MIT Lecture Series Committee

unrated
145 minutes

view trailer

format: Blu-ray

Metropolis (1927)

LSC is showing the 2010 restoration of this classic film, including 25 minutes of newly recovered footage!

Fritz Lang's Expressionistic masterpiece continues to exert its influence today, from Chaplin's Modern Times to Dr. Strangelove, and into the late 1990s with Dark City. In the stratified society of the future, the son of a capitalist discovers the atrocious conditions of the factory slaves, falling in love with the charismatic Maria in the bargain, who preaches nonviolence to the workers. But even the benevolent leadership of Maria is a challenge to the privileged class, so they have the mad scientist Rotwang concoct a robot double to take her place and incite the workers to riot. [www.amazon.com]

To see the film as the director intended, on the big screen with an original score recorded by a 60-piece orchestra, greatly enhances the reputation of a film already considered one of the icons of the silent era.
      -- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times. Read this review.