Spectra Magazine - Issue 5 by Paul Andrews

Author:Paul Andrews
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sci-fi, fantasy, horror, fiction
ISBN: 9781849893176
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited
Published: 2011-02-08T00:00:00+00:00

REVIEWS

THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS

MEDIUM: BLU-RAY

GENRE: SCI-FI

DIRECTOR: FRITZ LANG

WRITER: THEA VON HARBOU

STARRING: BRIGITTE HELM

ALFRED ABEL

GUSTAV FRÖHLICH

IN A DIFFERENT CLASS

Originally released in 1927, Metropolis is celebrated as the origins of the sci-fi movie, and still delivers on the social messages this genre is able to provide better than any other. But it’s a production that’s been fraught with difficulty and diversity from the first time it was taken to the big screen, and this newly restored Blu-ray edition promises to offer the most complete version of the epic vision ever released.

The story revolves around a strong, biting theme of social class, which suffered as a result of the savage editing the film was originally subjected to. Over the years, different versions have been put out, as different regions around the world

saw their own edits of the epic, silent movie. Recently, we’re told in the fascinating - though sometimes long winded - commentary, the most complete version of Metropolis was discovered in Argentina, and it’s from this cut that over 25 minutes of footage has been restored.

The bulk of the 1080P high-def restoration is eye-wateringly beautiful. Considering this is a film that’s over 80-years old, it’s a miracle that so much detail has been gleamed from the archaic film, but the pristine content from the original release could have been filmed yesterday. The grandeur of the city and its workers, and the quality of the special effects born during the dawn of cinema are quite literally breathtaking.

But in many respects, this HD edition hasn’t been made for the mainstream. It’s a vitally important construction, without question, but it’s been made for historic posterity. For the benefit of the film world, and although the sci-fi hardcore will delight in seeing the movie that even Lang himself never got the opportunity to watch, the reconstruction has taken its toll.

The new footage is nowhere near the quality of the carefully archived film. This is no one’s fault, and the team behind the Complete Metropolis has clearly done everything possible to bring the full vision to the screen. The new material is often presented in a different aspect ratio, and is of much lower quality than the rest of the film. Presumably the Argentinian reels have simply degraded over the long decades, and a lot has been done to clear them up where possible, but some audiences might wince at the course changes in quality as the film plays.

At times, the new footage was too degraded to even be used, and new text boards are added alongside the English subtitle boards (no German version here, by the way) to keep the extended story flowing where the film falls apart.

The grandiose musical score by Gottfried Huppert - which is more important than ever, in a silent movie - has also been fully renovated, and with considerably more consistent success. The original score is included, and a full rerecording based on the original score with a beautiful quality audio that really brings the vision to life.

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