FIRTH@TL-20B.ARPA (08/17/84)
Most reissues of Metropolis contain the original cuts (a demonstration that the absence of a thing is as real as its presence?) The main victims are the introduction, which shows a '30s view of Olympic training, replete with overt Naziism and repressed homosexuality; and the erotic dance of the golem (Brigitte Helm). American censors usually removed another sequence, in which a giant machine (Capitalism) is seen as Moloch devouring helpless humans (Labor) [ First Amendment? - a mere piece of paper, Herr President ]. If you get the chance, SEE an uncut Metropolis. The sound-track problem is susceptible to a technical solution - take ear muffs! -------
OC.TREI%CU20B%COLUMBIA@sri-unix.UUCP (08/21/84)
From: Peter G. Trei <OC.TREI%CU20B@COLUMBIA> There is a new release of Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS out. This is good news and bad news. The good news is that many segments which were cut out of the original English-titled version have been restored, or at least attempts made to restore plot continuity thru the use of stills from lost segments and extra titling. I would estimate that about 10-15 minutes have been added to the film, with a considerable increase in comphrehensibility. The bad news is the sound track: Giorgio Moroder probably thought he could bring in a whole new audience with heavy metal music and songs by himself and Pete Bellotte, as performed by Cycle 5, Pat Benatar, Billy Squier, Jon Anderson, Adam Ant, Bonnie Tyler, Freddie Mercury, and Loverboy. I must admit the New York audience cheered at the end, but I felt that I had seen a great masterpiece ruined. If it were not for the promise of the restored sequences, both I and my companion would have walked out. It made both of us very angry. Classic silent films, at least to me, are somewhat dreamlike; there is little or no color (this version successfully uses tinting to evoke mood, and occasionally two colors in a scene), and the action seems sometimes enigmatic. In METROPOLIS, the actors make heavy use of facial expression and body english (german?) to get their intentions and feelings across; in this version, the actors intents and moods are telegraphed far in advance by the music and (very saccharine) songs, so the actors seem to be hamming it up, and many times caused audience laughter during the most intense scenes. See this version if you are an SF film completest; otherwise, try to see an older version, or better yet, wait till the video tape comes out and watch that.... with the sound off. Peter Trei -------
boyajian@akov68.DEC (03/05/85)
> From: ttidcc!hollombe (Jerry Hollombe) > ...how many people are aware that _Metropolis_ wasn't > written by Fritz Lang? One of my pet peeves is everyone referring to it as > "Fritz Lang's _Metropolis_" when the original novel was actually written by > Thea von Harbou. It's called "Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS" to distinguish it from Thea von Harbou's METROPOLIS. Von Harbou's is the novel, Lang's is the film. The same is done with "Alfred Hitchcock's PYSCHO" (film) vs. "Robert Bloch's PSYCHO" (novel), "Stanley Kubrick's 2001" (film) vs. "Arthur C. Clarke's 2001" (novel), "Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING" (film) vs. Stephen King's THE SHINING" (novel), etc. Von Harbou may have written the novel upon which it's based, but Lang brought it to the screen. Besides, Lang *did* co-write the screenplay for METROPOLIS with von Harbou. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA <"Bibliography is my business">