Metropolis (1927) Surviving Props and other stories

What survives from 1927s Metropolis directed by Fritz Lang?
#movie #history #props

[@lukasschliepkorte3019]

It's still unbelievable how that masterpiece was misunderstood and butchered. Maybe there's still a copy left in some private archive anywhere. One can only hope.

[@FIREBRAND38]

He just said that the original was found mostly intact. I own the restored copy on Blu Ray from Kino Lorber.

[@franzrogar]

@@FIREBRAND38 The did *not* said that the "original" (which was a 16mm copy, instead of a 32mm regular) was found "mostly intact", but "mostly complete", which is *completely* different. The Argentina copy had degraded so much that some minutes were not possible to be recovered and what was recovered is *heavily* damaged, but hey, beggars can't be choosers, at least we get to see it almost complete. And it's a *must* to see.

[@mikeiswhite3]

This film influenced me so much as a young film student. I went out and got the Maschinenmensch tattooed on me.

[@randbasic]

I remember working on and delivering Forest Ackermans Maria figure. He was a very interesting guy and his house was crazy cool. RIP “Uncle Forry”.

[@GeneSavage]

I would have sworn I heard the costume was made out of balsa wood that had been painted to look like metal... no? Wood of course might be even less flexible than metal, if possible...

[@opus1617]

"The Complete Metropolis" is listed as a link in my KZbin movies for this page.

[@Montoya2005]

“You think that someone brings a prop to me and I’m the one in danger? No, I am the danger… I am the one who props”

[@sbcinema]

One of the actors in this film was a relative of mine

[@lizkane1799]

Awesome

[@Agnes.Nutter]

Wow, I never knew about the international edit - crazy that they totally flipped the entire point of the movie on its head! Thanks, capitalism 👍

[@hi-five4960]

I did a research paper on Fritz Lang and I remember pretty distinctly that he wasn't Jewish. He did flee Germany, but not necessarily because he was Jewish, he wasn't supporting the n*zis though. His wife and major collaborator was, however, stay in n*azi Germany and work for/with the n*zis. I'm writing from memory, but it's worth researching. In the US, Fritz Lang and other fleeing expressionist filmmakers began the film noir movement, which was a direct descendent of expressionist filmmaking.

[@hi-five4960]

Even if I found wrong information in my research, I find it hard to believe the piece of Shit h*tler was would have anything good to say about a Jewish person's work.

[@mikeiswhite3]

I would suggest, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, it is the film that got banned by then Minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels (even though he himself was a fan of Lang) because he believed it showed that people can rise up against a government, therefore it is dangerous. This was the beginning cause of why Lang left Germany. Though he would come back numerous times for different reasons. But in this, it shows how powerful propaganda is, because as you said, his nazi sympathizing wife, was in the film. And unlike Lang, stayed. It just shows that people will believe whatever they want due to whatever foundation was taught at home in their upbringing.

[@GeneSavage]

Agreed. Wasn't Hitler offering Lang a job making propaganda films for the Reich? I heard the story told that Lang acted excited and asked to talk it over with his wife. When they said yes, he went home and told Thea, "pack your bags; we're leaving NOW!" That had to have been terrifying....

[@billduv5887]

Copy found in Argentina....🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@JonMadsen70]

:)