Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Lang's METROPOLIS Newly Restored, Screens in NYC

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Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 07-13-2002, 09:11 AM:

"A Restored German Classic of Futurist Angst" is the title of A.O.Scott's announcement and excellent review in the 7/12/02 NYTimes.
Pulled from theatres by Ufa a few weeks after the 1927 premiere and cut from 12 reels to 5, the film was further butchered by Paramount for USA distribution. The film provoked political hostility in Europe because it touched on themes such as economic class divisions, and religious and social awakening, leading to revolution.

Karl Freund was the cinematographer, and after four years of painstaking research by Martin Koerber and Alpha-Omega of Munich, 1300 feet have been added to the previous restoration, and a re-recorded version of the original "Wagnerian" score, plus new English titles and indication of the still-missing scenes, have been added.
Scott writes that "there is now, at long last, a "Metropolis" with a legitimate claim to being definitive."

It is being screened for two weeks at Film Forum on Houston Street in "a spotless 35mm print with a new recording of Huppertz's score."
This is one of my favorite classics, with powerful crowd scenes, science-fiction cloning of an anti-heroine (in a Frankenstein-like laboratory) and a wonderful German Expressionist look.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/12/movies/12METR.html

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 07-13-2002, 01:07 PM:

We saw this full on retored print at the Telluride Film Festival last year. It was accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra. They have been touring for years with a Georgio Moroder print. This year they were touring with the restored print when it was pulled from them so the people who own it could do this presentation around the country. The Alloy Orchestra is ver good and great fun, so I hope they can get their hands back one Metropolis again next year.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 07-13-2002, 01:37 PM:

A.O. Smith of the NY Times betrayed his considerable ignorance by stating:

>Had Lang lived to see the age of the "director's cut" DVD, he might
>have responded to those transgressions and reconstructed a
>definitive "Metropolis." But now we have something nearly as good.

So seeing it on film, on the big screen pretty much as the director intended is "nearly" as good as a DVD would be? What an idiot.

letters@nytimes.com is the place to write to

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 07-13-2002, 03:04 PM:

For counterpoint here are the reviews from the Village Voice (pre-release) and the New York Daily News.

The Village Voice review pairs Metropolis with Road to Perdition.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-13-2002, 04:52 PM:

Is the new print tinted or is it B&W only?

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 07-13-2002, 05:09 PM:

No, it's B/W. The review describes a tinted version the reviewer considered a travesty, since the original made very effective use of light and shadow for dramatic effect. This restoration was made by a
film preservationist who took four years to reconstruct the film according to Lang's intentions, and was aided by a restoration/preservation laboratory. Also considered a travesty was the rock musical score added to the disasterous colorized version.

Since Fritz Lang is long gone, I understand the comment about the director's cut DVD as something impossible now. He doesn't mean
viewing the disk would be preferable to bigscreen auditorium viewing.
Were Lang alive, it might not require such detective work to assemble a definitive print. Today director's cut versions are readily assembled from existing negative footage of modern films, and find a nich market among film fans and collectors, since they are usually too long for profitable mass exhibition in theatres.

Gerard

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-13-2002, 06:20 PM:

Interesting--I want to see this. Hopefully it will make it to Boston. Does anyone know if this version is step-printed for 24fps projection or if it needs to be run at silent speed?

"CinemaScope is great for snakes and coffins, but not for people." -- Fritz Lang in _Contempt_

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 07-13-2002, 06:52 PM:

Charles,

Thanks for the link to J. Hoberman's review in the Village Voice.
It's really very thorough and I like his relating the influence
of METROPOLIS on modern filmakers and other cultural trends.

Gerard

Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 07-14-2002, 01:14 AM:

Yes, but will it be showing in DLP? (ducks)

I hope we get that print here. I have seen a reasonable 16MM print but that would not be the same thing.

Although it is a classic, as Lang films go I prefer 'M'. We had a Lang festival here a couple of years back and the 35MM print of 'M' was sensational.

