A film way ahead of its time.
Metropolis (1927)
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Reviews Counted:74
Fresh:73
Rotten:1
Average Rating:8.8/10
Consensus: A visually awe-inspiring science fiction classic from the silent era.
Theatrical Release:Jul 12, 2002 Limited
Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]
Starring: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gustav Frihlich
Starring: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gustav Frihlich
Director: Fritz Lang
Director: Fritz Lang
Studio: Kino International
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Reviews for Metropolis
Far from a historical curio, Metropolis arrives, three-quarters of a century late, like an artifact from the future.
In its best moments, the film's mix of naivete and audacious imagination projects a primitive dream state -- a quality that more-knowing cinema of later decades could never achieve.
Catch it wherever and whenever it plays. It incarnates the idea of the Big City as a manifestation of modernism.
a truly remarkable film... an odd amalgam of naivete and sophistication
Compelling prima facie evidence that the phrase 'black-and-white movie' needn’t at all be synonymous with 'boring night at my grandparents.'
All in all, it's a very complex story for a silent film - and it still can hold an audience's attention for 2 hours, even after 75 years.
Cinema history doesn't get much more relevant than the original Metropolis, Fritz Lang's masterwork, a grandiose and jaw-dropping epic that would look impressive for 2004.
A great artist contains multitudes, and Lang packed a host of contradictory longings into a single allegory.
The acting is campy, the airplanes quaint, but Metropolis defines fearful futurism.
A haunting vision, with images that seem more like disturbing hallucinations.
Few movies of any era offer so much varied food for thought, cinematically and politically. Its new restoration is a major motion-picture event.
Latest News for Metropolis
July 03, 2008:
First Glimpses of Lost Metropolis Footage Surface ![]()
Hot on the heels of news that the original edit of Fritz Lang's Metropolis has been recovered, stills from lost portions of the film have started to hit the Web -- as well as... More...
December 11, 2007:
Thomas Schuhly and Mario Kassar Building New Metropolis
Two words: Metropolis remake. The duo is said to be "in negotiations with a number of top directors" for the project. More...
February 01, 2006:
SUNDANCE: A Filmmaker Makes His Pitch
Not everyone who comes to Sundance is a movie star, cinephile or studio head. Some, like filmmaker David Lindblom, are simply trying to get a project off the ground. More...
June 23, 2005:
Critical Consensus: Zombies and Witches and Cars, Oh My!
This week’s three wide releases have some things in common: they’re all updates of stuff we’ve seen before, and they all deal with the supernatural. Which will cast a spell over... More...
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