Next week, Dodge College is hosting a special screening of Fritz Lang’s classic Metropolis, in a newly restored version, including nearly half an hour of footage thought lost for nearly a century!

Metropolis (1927) 153 min.

Of Fritz Lang‘s many famous films, including M (1931), The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933), and Fury (1936), Metropolis has stood apart from his other immensely acclaimed films, for it’s revolutionary cinematic language, prophetic and oft-imitated themes, and the mystery surrounding its missing footage.

The film’s central conflict explores the tensions between factory workers and repressive, capitalist, industry captains in a not-too-distant dystopian future, tracing some of the ideological clashes taking place on the global stage between the first and second World Wars.  Made in Germany during the lead-up to WWII, Metropolis deals with complex political and moral issues, as the construction and discovery of a robot named Maria draws the protagonists down a spiral of political intrigue and mistaken identity, literally towards the center of the Earth.   The film’s dystopian setting, Expressionistic imagery, and political agenda, have inspired countless films in the century since it’s release, notably: Blade Runner, Batman, Akira, Total Recall, and many, many more.  Silent Reflections summarizes its influence:

Much written about, the subject of frequent revival showings, and acknowledged by great filmmakers as a formative influence, Metropolis is the most famous and arguably the single most influential film of the silent era…  Even those who have never heard of Metropolis know it through its progeny. It is impossible to imagine science fiction and horror sound cinema without Metropolis. Films that were in their turn tremendously influential, from Frankenstein to 2001: A Space Odyssey to Blade Runner, were shaped by it. It remains the defining film for cinematic conceptualizations of the future.

Since it’s premiere in 1927, large segments of the film have gone missing, from damage or apparently simply being misplaced.  In 2001, a ‘new’ cut of the film was presented, including about a dozen minutes of extra restored footage, including an updated score; in 2008, large sections of the film were found in Bueons Aires, adding a full 25 minutes of footage (expanding the film’s total length by nearly 20%).  You can read more about its influence and restoration history on the Wikipedia page.  On the newly discovered print and the additional restoration:

In July 2008, it was announced that an essentially complete copy of Fritz Lang’s visionary masterpiece METROPOLIS had been found at the Buenos Aires Museo del Cine in Argentina. It included not merely a few additional snippets, but 25 minutes of scenes (one-fifth of the complete running time) considered lost for 80 years. From conception to completion, the restoration took nearly a full year and cost almost $1 million to complete. This digitally restored footage and Gottfried Huppertz’s magnificent original score provide the closest version to the director’s original vision since its premiere in 1927. (In German with English title cards)

Thus, we are thrilled to be showing the newest “Complete” version of Metropolis in just over a week!  The screening will feature two guests as well from the UCLA Film & Television Archive, to speak about the film’s impact and the importance of film preservation and restoration.  This is a don’t-miss event for all film studies majors and film afficianados!

The screening takes place Thursday, February 10th at 7PM.  As with most of our screenings, this is a free event, although Chapman ID or RSVP are required.