I love that quote, Scott! I ran the re-release of CONTEMPT and laughed out loud the first time I heard (read) that line.

Also in the same scene is the line in which Jack Palance's character (as producer) challenges Lang about not sticking to the script after watching the dailies. It goes something like this:

----------------------------------------

Producer: 'That's not what's in the script'

Lang: 'It IS!' (Hands the producer the script)

Producer: 'OK, but that's not what you have on the screen'

Lang: 'Naturally! In the script, it is written. On the screen, it is pictures. MOTION PICTURES, they call it'.

-------------------------------------------------

Priceless.

Posted by Dennis Atkinson (Member # 345) on 07-14-2002, 07:57 AM:

No step printing, everybody will run around at 24fps, some people
think it was shown this way in 1927. I dont know.

More info at http://www.kino.com/metropolis/index.html

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 07-14-2002, 08:15 AM:

< More info at http://www.kino.com/metropolis/index.html >

WOW!!
Dennis, that's a beautiful Website! Lots of info on the reconstruction, and beautiful, clear and sharp Flash Animations
made from stills of METROPOLIS. With sound effects. What a find!

This site also gives TRAILERS and PLAYDATES coast to coast including New England.

Thanks--Gerard

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 07-14-2002, 09:38 AM:

By 1927, 24 fps was the average projection speed for silents. Apparently, filmmakers got wise to theater owners running films faster than the accepted 16 fps so they could squeeze in extra showings. So the on-screen action wouldn't look ridiculous, the cameramen started cranking faster to compensate.

Certain silents were meant to fun FASTER than 24 fps. A couple of Buster Keaton's later silents, including "The General" came with instructions to play at 26 fps. Showing such films at 16 fps kills the pacing.

Posted by Aaron Haney (Member # 747) on 07-14-2002, 10:04 PM:

When it shows at the Castro in San Francisco, I hope they do the right thing and make the screen as large as possible. I was pretty disappointed at how small the screen was for "2001", but it looked like there was extra room at the top. If they simply brought in the sides to show the old silent aspect ratio, the screen would be tiny!

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 07-15-2002, 07:06 AM:

By the mid-1920s, 24fps (90 feet per minute) was a generally accepted standard by the Hollywood studios, but not by European film-makers. Germany stuck to 16fps pretty much right up until comopt sound came in, and German silents really need to be shown at 16. Click here for more on silent projection speeds.

As for Lang being able to give definitive answers if he were alive, I'm not so sure... he consistently lied to interviewers throughout his life, most famously over his supposed 'escape' from Nazi Germany following a meeting with Goebbels in 1933. Suggested reading: Out of print now, but well worth a read if you can get it. Not a bit like the nauseously sycophantic biography by Lotte Eisner.

And as for his films, I too agree that M is a masterpiece, and the 1951 remake by Joseph Losey is also quite an intelligent updating. Metropolis is a bit on the kitsch side for me: You Only Live Once and Clash by Night are, IMHO, much underrated.

Posted by Dennis Atkinson (Member # 345) on 07-15-2002, 07:31 PM:

I believe I ran it a 16.5 fps 4 years ago. What a long film!

Posted by Brad Haven (Member # 954) on 08-10-2002, 11:42 AM:

I was just told today that the restored version of "metropolis" will play at the astor cinema in perth in late september accompanied by an orchestra.
This info came second hand, but this guy said it was to be screened at 20fps , but it think this was misheard?, he said that they were disscussing altering the speed for the screening though, i'll have to make a call and see if i can get some fact's.
I think it was 1994 that we had some screenings of "pandoras box" that had a new score performed live by an australian women(?) with a string quartet), on that occasion we ran that at 16fps, it was great to witness!!.

------------------
currently (relief)chief projectionist
at Luna Leederville cinemas
also cheerleader for john wilson (gooOO JOHN!)

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-10-2002, 08:37 PM:

The new "Metropolis" prints run at 24 fps. Academy frames with a Dolby SR track of the score.

