Metropolis

DVD Features:

Audio:

• Dolby Digital 5.1 - Natural sound/Music
• Title Card - English, Spanish, French, German - Optional

Additional Release Material:

• Audio Commentary - Enno Patalas - Film Historian (English with Optional English, Spanish, and French Subtitles)
• Behind the Scenes - 1. "The History and Making of METROPOLIS" (43 min.)
• Documentaries - "The Digital Restoration"

Interactive Features:

• Scene Access
• Interactive Menus

Text/Photo Galleries:

• Additional Text - Facts and Dates
• Biographies - Cast & Crew
• Galleries -  1. Architectural Sketches
                  2. Poster Art
• Stills/Photos- 1. The Making-Of METROPOLIS (Production Stills)
                      2. Missing Scenes
                      3. Costume Designs

Description by OLDIES.com:

Perhaps the most famous and influential of all silent films, Metropolis had for 75 years been seen only in shortened or truncated versions. Now, restored in Germany with state of the art digital technology, under the supervision of the Murnau Foundation, and with the original 1927 orchestral score by Gottfried Huppertz added, Metropolis can be appreciated in its full glory.

Metropolis takes place in 2026, when the population is divided between workers who must live in the dark underground and the rich who enjoy a futuristic city of splendor. The tense balance of these two societies is realized through images that are among the most famous of the 20th century, many of which presage such sci-fi landmarks as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner. Lavish and spectacular, with elaborate sets and modern science fiction style, Metropolis stands today as the crowning achievement of the German silent cinema.

Product Description:

METROPOLIS, a visionary and elaborate spectacle by director Fritz Lang is an epic projection of a futuristic city divided into a working and an elite class. Its exhilarating climax brings the city to its knees, as the classes clash against each other.

In the 21st century, a de-humanized proletariat labors non-stop in a miserable subterranean city beneath a luxurious city of mile-high skyscrapers, flying automobiles, palatial architectural idylls, tubes and tunnels. With stunningly inventive special effects, Lang's allegorical narrative and architectural vision creates a highly stylized vision of a not-so-unlikely future (especially for 1926 when the film was made). As the elite frolic above the clouds, thousands of miserable workers toil night and day inside the belly of the gigantic machine that runs the entire city. Metropolis is controlled by a sinister authoritarian whose son, Freder, rejects his father's callous philosophy and attitude towards laborers. Meek though they are, the workers are encouraged by Maria, a wistful young woman who wills her comrades to embrace patience and silent strength. Upon discovering her influence upon the workers, a mad scientist kidnaps Maria and creates a robot in her image that will incite the workers to revolt. As Freder races against time to save Maria and curtail the damage done by her doppelganger robot, Metropolis is enveloped in chaos and the classes are brought together in a breathtaking and highly moralistic climax.

Plot Synopsis:

Fritz Lang's last silent film is a highly stylized, architecturally striking classic of the German Expressionist movement.
In the 21st-Century, a de-humanized proletariat labors non-stop in a miserable subterranean city beneath a luxurious municipality. The entire metropolis is controlled by a sinister authoritarian whose son, Freder, rejects his father's world philosophy and attitude towards laborers. Meek though they are, the workers are encouraged by Maria, a wistful young woman who assures her comrades that help is on its way. Upon discovering her influence, a mad scientist creates a Maria-look-alike that will incite the workers to revolt. When they do, the results are cataclysmic.

Plot Keywords:

Classic | Essential Cinema | Futuristic | Recommended | Silent | Vintage

Production Notes:

• Theatrical Release: Janurary 10, 1927 (Germany)
• METROPOLIS was Fritz Lang's last silent film.
• METROPOLIS was the most expensive film ever made at its time.
• METROPOLIS was filmed at the UFA studios in Berlin in 1925-26.
• Fritz Lang was said to have conceived of Metropolis after a visit to the skyscrapers in New York City.
• Among the cast of Metropolis were 750 secondary actors and more than 30,000 extras.

Cast and Crew: