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Two Argentinian film fans have discovered three reels from German Filmmaker Fritz Lang’s classic, sci-fi, Metropolis. The reels feature footage that was believed to be lost for decades.
Two Argentinian film fans have discovered three reels from German Filmmaker Fritz Lang’s classic, sci-fi, Metropolis. The reels feature footage that was believed to be lost for decades.
Lang’s depiction of a dystopian future has influenced a generation of filmmakers from Ridley Scott to George Lucas – with films such as
Blade Runner and
Star Wars owing the movie a great debt.
Infamous for its visuals and obscure storyline,
Metropolis was also one of the most expensive movies ever made; almost crippling its studio with its overblown budget. When the film debuted, it did not rate well with audiences and was taken back to the edit suite and severely cut to make it more palatable.
Despite several restorations over the decades, it was believed that almost a quarter of the film had been lost.
The print, which was discovered in the archives of the Buenos Aires Film Museum is said to be a 16mm copy of the original film that premiered in Germany.
“We were overjoyed when we heard about the find,” said Helmut Possmann, head of the foundation which owns the rights to the film, the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung.
“The film can now be shown more or less as Lang originally intended it. In terms of understanding what it’s about, we’ll be seeing a new film.”
Although estimates of its original length vary depending on the speed at which it is shown, Mr Possmann said Metropolis was conceived as a film lasting just over two and a half hours.
The recovered footage is said to flesh out secondary characters and illuminate the plot further.
Source:
news.com.au
