In 1984, disco sensation Giorgio Moroder decided to unleash his version of Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS on to the public. Using color tinting, an original musical score featuring new songs from some of the top artists of the era, and new footage of the film from a recently discovered print, Moroder introduced a classic film to a new generation.
When the film was released, some loved it while others loathed it. Some found it unnecessarily kitschy, yet others immediately took to Moroder's unique approach to the material. The film comes to life from the opening credits onward. Moroder utilizes subtitles instead of intertitles to speed up the pacing, and makes fascinating use of rotoscoping in some of the most pivotal scenes. You could say that Moroder has transformed the film into an extended music video, which would be accurate. It is immensely watchable from start to finish.
Looking back on it now, there is a definite camp factor to the material that cannot be denied. The music dates the film and seems incredibly awkward at times, but it is still a curiosity that is worth watching.
Available from KINO on DVD and Blu-ray.
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