU-RAY RELEASE!

I cannot wait...

*looks at clock*

ARGH!

Celia Cyanide · Dec 11, 2009

FABULOUS news! I hope they bring it back the the cinema! How exciting!

And I can watch it without Queen music!

COMPLETE, ORIGINAL cut of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" located in Argentina!

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