You mentioned "Pandora's Box" which coincidentally I saw last night. I didn't notice any special motors on the RCA soundheads so I presume it was 24 fps but then again I didn't really give it any thought and forgot to ask. Didn't seem excessively speeded up so perhaps there are converted prints? Strange film with a very meandering plot. Cool to see via carbon arc projection. (Gateway Theater, Chicago)

Posted by Brad Haven (Member # 954) on 08-10-2002, 10:41 PM:

hi steve,
they'll be running "metropolis" silent due to the orchestra in the cinema, the info regarding fps is second hand from a newish projectionist so will need to be confirmed. The orchestra is apparently coming over from the states to tour around australia.
We ran "pandora's box" at 16fps as this new score was written specifically for the australian release and to be in sync with the score we had to run the film at 16fps.

------------------
currently (relief)chief projectionist
at Luna Leederville cinemas
also cheerleader for john wilson (gooOO JOHN!)

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 08-14-2002, 11:33 AM:

Heads up! The restored Metropolis goes from its Film Forum run to an arthouse release in the NYC metro on Friday (8/16).

The Ziegfeld (Manhattan), Quad (Manhattan), Clairidge (Montclair NJ) and Montgomery Cinema (Rocky Hill NJ) are the confirmed theaters so far.

Posted by Brad Haven (Member # 954) on 08-14-2002, 12:02 PM:

Is there only one print going around ?, if so i hope that it's still in good nick for it's australian season.

Posted by John Schulien (Member # 215) on 08-15-2002, 11:44 AM:

I was at the same screening of "Pandora's Box" at the Gateway, and even as I was watching it, I was thinking that it looked like it was being projected too fast -- not insanely fast -- but just a little bit too fast.

I recall reading somewhere that toward the end of the silent era, films were made with increasingly faster frame rates. The problem was that theatres, in order to squeeze in more performances, would instruct the projectionists to run the films faster. The filmmakers would, in turn, increase the frame rates to compensate.

Since this was a late silent (1928), perhaps it was filmed at somewhere around 20-22 fps, which would account for it looking almost right, but just a little bit too fast, at 24fps.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-15-2002, 11:58 AM:

I assume a three-blade shutter is being used for the slower frame rates to minimize shutter flicker?

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-15-2002, 03:19 PM:

What, and spoil the silent movie ambience?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-15-2002, 06:58 PM:

16fps with a two blade shutter is "silent movie headache".

Posted by Fred Georges (Member # 505) on 08-15-2002, 08:16 PM:

Regarding the Gateway in Chicago (Now called the Coppernicus center) is only set up for sound speed & the very early XL's are two bladed. In the silent era the conductor, many times, had a rheostat that controlled the speed of projection. Most of the German silents from the twenties that I have projected with live music were slowed down to 20 fps. You can get away with a 2 bladed shutter at that speed but, IMHO, just barely.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-16-2002, 12:13 AM:

Ah, but were silent-era machines typically equipped with 2 or 3 blade shutters? (2 or 3 blade presuming 1X rotational speed)

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 08-16-2002, 02:20 AM:

Everyone's getting close to agreement that right about 24fps is correct for Metropolis. That print is distributed in the US by Kino www.kino.com
e-mail them or whoever you're getting your print from to find out the speed it should be run at. But outside of other evidence that's been pointing to 24fps - at 26 fps the orchestra can't keep up with the (original) score & picture, & 22 fps & slower it's a floaty turtle of a movie, not an action picture (which it is). The distributor will probably tell you to run it at 24fps, other orchestras have found that to be just right, your artists' sentiments & temperaments may vary.

quote:
16fps with a two blade shutter is "silent movie headache"

There's some information about the variance of silent movie projection speeds at http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/#March1998

Most features after the early Griffiths were much faster than 16fps. The 16fps "reference" is the (very early! they beat Edison to projection!) Lumieres' recommended speed for their projecting Cinematographe, which was slower than the Edison peep-show machines' 48 fps. The Lumiere camera & speed were very influential, but that speed is only appropriate for a sort of average for the "short-subjects" shot with the Lumiere camera & things like the early, post-Biograph Griffiths.

