Metropolis (7/10)
I suppose like many people, I knew Metropolis less as a movie than as the source of some iconic images, so it was interesting to see the whole film, even if it was the hour-and-a-half international release version which was crudely cobbled together from Lang's original cut.
Metropolis was first released in 1927 and depicts a futuristic city in which armies of oppressed workers slave in huge underground power plants to support the easy lifestyle of the surface dwellers. The owner of the power plant incites revolt among his own workers to provide a pretext for further repression. He does this with the help of a crazed inventor and his robot-woman creation (played by Brigitte Helm).
Silent films were never silent, and this showing featured an original score performed live by Bristol band Angel Tech. This versatile three- piece filled the small Arnolfini stage with keyboards and electronics but also used guitar, bass and drums to provide an accompaniment reminiscent of Orbital, Pink Floyd and Nine Inch Nails. The music properly treated the film as a serious piece telling a serious story, and never sought to trivialise the film as a quaint relic.
It is impossible now to see the film as its original audience did, regardless of which version is available. The political ideas in the film now seem hopelessly naive and what prompted audiences to gasp in amazement seventy years ago now often seems tacky and wildly unconvincing, but there is plenty of cinematic invention to enjoy and some of the power of the film remains - the depiction of the mechanical underworld in particular is still very impressive.
--
Gary Jones
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