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The “Metropolis” Connection 2
FRITZ LANG • AUSTRIA • METROPOLIS • GERMANY • HOLLYWOOD • UFA
THEA VON HARBOU • SCI-FI • BRIGITTE HELM • BLADE RUNNER • KARL FREUND
Fritz Lang's Metropolis
Also see the Lang Filmography below.
The first real science-fiction film was based on a story written by Fritz Lang's wife, Thea von Harbou, although some claim it actually stems from Georg Kaiser's 1920 “Gas Trilogy.” But Metropolis is really more memorable for its fantastic imagery than its story, which is a bit vague and confusing, at times plain silly. Lang's cinematic vision of the city of the future has influenced the look of later sci-fi films such as Blade Runner. Even today, there is something fascinating about the futuristic scenes shot by the camera team of Karl Freund and Günther Rittau — a fascination that even led Madonna and Queen to include Metropolis clips in their music videos. Ironically, in light of the respect accorded the film today, Metropolis nearly bankrupted the Ufa studios (the legendary German film production company). In production for almost two years, Metropolis required vast resources — 37,633 performers, including 1,000 men (FX-multiplied by six) with their heads shaved for the Tower of Babel sequence alone. At 5.3 million marks, the film ended up being the most expensive ever produced in Germany up to that time. The mounting expenses almost closed production early, and the film failed to make money. But even the modern viewer can see where the all the money went. Some of the scenes and special effects in Metropolis are as impressive today as they must have been in 1927.
Erich Kettelhut's Metropolis set designs and drawings helped director Fritz Lang create the unique imagery of this science-fiction classic. Some critics consider the film's architecture symbolic of the power relationships — power versus oppression, freedom versus subjugation — in the story. Six months after a visit to New York City, Lang imbued his film with a vision of skyscrapers of the future.
The film's reception at the time of its release in various countries was mixed. The London Times and The Spectator gave generally positive reviews, but in the U.S., Time magazine's review of Metropolis ended with this unkind comment: “Ufa might better have shut the eyes of its great cameras than permit them to reflect nonsense in such grandeur.” In his later years Lang himself seemed to be one of the film's biggest detractors. In 1958 he said, “I don't like Metropolis. The ending is false. I didn't like it even when I made the film.” (This from the director who was such a perfectionist, he required three days to shoot a brief love scene in the film between Brigitte Helm and Gustav Fröhlich.) One can only speculate on how much of Lang's negativity stems from his past association with ex-wife Thea von Harbou, the film's co-writer and a big Nazi sympathizer.
Restored Authorized Edition DVD
The newly restored METROPOLIS of Fritz Lang
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The Metropolis that moviegoers and reviewers of the 1920s saw varied from country to country and place to place. Lang's cut was no doubt far too long to begin with, but the American version was severely cut to ten reels from the original 17, seriously disturbing the film's rhythm and making it impossible for U.S. viewers to make any sense out of the already convoluted plot. One unfortunate result of all this snipping: some segments of the film seem to have been lost forever, with some scenes today existing in restorations only as still shots. Nevertheless, enough of the Expressionist film masterpiece remains to allow us to appreciate Lang's cinematic craftsmanship — despite his own words.
See a selected filmography and Web links for Fritz lang below.
Copyright © 1997-2004 Hyde Flippo
N E X T > Lang Movie Posters
M O R E > Full Index of film people
Selected Fritz Lang Filmography
LANG FILMS MADE IN GERMANY
Der müde Tod (1921) "Tired Death" (literal title translation) was also released in the U.S. as "Destiny," "Between Two Worlds" and "Beyond the Wall." > Buy the DVD
Dr. Mabuse der Spieler (1922, Dr. Mabuse the Gambler) > Buy the DVD
Die Nibelungen (1924) A two-part epic ("Siegfried" and "Kriemhild") based on Germanic mythology. > Buy the DVD
Metropolis (1926) The restored version includes the original music score. > Buy the DVD (newly restored version)
Spione/Spies (1928) > Buy the DVD
Die Frau im Mond (1929) Variously titled "By Rocket to the Moon," "The Girl in the Moon," and "The Woman on the Moon" in the U.S.
M (1933) Fritz Lang's first talkie (with Peter Lorre) was his best film, bar none. > Buy the DVD (Criterion Collection)
Der Tiger von Eschnapur/Das indische Grabmal (1960) Lang's two "Indian Epic" films made after he quit Hollywood. In color. > Buy the DVD Set
LANG FILMS MADE IN HOLLYWOOD
Fury (1936) Lang's first U.S. movie, which he also co-wrote. Stars Spencer Tracy. > Buy the VHS
You Only Live Once (1937) A gangster pic with Henry Fonda, Sylvia Sidney, and Ward Bond. > Buy the DVD
Western Union (1941) Randolph Scott! A Technicolor Western with Robert Young and Randolph Scott. > Buy the VHS
The Woman in the Window (1944) The first in a series of Lang film noir movies. > Buy the VHS
Hangmen Also Die (1943) About Hitler's henchmen. > Buy the DVD
Ministry of Fear (1944) A good film noir with Ray Milland in wartime London.
> Buy the VHS
Scarlet Street (1945) Stars Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett. > Buy the DVD
Rancho Notorious (1952) A Western with Marlene Dietrich and Arthur Kennedy.
The Big Heat (1953) A respected film noir with Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. > Buy the DVD
The Blue Gardenia (1953) Another good Lang film noir > Buy the DVD
Moonfleet (1955) A swashbuckler with Stewart Granger.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) Lang's last U.S. picture, and not one of his best, stars Dana Andrews.
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FRITZ LANG & METROPOLIS ON THE WEB
Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS by Augusto Cesar B. Areal, Brazil.
Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS - Official US site by Kino International
Fritz Lang - METROPOLIS - from the Goethe Institute Helsinki (in German)
Fritz Lang @ IMDb - Internet Movie Database
Erika Hawkins' essay on Fritz Lang and METROPOLIS (at Augusto Cesar B. Areal's site)
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