24fps is generally not far off & OK for most late silents.
It's certainly OK for action & comedy subjects, unless they were filmed at more than 24 fps.

There are knock-down, drag-out fights over silent film projection speeds now. But here's the fact, jack: Silent-era projection was hand-cranked or had a rheostat for speed control. In the absence of notes with the film, there would have been standard, "good" practice, as described by F. H. Richardson in 1910 & which stood until locked down at 24 fps for sound:

"The matter of speed is of much importance, but no rule can be laid
down governing it. Speed must be left entirely to the discretion of
the operator, except that with inflammable film forty feet per minute
is as slow as is safe, with ordinary light. Theoretically, the
machine speed should be the same as that of the camera which took the
picture being projected, but in practice this is often far from true.
The camera man grinds out a set speed, supposed to be sixty feet per
minute, though often he varies widely from the mark. The actors act
the scene as seems best to them, but ofttimes when the scene is
projected it is discovered they have misjudged the speed of action
necessary for best effect. Right here is where a really good operator
who closely watches such details becomes of great value, helping out
the scenes amazingly merely by changing speed on different scenes.
Take, as an example, Pathe's "Faker's Dream." If run straight through
at camera speed the film is dull and of comparatively little effect.
Where the actors are moving about their speed is too great and while
on the various amusement devices of the park the speed is altogether
too slow. But by running about a fifty foot speed in the first
instance and close to seventy-five in the other, the film creates much
laughter, but it is necessary to change speed radically many times on
this film. Another example is "A Ride for a Life," by Edison, I
believe. If run at normal speed while the auto ride is on, the "Ride
for a Life" develops into a howling farce, but if speeded up just as
fast as you can run, it is excellent, but as the ride is cut three or
four times in its length by other scenes, you have to slow down for
each of them or the farce would be reversed. As an example the other
way, we all know that the slower the Passion Play is run the more
impressive it is. Forty feet per minute is best for it. The only
rule for speed, except in starting the machine, which should always be
done slowly, is, "Watch your subject and be governed entirely by its
action." Twenty-five minutes is the extreme limit of time for 1,000
feet of film. Fifteen to twenty minutes is ordinary time for most
subjects."

--_Motion Picture Handbook for Managers and Operators", F. H.
Richardson, 1910

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 08-16-2002, 02:46 AM:

quote:
Ah, but were silent-era machines typically equipped with 2 or 3 blade shutters? (2 or 3 blade presuming 1X rotational speed)

Well, typically 2-bladed, but I think I remember reading in "A Million & One Nights" that in the teens the 3 bladed shutter to reduce flicker had been patented & was in use in nicer machines. So if your silent movie ambience was of a show with the best equipment, it would have 3 blades. Of course, for a typical period silent show you'd also need to cut the screen size & illumination down a little from what you've probably got now!

Posted by John Schulien (Member # 215) on 08-16-2002, 12:24 PM:

Thanks, William. I always suspected that it was standard practice during the hand-cranked days for the projectionist to vary the projection speed for dramatic effect, but I'd never seen it actually spelled out like that.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-17-2002, 04:42 PM:

One of the really cool things I always liked about silents is that kind of free-wheeling spirit that goes along with it. Nothing written in stone, so to speak -- guys cranking cameras and guys cranking projectors at whatever speed "looks good" (although I am sure that at the last show of the night there were many a projectionist with arm craps because he cranked as fast as he could to be able to go home sooner).

I've run quite a number of silents with accompaniment by Alloy and BQE Orchestras as well as pianists and organists. Early on I was all concerned about speed and whether the print had been corrected or not and how would they be able to play if they had rehearsed to some video that wasn't the same speed as the print. All of these artists were always so nonchalant about it that I soon learned that they were as flexible as the silents were free of speed standards. "If it goes a bit fast, we'll deal with it," Tom Nazziola, conductor and composer for The BQE Project: said. He added, "Heck, we get prints that have scenes missing or out of sequence -- we just adjust; that's what we do; we are accompaniests."

