Metropolis: Maria's Transformation (1927)

Scene from director Fritz Lang's 1927 classic. The iconography, familiar to all.
Original music by Richard White.
[e-mail]
whitcopress.com

[@shedjammer87]

The viewers in 1927 had to have been blown away by this.

[@woahwoah2207]

They must have lost their minds. I mean those effects still look decent lol

[@artysanmobile]

Can you imagine how stunning this would have been for 1927 moviegoers?

[@Fissi0nChips]

They were probably fainting in the isles. :)

[@Cenindo]

I assume that to them, this was just as impressive as Terminator 2 (1991) was to my generation.

[@onidaaitsubasa4177]

Even by today's standards the presentation and special effects are impressive, and the fact that they did all this in 1927 without computers is astounding.

[@louthegiantcookie]

@@onidaaitsubasa4177 Yes, I agree! I think the most impressive thing are the sets, showing the huge city. They still hold up even today.

[@azillliasmith2734]

@@onidaaitsubasa4177 also it looking a bit "home made" give it an air of authenticity and mystery that you don't get with the seamless smooth computer generated perfection of later si fi .......

[@mikepuppetz9]

This is what I love about special effects from the old days. You watch scenes like this one or the stargate sequence in 2001 or the parting of the red sea in The Ten Commandments, and you wonder "How did they do that?" "How did they make it look so convincing?" There was a great mystery to it. When you watch a Marvel flick today, there's no mystery as to how it was done. We know it was rendered on a computer, likely using After Effects or a similar program. The magic is lost when you know how the trick was done.

[@Dani_rohr_]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYuTnYGZnZqkobMsi=sy9bypSLBw6BAV5a is most shocking scene I ve ever watched

[@jamzst]

The scientist character in this sequence, Rotwang, and his elaborate laboratory and fiery effects, became the template for films whenever the source material called for a "mad doctor" type 😃

[@2adamast]

Frankenstein being on screen since 1910

[@josef-ralfdwerlkotte8333]

​@@2adamastyeah but does he have a robot hand, i think not.

[@brianartillery]

You watch this, and think: 1926? No. Way. It's seamless, beautiful, and perfect. You could not improve on it. I first saw it about 30 years ago, and had a terrible crush on Brigitte Helm. ;D

[@AsimKhan-jd8bu]

isn't it sad.. no one left to reminisce on this movie.. no one from that era might be alive atm people get replaced but their art remains forever for the future generations to appreciate

[@therhea8003]

Given that this was all done in camera, with a single piece of film run through several times, it's amazing. Just think what the audience thought of in the day, they had never seen the like of it.

[@erickcampos50]

How they did those effects in 1927???????

[@ericschroeder3302]

I took a silent film class as an elective in college. Most of these movies are practical effects. But anything they couldn't do in terms of practical effects they would paint onto each individual frame of the film reel by hand meticulously (about 30 frames per second) as for the transparent overlay im assuming they physically overlayed two frames on top of each other. They also used the painting technique to make movies have "color" before color film was a thing by actually painting each scene by hand. The craftsmanship on classic films is actually pretty insane.

[@creatorsun8222]

Eric Schroeder That's exactly what I thought. I myself have been wondering how stuff like this was made with all the visual effects. But I also thought of a solution that seems quite similar to your response. And I was right! So they actuallu did paint over the frames, which definetly makes sense, because computers never actually existed until later through the decades. People were still using artistic concepts in those days, and even WAY in the past before film was a thing. They couldn't develop cameras and all they had were paint and paper to sketch with to make portraits. People were ARTISTS. Movies are always depending on frames, not just movement itself, and the reason why I'm pointing that out is that the life we are living in today revolves around movement. Nothing is moving by frame in reality. But hey, it's still crazy to think that they painted a hand full of frames just to produce these films! #nerdgasm

[@turbostatic1]

Rothschild $$$

[@lelakitersakiti7759]

@@ericschroeder3302 did they colour Gone with the Wind too ?

[@GingerSnape46]

@@lelakitersakiti7759 No, that was shot in Technicolor.

