Fritz Lang

*****
5/5

No sooner had it been premiered — at approximately 153 minutes in length — than Fritz Lang's sci-fi masterpiece was subjected to commercially inspired abridgement. But now, thanks to the efforts of a team of unsung archivists, a new 119-minute version has been compiled from the various extant prints. A quarter of the picture appears irretrievably lost. Nevertheless, what remains still stands as a monument to both the ingenuity of the UFA art department and Lang's vision as a film-maker. The muddled political message has been the subject of much conjecture, but few can deny the majesty of the cityscapes or the inhumanity of the subterranean caverns. Among the most famous and influential silent films ever made, Metropolis has lost none of its ability to inspire awe and provoke debate.

(1926)
GER/US  B/W   119 mins