Movie Talk: Metropolis (1927)

[JBird]

Not the 2001 anime loose adaptation of the 1949 manga that is loosely based on the 1927 film. We're going right to the source.

Originally Posted by "Netflix

In the year 2026, when the populace is divided between workers who must live underground and the wealthy, who enjoy a futuristic city of splendor, a man from the upper class abandons his privileged life to join oppressed workers in a revolt.

The version I watched is labeled as "Metropolis Restored", but there were two or three pieces of footage still missing from the film. It's still watchable, and there are title cards describing what was suppose to have been there to that connect the scenes. If you're a film buff of any kind, and does not mind watching a silent film for two and a half hours, this is a must see.

...Also, this is reportedly one of Adolf Hitler's favorite films. But that's a fact I can easily ignore.

At the risk of overhyping the film, it's practically a masterpiece. It's awe-inspiring for what the filmmakers were capable of in the 1920's. And Brigitte Helm was downright disturbing as the robot doppelganger, with the way she had that manic smile and her twitchy eye. She also wore the robot costume, which, being made of plastic wood, gave her many cuts and bruises. So, major kudos to her for powering through, even though the director insisted she wear it.