The greatest film of the silent era is without a doubt the German expressionist sci/fi drama METROPOLIS by director Fritz Lang. Its a bitting endictment of the industrial age and the way that machines dehumanize us all. Most people are familiar with the robot Maria who is an iconic movie image. Her transformation from robot to human is an amazing special effect in a movie filled with effects - some which would not be equaled for decades after the film's release. If not for the coming of WWII I am convinced that the Germans would be leading the world in film production. Many of the earliest experimental and truly groundbreaking films came out of that European country in the years before sound. These are some cool posters for the movie. If you have an interest in the history of film you have to check it out on 'You Tube' or various other sites. A modern techno score was added to the restored version of the movie in the 80s and its that print that I myself own and enjoy the most.
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5 comments:
I love Metropolis. A few years ago I had the chance to see a more fully restored version at a local art-house theater. Apparently, a German film institute (I think...) found a lot of extra footage, as well as some missing title cards. They also tweaked the print to restore some of the color tinting to various scenes (working off production notes -- or something like that... it's been a while since I saw it and can't remember all the details). The end result was pretty fantastic... That latest version of the film is available on DVD. If you get a chance to see it, I really recommend it.
Great post Cal. Now I just have to SEE the movie. Yeah, I know... I know.
Hey Cal, you need to check out my tribute to Metropolis poster I did for a local film festival!
You can see it via my design website...
ReisOBrien.com
Oh, sorry, it's the first thumbnail in the top row.
Reis, that post is wicked cool. I love the way that you incorporated the lenses and the film reel with the iconic image of Maria. If I could have nicked it would have added it to the other posters on this post. Very nice.
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