[@Lola-xp5dy]

The effects are amazing for that year

[@ahonaotokodesu7719]

Fritz Lang created the image what a mad scientist and his laboratory would look and work like from scratch

[@2adamast]

Frankenstein is on screen since 1910(?)

[@1A157]

I was expecting Freddie Mercury to appear singing ‘Radio Ga Ga’

[@dragonhold4]

If this is a prophesy that is true, it should be taken more metaphorically or else the trigger for the real fulfillment of it may just as easily slip between our awareness and cause similar effect. Those affected in the film were blissfully unaware of danger as they gradually but clearly became victims in the perspective of viewers. Just as the progression into negative behavior was unnoticeable to them, maybe the same can happen to us with the difference being that there won't be a camera to directly speed up the transformation for easy retrospective comparison.

[@squishytan7]

This is really impressive!

[@cadeguydon6043]

Ahead of it’s time

[@TheProXeo]

Damn I love these effects such as the music. It remind me of Heroes of Might and Magic III

[@emafernandez6809]

radio gaga

[@timothydutton4249]

+ema fernandez - Yep the whole of the Radio Gaga video was a homage to this film.

[@Halloween111]

Charlie Chaplain seemed to do a callback to Metropolis in his final Speech in "The Great Dictator" When he references "Machine men with machine minds" There also looks like a wink and nod to it with his film "Modern Times".

[@YOUYOU-ck5bf]

Transhumanism, MK Ultra, Satanism, all is described in this movie.

[@utubularutubelover4363]

Y O U Y O U truth ! 🙌

[@naughtmoses]

"There were no Germans on speed at Agfa."

[@ytubeanon]

the female android in battle mode from Raised By Wolves is based on this

[@punothebear]

There's nothing new under the sun.

[@RecklesslyPessimistic]

The movie was originally shot at 16 frames per second, but modern hollywood re-releases switched it to the standard 24 fps. This decision ruined the pacing of the music and scenes. Try switching your playback speed to .75 if you want to watch this as it was originally intended. I think it makes the scene more dramatic.

[@larryangrimson7108]

Doc Brown's first access to 1.21 jigawatts.

[@mountain-roots]

In this movie he yells moloch at 14:08. There is more to this Movie Masterpiece(MM) then meet the all seeing eye

[@williamneely8366]

The art of this age was something else.pscy.

[@TheNyteScrybe]

The point where she opens her eyes is incredibly creepy.

[@miklosernoehazy8678]

...it's meant to be...

[@samuelelder9434]

Do you think the back to the future people got the Doc (crazy inventor) look from this guy?

[@ramsesabydos]

Cool movie , an i understood about the missing footage ,but a lot of the footage and dialogue missing is no mistake , anyway

[@vicsaul5459]

Brilliant 👏

[@kendrahwhyte9816]

Thank you. I must check out the Sibelius Notation System.I'm sure it will be a big help to me.

[@hemicentralsrt3259]

Pentagram

[@plaguedoctormasque8089]

When she opens her eyes

[@Louis-jm3zy]

Dude looks like the professor from Back To The Future.

[@Starbat88]

I see the trope of the "sexy android" goes WAY back....

[@utubularutubelover4363]

Transhuminism goals coming to fruition this age

[@DEP717]

@UntakenNick Yes, very much so..... not only the hair but around the eyes.

[@BoltPin_05]

2:30 Freddie Mercury: Radio Gaga

[@frankmid8515]

So this is where beyonce got her robot suit idea from she was performing that's the same suit beyonce was wearing

[@larryrobinson6914]

Legendary and why not???

[@phillipbrewster6058]

Very Frankensteinish only with a female however this had to be very high dollar cinema for the 1920s the quality for being 100 years old is shockingly good...

[@itgetseasierlessitry]

So thats where Cowell got his idea for The X Factor.

[@interceptorphantom]

Very scary 90 years old movie

[@giansaculsan1839]

Only 1920s kids will remember

[@thegreat_I_am]

I'm afraid the 1920's kids don't remember very much these days!

