In 1927, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis premiered in Berlin, accompanied by majestic symphonic music written by composer Gottfried Huppertz, one of the first orchestral works specially composed for films during the silent era. In fact, some of the film’s reconstructions and restorations were only possible using transcriptions from Huppertz’s film score cues. Metropolis was recut considerably after its premiere and the latest restoration of the film still omits portions of material.
Watching Metropolis in 2017, you will feel a nervous twitch in your right temple, and you will ask: “Why isn’t cinema this good anymore?” Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Metropolis remains the unadulterated template for epic science fiction. The spellbinding cyborg scene where the celestial machine-man in the form of Maria (Brigitte Helm) is created by the mad scientist Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) will leave you breathless. A fable of war and peace set against a backdrop of machines, the prodigious balletic choreography, staging, and epic set design will make any discerning filmmakers feel inadequate.
No comments:
Post a Comment