I never would’ve seen this it wasn’t for CineFix and the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list. I even find it better than Star Wars. And even better than Sunrise and Napoleon IMO.
100% agreed. I think more reactors should do this. After all, most reaction channels claim to do their channel because they are into movies. And if you are into movies, you should watch at least some of the classics and milestones at some point. Same goes to foreign films too. There is so much more to discover in cinema than - to over-simplify - just the MCU and Star Wars. It's like if you claim you love food, and than just order burgers and pizza day in day out. Burgers and pizza can be great, no doubt, but there is so much more out there you would miss out on.
The Art-Style is called "German Expressionism" - another great movie by Fritz Lang to check out would be "M" (which is labelled as a mystery-suspense-thriller) - also a classic from this period would be "Nosferatu" by F.W. Murnau (basically a Dracula-movie) - regarding the latter, there is a movie called "Shadow of the Vampire" (starring Willem Dafoe) a fictional take on the making of Nosferatu
We're on the same page! Normally, I scroll down to check I'm not just repeating what someone else said, but this time, excited at a reaction to a classic silent movie, I just jumped in with the same comment as you: check out Nosferatu, with the fun follow up of "Shadow...".
You watching films like this is the reason I subscribed to your channel. I love your open minded excitement for these movies and it’s a joy to take this journey with you.
1927 was an amazing year for films!! We had Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans, Wings (first Best Picture winner), Napoleon and The Jazz Singer (first film with spoken dialogue).
Sunrise is such a masterpiece! Truly one of the most beautiful films ever made, along with Le Passion de Jeanne d'Arc. Silent film really reached an artistic peak in the late twenties. Much as I like sound films, I feel like a lot of the visual artistry was lost in the scramble for the new technology. I still need to see Wings and Napoleon.
@@melanie62954 I could also suggest The Crowd (1928), La Roue (1923), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Greed (1924), City Lights (1931), Thief Of Baghdad (1924). I could suggest DW Griffith’s films including Birth Of A Nation (1915) for its techniques if you don’t mind the racism. Intolerance (1916), Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920) are great films from him as well. He founded United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in 1919. There’s a documentary about him called DW Griffith: The Father Of Film.
@@melanie62954 especially Cabinet Of Dr Caligari, Intolerance, Birth Of A Nation, La Roue, The Crowd, A Trip To The Moon. I’d also recommend City Lights as it’s my favourite silent movie.
An amazing movie,glad to see you appreciate it.All of Fritz Lang's early German movies are worth checking out,especially his sound movies, "M" and The Testament of Dr Mabuse.
And Fritz Lang's Destiny (in German "Der müde Tod", "The Weary / Tired Death"), a fairy tale pioneering special effects, some of which were invented for that film (and cited ever after). It is said to have been Alfred Hitchcock's favorite silent film.
So glad you watched one of my favs. Loved your interpretation too. The care and thought that went into every frame is amazing in this film. Not to mention, it’s still as relevant today, as it was then. We are still sacrificing our own to the beast (technology without heart) that will destroy us if it remains unchecked. Much love to all 🖖
One of my absolute favorites! So glad you got to see the most complete version. I remember freaking out when they made the announcement that the missing footage had been found. I lived in NYC at the time, and my now-wife and I made a trip to the Film Forum to see the updated version in a theater. Was an almost religious experience.
The mad scientist in this movie had a single leather glove on one hand. There is some speculation that this was the inspiration for the single leather glove worn by Dr. Strangelove.
Things to Come (1936) written by H. G. Wells, and starring Raymond Massey, is a notable, early sci-fi movie that’s an interesting watch. Love the older stuff…
This is another landmark Science Fiction film for you to react to. Try to find the longest version of the film as possible here on RUclips, as the US version of the film was butchered by the censors for having a Socialist theme, along with showing how far behind America was in technological advances and public infrastructure.
The production of this film was truly monumental, they shot something like 350 hours of film, thats 600 kilometer of film tape! They had to build an entire new giant hall in only a couple months (still standing!) and used almost 27000 starving children and unemployed workers as extras. Took 310 days to shoot and cost 5 million Reichsmark or 1.1 million USD in 1927, thats 19 million USD in 2024. The grandfather of all and any sci-fi
Just to let you know (I'm not a habitual commenter) your willingness to look at all shades of film including stuff like this is why I rate your reaction channel so highly.
I saw the restored 2008 edition when it first came out in theaters. It's an impressive film for 1927 but I think you do a way better job of latching on to all the texture and symbolism than I did! You see this reflected in so many things that came after, including but absolutely not limited to 1984, THX 1138, The Matrix, Thom Yorke's ANIMA, etc. The 1902 Georges Méliès film _La Voyage Dans La Lune_ was restored and set to a great soundtrack by the french electronic duo AIR in 2011, it's not feature length but well worth a watch, speaking of early sci-fi! Then Scorcese made the 2013 film _Hugo_ about Méliès.
The director of Akira made a remake of this film as an anime under the same name. (That remake also inspired Blade Runner 2049, the ending shot of 2049 is an exact 1:1 copy of one of the scenes in the remake for Metropolis.)
Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen a RUclips reaction to Metropolis - good for you dude! You really need to react to some of Fritz Lang's other films...he was an amazing director!
This is a masterpiece of filmmaking. At the risk of sounding pretentious, it is the type of film studied by film students, revered by artists and the true cinephile. Don't be upset if not many people tune in.
The animated film Metropolis 2001 is worth checking out, its based on a manga from 1949 that was inspired by this Metropolis (1927). The manga shares no plot elements from 1927 but the 2001 animated film does and references some scenes.
I love that you choose to react to this. I've always appreciated your adventurous taste in films and I'm glad to see another side of that here. The Passion of Joan of Arc WHEN bro??
I remember first seeing Metropolis after picking up a copy at the Sci-Fi museum in Seattle and it blew me away. It's amazing to see the primordial form of so much that would end up in later films, from the sci-fi city architecture, C-3PO looking robots, Rottwang's evil hand, even the soundtrack. I liked how you pointed out the dichotomy between Joh and Rottwang, one copes with a tragic loss by shutting off their feelings and the other engage in an excess of emotion. It'd be interesting to see how a modern version would handle those sorts of things. Fritz Lang was definitely a visionary director. His first sound film "M" is amazing as well, especially for how little sound he decides to actually include.
As you pointed out, James, the production design is a minor miracle, taking full advantage of the Art Deco sensibility of the time. I loved your enthusiasm for this film. Great analysis!
It makes you wonder how many films from this period have been lost forever. Lots of parts of this film were used in the official music video of Queen's Radio Ga Ga.
I'm so glad you are watching this. This is a prewatch comment just because i wanted to tell you that I did a film study of this in college. It's one of my favorite films ever made. I will be commenting again once I watch your video 😂
Oooooh!!!! You are gonna LOVE this movie. It influenced everything from Star Wars to Blade Runner. For years, about 40 minutes we’re missing until they were discovered in Argentina in 2008. Reportedly, there are still several scenes yet to be found.
You wisely noticed the lighting and shadowing. The Italian artists have a term for this effect - it's called "Chiaroscuro". It is a formidable form of expression and lends atmosphere to paintings, film and even scenery outside. It is particularly effective in the Art Deco style which this movie is made.
I was so excited to see you’d reacted to this film. 😊 I live in St. Louis and I sometimes like to take whole days and go on “urban odysseys” that consist of no plans, lots of walking, getting on and off the Metrolink at random spots and just seeing where the day takes me. On one of these special days, I wandered past an old theater and decided I’d go in and watch whatever movie was playing next because I was tired from walking. This was the movie. It was so fantastic, and I was so grateful that the day had taken me to it. Thanks for reacting to such a great variety of films. ❤
Terry Gilliam definitely takes a lot of cues from German expressionism. Another filmmaker that does it even more overtly is Tim Burton. His Gotham city in Batman is Metropolis, down to the cathedral. PS You can see German expressionism in manga and anime as well.
Finally! A reactor I follow has reacted to my favourite film of all time ❤ The impact this film had on me on first viewing I can’t put into words how. Starting with the colourised version with the modern soundtrack and then discovering different restoration versions, it’s a travesty that this masterpiece will never be seen in its original form. I love this film so much so thank you so much for doing this reaction. I’m sure comments will have mentioned that Hel was the inspiration for C3-PO from Star Wars. The central building was copied directly into Blade Runner as the police headquarters. The city model sequences again were hugely influential in the city scape of Blade Runner. The crazy amount of effect shots, the huge amount of extra’s cast, the accidental flooding of the set during the flooding of the workers town plus other production problems, saw the cost of this film soar to a million dollars. A huge amount for the time and it crippled the industry in Germany. There’s a lot in the making of this film and definitely worth reading up on.
Anyone who has ever worked in a factory knows and understands the hell it is. It's repetitive death. It sucks the life out of you knowing that as soon as you leave, totally exhausted you have to return 12 hours later to repeat the whole process over again. I've worked in a few factories in my day, and this film perfectly captures the misery it is.
this is one of my favorite movies of all time!!! I had the opportunity to see the restored “complete” cut on the big screen in a historic theatre (i even found a picture of the original ticket from where it was shown there in 1927!) and it was one of my favorite moviewatching experiences ever. so much heart and such incredible leaps and bounds in visual effects techniques and its my go-to to show people who are a little iffy about watching silent films
The first time I saw this, it was a version with modern rock music instead of the original soundtrack. It included Pat Benatar and other legends. It was so cool!
LOVE that you did this. As you rightly spotted, this still resonates hard today. From Kubrick to Ridley Scott to James Cameron. Although Philip K Dick had written the core of Blade Runner 20 years previously, Scott merged it brilliantly with threads and ideas from Metropolis. And Terminator, RoboCop? Both owe their lineage to Brigitte Helm's brilliant performance as Maria. Also important to note how pivotal both Metropolis and Fritz Lang were. The movie comes after s bunch of German expressionist classics like Nosferatu and Dr Caligari (all those shadows and angles), and Fritz Lang himself went onto be a pioneer of noir (with his Mabuse trilogy amongst others) which is also reflected in subsequent cinema (Godard's Alphaville, Bladerunner again). And of course it also continued to revolutionise production design, in camera trickery (from miniatures to mirrors) and FX. So yes this film deserves all the praise it gets.
Thinking about it, alongside Buster Keaton's stunt work from the time, almost all cinema has evolved from a combination of the two. Maybe add a bit of Japanese Noh theatre and you get the rest of the action genres. 🤔😉
An influential Sci Fi Epic! They rereleased the movie in 1984 with a kicking soundtrack by Freddy Mercury, Pat Benatar, Cycle V, Bonnie Tyler, Jon Anderson, Adam Ant, Loverboy, Billy Squier, and Giorgio Moroder. There's a lot of versions of this movie: 155 minutes (Original Cut) 116 minutes (1927 edit) 107 minutes (1927 US) 128 minutes (1927 UK) 118 minutes (August 1927) 91 minutes (1936) 83 minutes (1984) 124 minutes (2001) 148 minutes (2010 cut)
That 80s version is a mess in my view. About half is still missing and the crass soundtrack does it no favours. I grew up with that version and it nearly put me off revisiting the later restorations.
Another great older german silent film from this same time is called 'Nosferatu' (1922). I'm always amazed by the shadow work and the lighting in these older black and white movies.
I'm so glad you got into this classic Sci-Fi film - you should try Battleship Potemkin - it's hard hitting ans influential on so many films that followed it.
Back in 1989, I was stationed in England and got to see the Metropolis: The Musical based upon this movie. The set was elaborate and huge. The music can be found here on RUclips.