[@tag427]

Ah Gian people have been watching this film for generations

[@thefreedomguyuk]

Gian Saculsan no!

[@semitelfeletem]

Nope, I took this great once-in-every few years class "German 180Z" ("Loving the Dead" was the subtitle of Professor Rickles' class regarding early movies obsession with the alter ego's ability to cheat a judgment before death and also ultimately to cheat life and death equally.. with a hugely (baneful) Freudian bent; the Prof allowed me to bring my serpent child Simon to class. And strangely enough I had met him first in the antiquities room (very small, mostly oriental) at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. And I'd bump into this same Fascinating Dandy of an older man Each and Every time thereafter-- Museum=Rickles. But I'm inured by now to life's capricous intent to underscore the cyclical in this wondrous universe we get to become part of once the body becomes unnecessary. And remember: Death is a Process, and Natural. Trust your ability to heal; liken death to that.

[@therhea8003]

Actually I have shown this film to my grand kids. They remember it and the few that are not brain dead realize just how special these effects are, all done in camera, on a single piece of film with multiple exposures.

[@MrChenrezi]

If I'm remembering correctly, all the zappy-glowy special effects in this scene were hand-drawn. Now THAT is dedication.

[@thiesenf]

The art of animation... Claymation and stop motion is also in the same genre... they meticolously set up each frame one after another...

[@Ajourneyofknowing]

MrChenrezi - most likely yes as that how such lightning & electrical energy effects were made in movies before computers & cgi. Rotoscoped & hand drawn onto the film cells

[@zztopz7090]

Or, they used static electricity, like Tesla.

[@ghostofaforgottenweedle]

Das ist deutsches Handwerk 🇩🇪

[@kinsmansteve]

I believe that one of the men responsible for the effects here said that they were done practically, with circular neon tubes suspended on wires. There is a drawing to that effect: the seventh image down on this page: www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1927-magazine-looks-at-metropolis-a-movie-based-on-science-4328353/ I wonder if he mis-remembered, because it seems unlikely to me. Cell animation seems more plausible. Either way, it still looks amazing to this day.

[@jackd.flippin6656]

Those special effects are 90 years old. I think they look great for its age.

[@rudyrod100]

Exact same thing me and my son were talking about, Just awesome work.

[@TECfan1]

Almost 100 now.

[@Starbat88]

All done without the benefit of CGI. Pretty impressive.

[@essocat3550]

The subjects remind of ghost in the shell

[@isanarditama]

you dont say meme

[@linkueiominae9847]

Done 86 years ago and still 100 years ahead. That. Is. SCI-FI. Wow

[@gnagna4715]

Can't believe it's been almost a decade since you posted this comment...

[@gnagna4715]

@@googlelord1678 how do you know?

[@thecheeselord5943]

@@gnagna4715 Magic

[@wesleyrosa6122]

96 years now

[@cyberpunkchloe9]

Hello! This movie is one of the most important piece of art.

[@Joshua-fr1xp]

This isn't even horror or anything of the sort and her stare is legitimately creepy from the eyes of the robot to her waking up and just staring without blinking. Sent chills down my spine.

[@lewisner]

The scene where Becky wakes up as a "pod person" in Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is similar.

[@kingkoi6542]

This is transhumanism

[@OGMaverickGaming]

That's also called transcreepyism @@kingkoi6542

[@karoltv4390]

Don’t you see the massive pentagram behind her😂

[@ShamanicRocker]

These movies have the perfect eerie feels to them, something I never found in recent sci fi or horror films. The things nightmares as well as dreams are made of. I can't explain it.

[@sclogse1]

Just like the first Dracula, Frankenstein, King Kong. They have an elemental quality. Film itself has it's own message. It helps to remember the kind of adventure stories and gothic thrillers that were out at the time. With no censor board. An exciting time. I highly recommend getting some of the precode DVD Box sets. Gives you an insight as to how hip the writers were back then. Wonderful films you can't forget. I'm a huge fan.

[@jasperisawesome3790]

Uncanny Valley

[@zztopz7090]

@@sclogse1 I think because they based largely on reality.

