A BETTER REBUILD FOR 'METROPOLIS'.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic The granddaddy of all dystopian dys·to·pi·an adj. 1. Of or relating to a dystopia. 2. Dire; grim: "AIDS is one of the dystopian harbingers of the global village" Susan Sontag. Adj. sci-fi spectacles, Fritz Lang's 1927 silent masterpiece gets a reverent rev·er·ent adj. Marked by, feeling, or expressing reverence. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin rever , 75th-anniversary reissue here. There is more restored footage than ever before. The original, which was cut for commercial considerations within weeks of its Berlin premiere, ran 153 minutes, covering 13,701 feet of film. By comparison, Giorgio Moroder's 1984 pop atrocity reissue ran a mere 7,468 feet, the more definitive ``Munich Version'' of three years later clocked in at 9,608 feet, and this latest reconstruction goes 10,928 feet. Along with more footage, comprehensive intertitles that explain such things as the mad scientist Rotwang's motive for inventing the iconic she-robot have been substituted for still-missing sequences. Gottfried Huppertz's stirring original score has also been re-recorded by a 65-piece orchestra. And the whole shebang has been digitally cleaned up with painstaking care, bringing new luster to Karl Freund's expressionist ex·pres·sion·ism n. A movement in the arts during the early part of the 20th century that emphasized subjective expression of the artist's inner experiences. ex·pres cinematography cinematography: see motion picture photography. cinematography Art and technology of motion-picture photography. It involves the composition of a scene, lighting of the set and actors, choice of cameras, camera angle, and integration of special and deeper definition to Edgar G. Ulmer and Otto Hunte's brutalist/futurist designs. As for the man-vs.-machine, workers-vs.-owners, faith-vs.-avarice plot mechanics, they may be pretty creaky creak·y adj. creak·i·er, creak·i·est 1. Tending to creak. 2. Shaky or infirm, as with age; decrepit: creaky knee joints; a creaky regime. by today's standards. But the story has lost none of its metaphorical punch - indeed, it seems more relevant than ever in this era of widening wealth gaps and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. outlawry Outlawry See also Highwaymen, Thievery. Bass, Sam (1851–1878) train robber and all-around desperado. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 244] Billy the Kid (William H. Bonney, 1859–1881) infamous cold-blooded killer. [Am. Hist. . This could be the best chance of your lifetime to see ``Metropolis'' in most of its Weimer decadence, Christianity twisting, Hitler predicting glory. METROPOLIS - Four stars (Not rated: violence, children in jeopardy) Starring: Gustav Frohlich, Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge. Director: Fritz Lang. Running time: 2 hrs. 4 min. Playing: Nuart, West L.A. In a nutshell: Digitally cleaned-up version of Lang's 1927 sci-fi masterpiece boasts more original footage and clearly defined plot points than any restoration seen since distributors started butchering the film shortly after its Berlin premiere. Original score re-recorded, too. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: A digitally restored, longer version of ``Metropolis,'' with Gustav Frohlich, contains intertitles that explain various aspects of the film. |
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