Fritz Lang’s Metropolis – Lost Footage Discovered
Extraordinary news! Metropolis, Fritz Lang’s astounding silent sci-fi magnum opus, was originally released in 1927 and restored in 2001, with at least 90 minutes of footage lost. Now, through a long chain of distributors, collectors and art funds the missing scenes have been found. These scenes fill gaps in the plot, expand characters that seem minor in current versions and complete the film – this is the Metropolis we were meant to see. The found film will need a lot of work but I have high hopes for a re-release. Private screening at The Edison, anyone?
Last Tuesday Paula Félix-Didier traveled on a secret mission to Berlin in order to meet with three film experts and editors from ZEITmagazin. The museum director from Buenos Aires had something special in her luggage: a copy of a long version of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, including scenes believed lost for almost 80 years. After examining the film the three experts are certain: The find from Buenos Aires is a real treasure, a worldwide sensation. Metropolis, the most important silent film in German history, can from this day on be considered to have been rediscovered.
You can read the fascinating story in full here on ZEITmagazin. A few new stills are here.
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Wow I really hope it makes its way to film and cinema Mues. in Berlin they had a great set up for the Film it was just missing…. film and history. I had better behind the scenes stuff on my laptop.
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Good news indeed! I was happy when Fuller’s The Big Red One was finally restored (I was in High School when the lost footage was shown…and it only hit uncut on DVD last year or so after a screening in Canne)
It should be noted quite a number of German films from the pre-WWII years have been lovingly restored ranging from stuff like Faust to a wonderful release of Pandora’s Box and The Blue Angel…also back in 2002 Lang’s Die Nibelungen was given a beautiful release by Kino Video…all 291 minutes preserved!
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
SLURP! (Literally and figuratively.)
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 pm
gosh! i’ll never trust the classic movie channel again, they claimed to have never before seen footage in their version. :/
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:58 pm
This is simply amazing news. Thank you.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
UN. BE. LIEVABLE. This is perhaps the most exciting news that Coilhouse has given me yet!
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I fell out of my chair squealing when i read this this afternoon.
It’s going to be a hard wait for the footage to get fixed up and restored.
Wee-yao.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:43 am
I can’t wait to see this! I hope they have more scenes in that garden with the peacocks. I loved those shots. And, of course, more Maria. More Rotwang. Yeah!!!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:17 am
Fantastic!
But what does this mean? how will it be released? and more importantly, when?
i assume it’ll take quite a while for it to be restored and all the other cinematic wizardry they’ll have to perform before it’s fit for our humble eyes.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
Huzzah!
This made my morning.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Just read about this! Amazing!
Any news on when this will be available to the public?
July 7th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Holy shee-it! Just read this. Isn’t this the BEE’S EFFING KNEES!?!
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
hello. I know that comes kind of late, but I have scanned the article after reading your entry. I’ll upload the scans if you’d like me to. y/n?
:)
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
That would be lovely, and thank you!
July 24th, 2008 at 4:05 am
hi!
there you go, it’s quite a large file, don’t be shocked.
http://www.mediafire.com/?1zasbyd3ydt
:)
August 29th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Last thursday at the BFI the newly restored Fritz Lang’s Metropolis reminded me of several movies it has influenced such as The Bride of Frankenstein, Blade Runner, and Dark City. It’s importance to later films is quite clear and all things considered I rate it one of the best films I’ve ever seen.