[@punothebear]

If you saw the first "Alien" movie for the first time in a movie theater you would have pooped in your pants. That movie was just as frightening as the early horror films.

[@insideleosmind4313]

I read that C-3PO is based on the design of that robot

[@zerodawn2277]

miom thank you for the information 🖒

[@Nightcre]

That robot looks futuristic nice special effects

[@miklosernoehazy8678]

... it's true...

[@NoNoseProduction]

Why read. Just look

[@auroradvm]

I think you're right! I've never noticed that!

[@oscartravis5740]

Mary Shelley says, "You're welcome."

[@thoughtcriminal3843]

Special effects that took another 30 years to equal, the most influential film of all time and a story that resonates to this day. Simply the greatest film ever made.

[@AmIonArock]

Wizard of Oz, is still my favorite. but yeah Met...' really good.

[@Chilling_Charizard]

Hmmm, Marvel must take note

[@HITTHEROAD19]

Well ackchyually, special effects advanced at an incredible rate in that 30 years, it's just that cameras advanced faster :D

[@ludwigvanbeethoven7373]

I can't unsee the image of the robot turning into Freddie Mercury now

[@chaseywoot]

RADIO GA GA RADIO GO GO RADIO GA GA

[@LordZontar]

This is mad science at its finest.

[@weswolever7477]

Ah yes ....Kelly Le Brock

[@williamlarson3623]

Funny how SFX in celluloid back then, using primitive cameras to boot, looks more convincing and pleasing to the eye than those digital (and boring) mega whatchamaycallits passing for SFX today.

[@averythesuperhero]

Don't act like you know what you're talking about when you can't tell the difference between SFX (Sound Effects) and VFX (Visual Effects).

[@averythesuperhero]

Don't act like YOU know what you're talking about when you don't realize they meant Special Effects, instead of Sound Effects. Stop being a dick, also.

[@aglayamajorem9546]

@@averythesuperhero The fuck is with you? OP has legitimate remark about the state of the arts. This 1927 film is more believable in effects and more immersive than the lazy bozos who do CGI in most films these days.

[@jochenstacker7448]

Back then it was story above effects.

[@hdofu]

Its not the advancements in technology to blame but the regression in effort put forth by creators today at least the ones getting advertised and sponsored,

[@Sujeesh_Bhosri]

The effects are better than the Bollywood movies of todays

[@7rafilla8]

The symbology of this film was ahead of its time. Prophetic! As we are living and experiencing in today's world with the advancements in technology. More specifically with A.I., robotics, bio-enchancements/engineering, epigenetics, etc. As well as the pentagram from esoteric and occult teachings inferring the connection between the enslaving of the human soul/spirit and consciousness into this material 3-dimensional plane of existence by "The Machine." Which can be also interpreted as the false god. Through which in this transhumanist era, humans are attached to their devices and technology such as their phones and the internet with social media and further more with Augmented reality and Virtual reality. The continual oppression and enslavement of the human soul and consciousness. Forcing and lowering their vibrational state of being... Dark Times indeed.

[@johndoe1765]

Yes someone got an early edition to our future.

[@ProfessorTime]

The similarities between the Maria Robot (1927) and the Sophia Robot (2018) are creepy, eerie, and uncanny. "Metropolis" is a TRUE PROPHESY from start to finish.

[@TheTwolesslives]

Or, ya know, the people who made the 2018 film were inspired and wanted to make it look like the 1927 one as an Easter egg.

[@majorneptunejr]

I am sure it was no coincidence since this is a true classic.

[@RafaelRabinovich]

The Golem meets Doctor Frankenstein in art deco and 1920s sci-fi

[@The_Str4nger]

actually the style of Frankenstein's laboratory came from this

[@enacrt]

How weird am I to think these effect are better than a lot of today's CGI?

[@mechanwhal6590]

Not in the least. Anyone can hire a couple tech heads to faff around on a computer. This, on the other hand…

[@allnothing581]

transhumanism

[@gotenkskaitrin]

The special effects was way before it's time.... That's Crazy..

