Kino has announced that their restored version of Giorgio Moroder’s restored version of Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS will do a 20-city theater tour this fall ahead of its November 15th dvd-blu ray release.
Film restoration has now gone meta. It was just a matter of time, I suppose.
In 1984, Academy Award winning composer and famed music producer Giorgio Moroder released a very unique and controversial version of Fritz Lang’s 1926 silent science-fiction classic film METROPOLIS.
Upon release, it met with harsh criticism from film purists. The main complaints were the use of contemporary pop artists like Billy Squier, Queen and Loverboy to replace the original score; and the colorization of the film. Many saw the effort as an attempt to turn an important piece of design and film history into an MTV-style, long-form music video.
Truth be told, they were right.
The very first time I ever saw Metropolis, it was the Moroder version. As maligned as it was, this was my introduction to the film, and my introduction to silent movies in general as it was the first one I had ever seen beginning to end. Moroder’s Metropolis ignited a spark in me to see every silent movie I could possibly get my eyes in front of. As a child of the 80′s, it was pretty tough to see all the movies you wanted; VHS was still relatively new, and there was no Netflix or bitTorrent at your avail to help with hard-to-find titles.
Metropolis was a bitch hard movie to see!
Back in 1981, Moroder began a painstaking and thorough restoration of the film. In the 55 years since its original 1926 release, Metropolis had been shortened and re-edited so many times that the only versions available had very little resemblance to Fritz Lang’s original vision. Moroder attempted to restore Lang’s original storyline, cobbling together as much footage from as many different versions he could find. The result of his efforts yielded what was at the time the most complete version of Metropolis since the film’s premiere. That is something all film buffs should be thankful for.
But Moroder didn’t stop there. He took the extra (and controversial) step of colorizing the film and adding new special effects. In the mid 80′s, colorization was a very bad word. Media mogul Ted Turner, creator of CNN and TBS, colorized dozens of classic black and white films to show on his cable networks. Film purists (including myself) were outraged that some gazillionaire had the gall to change the very way in which these great movies were presented. However, in Turner’s defense, he did complete restorations of these films before going at them with his “crayons.” The restoration effort ultimately ensured that the films would survive and be available for generations to come. Ironically, they are now seen in HD, fully restored, in their original colors and aspect ratios on Turner Classic Movies. Heh.
Also in Turner’s defense, I would not have seen films like THE MALTESE FALCON, CAPTAIN BLOOD, HIGH NOON or HOLIDAY INN when I did if not for their colorized versions. And those are some of my favorite movies. Turner brought classic cinema to mulleted, New Coke drinking teenagers like myself and inspired us to seek out and value the original versions. The same can be said about Moroder’s Metropolis. I would not have seen it when I did, were it not for his version.
The argument could be made that none of us would have seen any major restoration of this film were it not for Moroder. It was this version that inspired film historian and preservationist Enno Patalas to embark on his quest to restore the film (like, for real) a couple of years later. Patalas’ efforts led to the discovery of the original script and score for Metropolis, from which the most recent, complete, 2010 restoration was made possible. For that matter, we may not have Patalas’ restoration of BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN either had not Moroder’s Metropolis so spurred him into action. He may have feared Moroder would put Night Ranger on the Odessa Steps or something.
Speaking of Night Ranger, another thing that drove the film purists bonkers was the soundtrack. Moroder enlisted some of the biggest pop stars of the day to provide songs for the film. Although there was no Night Ranger, artists like Queen, Adam Ant, Billy Squier, Pat Benatar and Bonnie Tyler made Metropolis seem more like some kind of funky musical than a piece of classic cinema. But Moroder was not creating a funky musical, nor was he attempting to bring classic cinema in its purest form. Moroder was on to something different. He was re-interpreting Metropolis for the tastes of the day. Taking the same imagery, emotions and themes, and re-purposing them for a contemporary audience. Proletarian classicism was OUT, Proletarian rock and roll was IN. Though he might not have known it at the time, Moroder was inventing the remix.
Moroder was hardly the first to re-purpose things for contemporary audiences. Andy Warhol made a career of it through pop-art. Today, thousands of DJ’s are doing the musical version of pop-art through remixes and mashups. They are taking what is old and reinterpreting it through the prism of what is new. Taking what is classic and clashing it with the contemporary. But it is never meant to replace the original. It’s finding new ways to appreciate, or have fun with it. It’s confirming the greatness of the original material and creating new access to it for contemporary tastes. The remix is the gateway drug for the great stuff of the past.
How many times on the dance floor do you see people stop and ask “What was that song?” Then someone says “Billie Holiday… remixed” and within minutes Billie Holiday’s music is downloaded to their phones and a great new musical mother lode is discovered.
These DJ’s don’t remix bad songs. They only do the great ones. Songs they love. This is exactly what Giorgio Moroder did with Metropolis. He confirmed the film’s greatness. He loved that movie. And if you just think about it that way, it becomes easier to swallow. Heck, it almost becomes art.
Moroder’s Metropolis was the cinematic remix that became my gateway drug to great cinema. It is an addiction that I have yet to shake. It is a part of me.
For that, I am grateful.
The original Hollywood Reporter announcement is here.
Here’s the original 1984 trailer.
Bonus:
The Giorgio Moroder produced, original 17 minute version of Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You baby.”
Why? Becasue I can, and this track simply rocks. So just shut up and let it play.
