See the Greatest Science Fiction Picture Ever Made, Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou’s Dystopian Epic, Metropolis (1927), Which was so Extravagantly Made that It Almost Bankrupted Its German Studio, UFA, Almost Complete, for Free, and Without Commercial Interruption, at WEJB/NSU! Plus, Hear Its Soundtrack!

Re-posted by N.S.

Michael Organ

“This version of the restored Metropolis 1927 runs at the speed of 16 frames per second (fps), as originally shot by Fritz Lang and his crew. Modern presentations of Metropolis run at 24 fps to accommodate the original soundtrack. This speeds up the action to an almost comical degree in some instances, and generally changes the natural rhythm of the film.

“This slowed down version runs for 3 hr 42 minutes (222 minutes), which is just 6 minutes short of the original, uncut version as prepared for the Berlin premiere in January 1927 - though even that showing was run fast. Missing elements include Freder's visit to the cathedral and encounter with the monk Dersertas, and Georgy’s ride in the car to Yoshiwara. I hope you enjoy this version of Metropolis - the closest we will perhaps ever get to Lang’s original director’s cut.”


Metropolis - 2010 Restoration - 16 fps - longest version



Soundtrack Fred

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1927). Composed by Gottfried Huppertz, Conducted by Frank Strobel and performed by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.




Other Complete, Silent Classics Available at WEJB/NSU:

C.B. DeMille’s The Squaw Man (1914);

D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915);

D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Through the Ages (1916);

Charlie Chaplin’s Shoulder Arms (1918);

Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920);

Buster Keaton's One Week (1920);

F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1921);

The Kid (1921), Charlie Chaplin’s First Feature as Director, Co-Starring Jackie Coogan;

James Cruze’s The Covered Wagon (1923);

John Ford’s The Iron Horse (1924);

Buster Keaton’s The General (1926);

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lodger (1927); and

F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927).