Remember Ed's Buddy, Fritz Lang? His Masterpiece, Metropolis!

[binaryalchemist]

Metropolis (Scene page-trailer)

I studied the UFA films of Fritz Lang in in my cinematography classes in college---brilliant stuff--but my personal favorite is "METROPOLIS"--an unforgettable sci-fi fable about a society built on the backs of the men who serve it--and how one woman tried to change it. It looks gorgeous, and I've owned every available release. Originally it ran about 152 minutes--to play in America they butchered it to 90 min. There have been partial restorations--best known was the 1980's version with a rock score and tinting to the scenes...but now rafe footage of a nearly-complete version was found in Argentina and now the film can be seen in its nearly complete form--with the original score.
I am SOOOO going to invest in this when it's finally released on DVD and I regret like hell it will not play any of the special venues near my town.
Lang...you were such a genius!

Comments

[eve_n_furter]

It's a masterpiece and the effects still amazes me. I once saw it at a night viewing with live musicians. I humbly accept your envy... :D

[binaryalchemist.livejournal.com]

You saw one of the orchestral productions???I'm groveling--you're only the second person I've known of who got to see it. I saw it after I saw Star Wars...and I told myself THIS is the grand-daddy of all SF movies. I do shamefully admit to a fondness for the Moroder version and own a rare downloaded copy with titles in French since my VHS version is so old its unplayable. I've seen most of Lang's work and when I saw CoS and when he and Ed walked though the sets at UFA the film fanatic in me was bouncing in my seat. Of course, Metropolis came about three years after the events in CoS but I just loved it. In my own Alt!Verse, Lang met up with the brothers in Paris and the three of them caught up finally in the US. Fritz became a close family friend, was the godfather of Al's son Alfons and Al's first grandchild was named Fritz Lang Elric. "Uncle Fritz" will make a cameo appearance in "You+Me of the Ten Thousand Wars" near the end of his life.

[eve_n_furter]

Alas, no full orchestra. It was a pretty intimate setting at a film festival, but it still had a big impact. Haven't seen the Conquerer of Shamballa yet. 8/