One of the pianists for an evening of silents walked into the theatre, wanted to look at the stage setup, tried out the piano and said that was fine. I asked if he wanted to see any of the films. No. Seems there wasn't a silent film that he hadn't seen or played for -- he was no spring chicken; he was Mary Pickford's personal pianist. I asked if the light on the piano was OK...he said, "Yes, thanks, but I play in the dark." No rehearsal at all, and the guy hit every beat, changed tempo and mood so seamlessly that it sounded like you were listening to the soundtrack, it was so perfect. Had I asked him if playing these prints at 24fps rather than 16 or 20fps would be a problem for him, most likely he would have probably just smiled.

Frank

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-26-2002, 11:19 AM:

Just saw the Kino print last night at the Brattle. Two thumbs up. This is probably the most "authentic" version of the film that any of us are ever likely to see. The track on the print is an arrangement of an original score and the opening titles do a good job of explaining what was involved with the restoration. This print looks _very_ different from the Moroder (sp?) version that many of us are familiar with and provides, I would argue, a more enjoyable experience to watch.

The screening that I attended (Sunday night, 7:30pm) was almost sold out, too, so anyone running an art house should seriously consider booking this. It's a full-frame Academy print and the lab work is excellent.

Posted by John Schulien (Member # 215) on 08-26-2002, 01:58 PM:

Saw the new print of Metropolis at the Music Box in Chicago last week. I've seen Metropolis a couple of times, and my general impression has been that it's a confused mess of a movie with some nice visuals.

This new print changed that impression. For the first time, the movie appears to flow correctly. The restored footage repairs the fractured plot -- finally everything makes sense. There are intertitles explaining the contents of the missing footage, which really bring the story together. The orchestral soundtrack is really beautiful and subtle.

At the end of the film, the audience burst into applause. That pretty much sums it up. This is the version to see. Unless a significant amount of missing footage is rediscovered, this new release will probably remain the definitive version. Did I mention that I liked this new release?

Posted by Brad Haven (Member # 954) on 09-25-2002, 12:09 PM:

METROPOLIS is screening on thursday night (26th sep) at 8pm at the ASTOR CINEMA in perth, still seats remaining! i haven't seen ANY promotion of this event so just in case any perth film-techers wish to go??
I CANT WAIT!
I forgot to mention THE ORCHESTRA will be supplying the music!

MICHAEL BARRY (or john if your out there?) is sydney having a screening?

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-05-2003, 12:20 AM:

Metropolis is playing for one week only this week at The Crest in Sacramento. www.thecrest.com

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 01-05-2003, 12:37 PM:

There was a return engagement at the Cleveland Cinematheque here yesterday.

It will also play Saturday, January 18, at the CWRU Film Society's 28th Annual Science Fiction Film Marathon here.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-05-2003, 09:58 PM:

We're playing it at the Arisia SF convention in Boston in a couple of weeks as well: http://www.arisia.org/

Kino has a current list of playdates here: http://www.kino.com/metropolis/showtimes.html

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 01-06-2003, 09:05 AM:

Will be showing in Vancouver at the Pacific Cinematheque from February 28 to March 5.

http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/metropolis.html

Posted by Geoffrey Weiss (Member # 882) on 01-06-2003, 10:17 AM:

We had Metropolis in Louisville last month and it was gorgeous--a totally different feel from the Moroder version. Though I liked them both for different reasons.

In Lexington, KY where I live now we have a group trying to restore the theatre's original Wurlizter organ (at one time "the 2nd largest organ south of Chicago" (insert jokes here)). Every Halloween they have a benefit with live organ accompaniment (electronic theatre organ until they restore the "real thing."). Last Halloween was "Phantom of the Opera." Halloween before was "Nosferatu."

The restored score on "Metropolis" is very good. I'm envious of those who get to see it with a live orchestra.