Fritz Lang's science fiction epic Metropolis was made in Germany in 1927, when German cinema was among the world's finest.
influenced science fiction movies ever since
The story takes place in a city of the future – the year is 2026 – when workers slave and live underground while, above them in a modern city, the wealthy literally feed off them.
A film that has influenced science fiction movies ever since, Metropolis has invariably been seen in less than pristine copies that have been edited and shortened for a variety of reasons (a few years ago there was the Giorgio Moroder version).
But now the original 124 minute version has been restored by the German Murnau Foundation, and it's possible to see this milestone of cinema in the best conditions possible. If you've never seen it, you're in for a remarkable experience; if you've only ever seen truncated versions, it will be like seeing it for the first time.
