Incorporating more than 25 minutes of newly discovered footage, this 2010 restoration of METROPOLIS is the definitive edition of Fritz Lang’s science fiction masterpiece.
Backed by a new recording of Gottfried Huppertz’s 1927 score (presented here in 5.1 Stereo Surround), the film’s dazzling visual design and special effects are more striking than ever. And the integration of scenes and subplots long considered lost endows METROPOLIS with even greater tension and emotional resonance, as it dramatizes the conflict between wealthy über-capitalists and rebellious subterranean laborers—orchestrated by a diabolical scientist capable of destroying them both.
A pioneering work of the science-fiction genre in movies, being among the first feature-length movies of the genre. Made in Germany during the Weimar Period, METROPOLIS is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and follows the attempts of Freder, the wealthy son of the city’s ruler, and Maria, a poor worker, to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes of their city. The art direction draws influence from Bauhaus, Cubist and Futurist design.
Co-Presented by the Miami Design Preservation League in honor of Art Deco Weekend.