In Defense of Giorgio Moroder’s METROPOLIS
by John D. Estes on August 25, 2011
Kino has announced that their restored version of Giorgio Moroder’s restored version of Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS will do a 20-city theater tour this fall ahead of its November 15th dvd-blu ray release.
Film restoration has now gone meta. It was just a matter of time, I suppose.
In 1984, Academy Award winning composer and famed music producer Giorgio Moroder released a very unique and controversial version of Fritz Lang’s 1926 silent science-fiction classic film METROPOLIS.
Upon release, it met with harsh criticism from film purists. The main complaints were the use of contemporary pop artists like Billy Squier, Queen and Loverboy to replace the original score; and the colorization of the film. Many saw the effort as an attempt to turn an important piece of design and film history into an MTV-style, long-form music video.
Truth be told, they were right.
The very first time I ever saw Metropolis, it was the Moroder version. As maligned as it was, this was my introduction to the film, and my introduction to silent movies in general as it was the first one I had ever seen beginning to end. Moroder’s Metropolis ignited a spark in me to see every silent movie I could possibly get my eyes in front of. As a child of the 80′s, it was pretty tough to see all the movies you wanted; VHS was still relatively new, and there was no Netflix or bitTorrent at your avail to help with hard-to-find titles.
Metropolis was a bitch hard movie to see!
Back in 1981, Moroder began a painstaking and thorough restoration of the film. In the 55 years since its original 1926 release, Metropolis had been shortened and re-edited so many times that the only versions available had very little resemblance to Fritz Lang’s original vision. Moroder attempted to restore Lang’s original storyline, cobbling together as much footage from as many different versions he could find. The result of his efforts yielded what was at the time the most complete version of Metropolis since the film’s premiere. That is something all film buffs should be thankful for.
But Moroder didn’t stop there. He took the extra (and controversial) step of colorizing the film and adding new special effects. In the mid 80′s, colorization was a very bad word. Media mogul Ted Turner, creator of CNN and TBS, colorized dozens of classic black and white films to show on his cable networks. Film purists (including myself) were outraged that some gazillionaire had the gall to change the very way in which these great movies were presented. However, in Turner’s defense, he did complete restorations of these films before going at them with his “crayons.” The restoration effort ultimately ensured that the films would survive and be available for generations to come. Ironically, they are now seen in HD, fully restored, in their original colors and aspect ratios on Turner Classic Movies. Heh.
Also in Turner’s defense, I would not have seen films like THE MALTESE FALCON, CAPTAIN BLOOD, HIGH NOON or HOLIDAY INN when I did if not for their colorized versions. And those are some of my favorite movies. Turner brought classic cinema to mulleted, New Coke drinking teenagers like myself and inspired us to seek out and value the original versions. The same can be said about Moroder’s Metropolis. I would not have seen it when I did, were it not for his version.
The argument could be made that none of us would have seen any major restoration of this film were it not for Moroder. It was this version that inspired film historian and preservationist Enno Patalas to embark on his quest to restore the film (like, for real) a couple of years later. Patalas’ efforts led to the discovery of the original script and score for Metropolis, from which the most recent, complete, 2010 restoration was made possible. For that matter, we may not have Patalas’ restoration of BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN either had not Moroder’s Metropolis so spurred him into action. He may have feared Moroder would put Night Ranger on the Odessa Steps or something.
Speaking of Night Ranger, another thing that drove the film purists bonkers was the soundtrack. Moroder enlisted some of the biggest pop stars of the day to provide songs for the film. Although there was no Night Ranger, artists like Queen, Adam Ant, Billy Squier, Pat Benatar and Bonnie Tyler made Metropolis seem more like some kind of funky musical than a piece of classic cinema. But Moroder was not creating a funky musical, nor was he attempting to bring classic cinema in its purest form. Moroder was on to something different. He was re-interpreting Metropolis for the tastes of the day. Taking the same imagery, emotions and themes, and re-purposing them for a contemporary audience. Proletarian classicism was OUT, Proletarian rock and roll was IN. Though he might not have known it at the time, Moroder was inventing the remix.
Moroder was hardly the first to re-purpose things for contemporary audiences. Andy Warhol made a career of it through pop-art. Today, thousands of DJ’s are doing the musical version of pop-art through remixes and mashups. They are taking what is old and reinterpreting it through the prism of what is new. Taking what is classic and clashing it with the contemporary. But it is never meant to replace the original. It’s finding new ways to appreciate, or have fun with it. It’s confirming the greatness of the original material and creating new access to it for contemporary tastes. The remix is the gateway drug for the great stuff of the past.
How many times on the dance floor do you see people stop and ask “What was that song?” Then someone says “Billie Holiday… remixed” and within minutes Billie Holiday’s music is downloaded to their phones and a great new musical mother lode is discovered.
These DJ’s don’t remix bad songs. They only do the great ones. Songs they love. This is exactly what Giorgio Moroder did with Metropolis. He confirmed the film’s greatness. He loved that movie. And if you just think about it that way, it becomes easier to swallow. Heck, it almost becomes art.
Moroder’s Metropolis was the cinematic remix that became my gateway drug to great cinema. It is an addiction that I have yet to shake. It is a part of me.
For that, I am grateful.
The original Hollywood Reporter announcement is here.
Here’s the original 1984 trailer.
Bonus:
The Giorgio Moroder produced, original 17 minute version of Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You baby.”
Why? Becasue I can, and this track simply rocks. So just shut up and let it play.
Tagged as: Film, Fritz Lang, Metropolis, Sci-Fi, Silent Films, Trailers