[@kingmiura8138]

The old black and white films are usually full of all sorts of flaws on the screen...this one is remarkably clear.

[@Sheb8795]

Does anyone find this creepy?

[@basiliskos119]

Aku Is Here the inverted pentagram, that’s the first thing I noticed

[@gameexplorer6504]

me

[@therhea8003]

It's supposed to be creepy. After all the mad inventor is putting all the memories into the robot.

[@etcetera1995]

That's. Kind of the whole point. There's something wrong with you if you *aren't* unsettled.

[@hadeed-_-5678]

Well that's the point isn't it?

[@craigruchman7007]

Amazing how well they grasped robotics and automation so early on

[@majorneptunejr]

Only in this film. It would take years before the rest of the cinema world would catch up.

[@VOLKHVORONOVICH]

Excellent rendition. Especially liked the the ultra-eerie sequence [2:30], ending with the strident note of [2:40] as Parody Futura the Robotrix awakens, appearing as human flesh, but underneath a machine completely without a soul.

[@deepred5461]

I've always thought that Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine" would have been a perfect soundtrack to Metropolis.

[@jochenstacker7448]

Yeah, but I think it wasn't out back then. 😉

[@FallAsleepSafelyTM]

The way the music hit when she opened her eyes gave me chills...

[@CubanPete1990]

She just open her eyes but she was so creepy!

[@logankincade661]

I would have totally banged her back then.......

[@miklosernoehazy8678]

@@logankincade661 ...get in line behind Bender... 🤖😆🤣

[@weswolever7477]

This scene and the fight with the skeletons in Jason and the argonauts still blow me away. CGI just doesn’t come anywhere close to this kind of magic.

[@sclogse1]

Some moments in the first three Pirates films had some real magic. And remarkable dialogue to go with.

[@BoltPin_05]

Was that a Queen refrence?

[@ingowalkerling5141]

Back in the fifties stop-motion was ruling - and Ray Harrihausen was the king of the art.

[@johndoe1765]

Yes that seene as a five year old scared the hell out of me and when I would cut up my cousins would put me back in line by chasing me around the house with those skeleton movements' even seeing the movie well into adulthood it brought back memories what a great movie anyone notice the pentagram behind the robot.

[@palomad9648]

Why did he make the robot so creepy tho

[@carsonglover1452]

Palo Duong it falls under the uncanny valley it seems so real so human even though it's not making us feel awkward or creeped out but this was decades ahead of it's time and one the best cosutme designs in movie history

[@GroomLeader]

Once he had it transformed into the appearance of Maria, the creepiness factor went away.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Lang made Brigitte Helm (Maria) wear the robot suit for those parts as well, even though there is no way to tell who was in it when filming. The suit hurt her so much, the filming and set staff would put money into the suit to help compensate her for Lang's obsession.

[@utubularutubelover4363]

PointyTailofSatan Maria false Mary Catholicism!

[@alanfoster6589]

The robot suit was made of...plywood.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

@@alanfoster6589 Nope. It was made from a molded putty that when cured, was somewhat wood like. They would mold the rough piece, then sand and carve it to shape, then paint it.

[@majorneptunejr]

I am sure the suit was horrible to wear but the few seconds we see of her moving in the suit was excellent.

[@animateangus]

Her face when her eyes opened always used to freak me out.

[@alexdavies1662]

It took many months for Fritz Lang to make a film like "Metropolis," given the rather primitive means of special effects in those days. The film is still largely relevant and a masterpiece.

[@franciscoandrada412]

Am I the only one who thinks this is beautiful?

[@RichardWhite_Composer]

You are not alone... ;-)

[@joshuaAdams3561]

Nope

[@OilFreeFeathers]

francisco andrada Yes you are. You are also the only person who has ever seen or even knows about the film Metropolis. You are truly one of a kind.

[@etcetera1995]

Yes, you are. You're the only person in the world who can appreciate the artistry of a good film. Congratulations.

[@miklosernoehazy8678]

...it is beautiful and eerie at the same time...

