Metropolis
Watched this restored version on Film 4 last night.
What can i say, this is an utter masterpiece.
So far ahead of it's time, i think i've watched this about 3 or 4 times over the years and it's always impressive. Being silent and a youngster at the time ,the first time i watched it was while listening to Portishead on some headphones and although somewhat sacrilegious this is my abiding memory of it, i was also stoned at the time.
( an interesting experience)
Last night i watched the restored version, and at first i found the re-inserted scenes a bit distracting,being lined and ragged. But after a while my brain adjusted and i could see that the extra scenes really added a lot to the film.
Loved it, i haven't seen it for maybe 10 years and revisiting it i was struck by how prophetic it all was, also the montage scenes are brilliant and it has many dark (and strangely sexual)aspects to it, loved the female/robot woman and the way she was so innocent one moment,the next a creepy disjointed harlot (the whore of Babylon even)
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Watching again it also struck me how quickly some scenes played out, with the hero bloke running about all over the shop and the final fight on the roof top.
Seems bizarre when you compare the momentum of these scenes with the stiffness of something like the Universal Dracula that came later.
Everyone should see this film and if they are not impressed should be given a swift slap.
10/10