According to reports from Ain’t It Cool News and Zeit Online, a massive amount of previously unknown footage from the sci-fi classic Metropolis has been discovered. This is footage that may not have been seen anywhere since the first showings of the silent epic in the late 1920s.
Anyone who’s a fan of sci-fi should be very excited about this. Fritz Lang’s vision of the future is one of the major roots for the sci-fi we see on the screen today. Without Metropolis and it’s far-reaching themes of empowerment and oppression, spectacular set-pieces and astounding special effects (for their time–and even by today’s standards, they’re not half bad), generations of writers, designers and artists would be wandering lost without inspiration.
I learned years ago that there are a number of different cuts of this film, each containing different bits of footage, spliced together in different ways. It wasn’t until 2002 when a “definitive” edition came out, using original script bits, set drawings and production stills to fill in some of the known holes. The newly discovered footage, according to the articles, adds nearly 100 minutes of previously unseen footage.
Now, for the first time in nearly 80 years, the full depth and scope of the story will be known.
Even as it has been, the story of abuse of power, worker uprisings and true love is as rich and character-filled as any modern epic. The extra footage now available will flesh out some of the more vague points that have often confused and frustrated fans of Metropolis.
I don’t expect a DVD of this to be out for at least another two years. Restoration of footage can take a while–and I’m guessing we’re not dealing with the most meticulously preserved stock, either. But when it does come out, I can only imagine the batch of extras that will be available. Think of it–a half dozen different cuts of the movie from over the years, multiple scores, a documentary about the restoration process and detective work that had to go on to make the newest version happen, another about the impact the movie has had on pop-culture and the film world. Heck, throw in a nice biography of Lang and you’ve got at least four disks worth of stuff.
And, without question or hesitation, when that DVD set becomes available (perhaps with a limited edition statue of the robot) it will quickly be on my shelf.
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