[@TimYong2]

Special effects were good awesome for 1927. Still impressive almost 100 years later! The scale of the sets in this movie, the special effects, and the meaning of this movie, still ring true almost 100 years later! Absolute masterpiece!

[@websitesthatneedanem]

The least they could have done was Align her eyes... even open for open! Always annoyed me that has!😁

[@samjones9127]

The terminator's beginning. Ahead of it's time

[@marvincorre4783]

The fact that the special effects was used in this film back in 1927 is incredible and impressive. One of my favorite films of all time.

[@ronaldlebeck9577]

Rotwang, I was told, means "wet cheeks" in German, an euphemism for diaper rash. Rotwang was a pain in the ass to Joh's father. He was also the inspiration for many other "mad scientists" in movies to come, including Dr. Strangelove. The camera techniques and equipment were designed just for this film. I have the most fully restored version found on DVD -- the extras included explain a lot of the movie in detail. In the parts that are forever lost, they filled in with text from the original surviving documentation explaining what happened. Definitely a great movie for its time.

[@johndoe1765]

As well as now this movie lacks no truth, presently just look around.

[@hemicentralsrt3259]

Devil symbol

[@rabsmiff]

according to an 80s CINEFEX article, the electrical arc circles were multiple-exposed one at a time, with each 'hoop' being solid and manouvered the same way as the hydraulics in a fork-lift truck works------a cut-out black shape exactly the same size as the Robot ensured the hoops looked like they were part of the same image. The percentage of the exposure was diffused, to make it look transparent-------fantastic results, even when seen today.

[@wimweender1306]

wunderbar !

[@TheFowler99]

To think that Henry Ford was still making the model T car when this was made,makes the special effects so a head of its time

[@expandingknowledge8269]

It's Evil I tell you...Evil..turn your eyes, don't look..it's to late! 😁

[@beckybaney2394]

The star in the background reminds me of Baphomet.

[@UntakenNick]

Am I the only one who thinks that Doc Emmet Brown was inspired on Rotwang..?

[@jackd.flippin6656]

I would definitely say that some of the inspiration came from Rotwang. Especially the way he moves at 0:28.

[@UntakenNick]

@@jackd.flippin6656 I can't believe I wrote that eight years ago..

[@qplaylistlibrary4296]

They did all this with no talking and the technology of that time. Just WOW

[@Lilicool09]

now that transformation is creepy as fuck

[@kenbibi7631]

Wow! 91 years...

[@happywithdrawal]

the people who didn't know they had epilepsy before they walked into the theater will know now

[@Silverbirch4444]

ha ha c3po was built on this robot design!!!

[@Indygenous]

Incredible special effects for its time.

[@stevenbaer322]

He's an evil scientist from Germany in the 1920's. The woman died but yet her spirit lived in the 🤖 robot creating a new race of cyborg. The evil scientist wanted to create want a new world under his authority just like Adolf Hitler. Robots who always obey without questioning and super strength. The mind and intelligence of a human being. A real life cyborg. These 1920's science fiction movies were actually ahead of their own time? Thanks for putting this together, I totally forgotten about Metropolis.

[@drsnova7313]

Umm....no? Maria did not die, obviously, and all the robot got was her likeness. And Rotwang's motive for creating an artificial human was a lost love, not "world domination by means of super-strong robots". You missed the point by a mile.

[@badboyryan6870]

Reminds me of H.R. Giger's art.

[@misspurrr-fect3684]

Would look even more spectacular with a 4k colour makeover .

[@Zoydian]

Love it, thanks for sharing!!! I saw this film some years ago in a theater, with life music performed by Art Zoyd, an unforgettable evening!!

[@HDadvocate85]

Not bad for 85 years ago

[@PunishedKrab]

They should show this movie in theaters again for the 100th anniversary

[@sforza1903]

How they make the effect without computer?

[@T0Mdisstroya]

2022 no longer a fiction, it’s a working process

[@The_Str4nger]

H.G. Wells hated that movie. Because of this he wrote The Shape of things to come. It was his Anti-Metropolis