It’s Very nice you are reacting to Silent Movies I recommend you to Watch : The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Nosferatu (1922), The kid (1921), The Gold Rush(1925) and The Passion of Joan of Arc
Director Fritz Lang's best films are all about societal divisions and how an evil element can arise within that disparity. In Metropils it's done on a very grand scale, but Lang also creates that same schism in M (1931) or my favorite SCARLET STREET (1945) and also the excellent THE BIG HEAT (1953), all of which you should definitely check out. Great reaction!
@@robertjewell9727 I only watch metropolis and dr mabuse so far....oh wait, also ring of niebelungen, but the dragon not ageing well and looks like toy nowadays 😅
Absolutely fantastic reaction, always interesting to hear your take on films such as this! And very strong start in regards to silent cinema on this channel as well.
Hi James. There is a 2001 anime film of the same name (based on a 1949 manga by one of the godfathers of the medium, Osamu Tezuka of Astro Boy fame) that draws heavily on this film and has its own very storied history (the manga was based very loosely only on the still frame of the robot being awakened having never actually seen the film itself, while the 2001 film adaptation incorporates a lot more of the actual plot and themes from Lang's original) that would be an interesting companion watch.
It amazes me every time I watch this at how self aware everyone involved in this film were. They had a good understanding of film despite it literally being in it's infancy. The way they were able to move from theater to movie production and do it so well, just blows me away.
Absolutely LOVE that you're willing to give some older movies a chances! There are some incredible silent movies out there that are even to this day genuinely great. (I also recommend Haxan if you want a very VERY weird silent horror film. It's one of my favourites)
Now you're in this old earth movies, please deep dive into Nosferatu (1922), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari(1920) and Häxan (1922), production value are on a different level.
Every couple of years, the AFI Silver in Silver Spring, Maryland shows the "complete" version with live music accompaniment. I've been twice, and it's fantastic.
This is one of the best movies ever made. I think they’ve found even more lost footage since the Criterion version was released. There is a beautifully restored and colored version of the brothel scene on RUclips that is a must see.
Glad you watched this early masterpiece. Also, lets not forget that less than 25 years prior to this movie cities were lit by gas, petrol or candle, the streets were filled with people walking and horse-drawn carriages and if you wanted to be entertained you went to see a live performance or read a book. The technological advancements people experienced back then was stunning.
_Metropolis_ is a truly seminal motion picture. Ahead of its time and hugely influential on a lot of Sci-Fi to follow. Slowly exploring the Silent Era has been a treat. If you haven't already watchen them, I'd also recommend: - Intolerance (D.W.Griffith) from 1916 - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene) from 1920 - The Golem: How He Came into the World (Paul Wegener) from 1920 - Destiny (Fritz Lang) from 1921 - Nosferatu (F.W.Murnau) from 1922 - Die Niebelungen (Fritz Lang) from 1924 - Battleship Potemkin (Sergej Eisenstein) from 1925 - Napoleon (Abel Gance) from 1927 - Woman in the Moon (Fritz Lang) from 1929
One of the most beautiful films ever made and one the most influential especially with science fiction. Fun fact about this movie is that if you were to watch Blade Runner and this side to side they’re almost identical. (I believe they are similar but it’s either this one or Blade Runner 2049 I can’t remember which. Maybe some one in the comments can help explain.) if you looking for a good drama after going through your list of Science Fiction, I highly recommend The Trial directed by Orson Welles.
You should check out Speedy... a 1928 silent film by Harold Lloyd. It was filmed on the streets of New York City and Coney Island. Its wild to how NYC looked back then and all of the old dangerous rides.
Awesome. Love seeing reactions to the older movies. So many good ones out there waiting to be rediscovered.. They're not old if you're seeing them for the first time.
I apparently need to rewatch this, I remembered so little. This might be my favorite reaction from you still though, really highlights what makes you unique among the reaction community.
OMG! I can't beleive there is a reaction, by a film-maker to this! This haunted my early tweens, but totally prepared the young me for 2001, Bladerunner. Apocalypse etc.
Consider this: the masters of B&W film making always had one extra character to direct which color directors do not....shadow. Every shadow in every frame had to be carefully managed as though it were another player. Indeed it is.
I'm so glad you watched this! It's one of my favorite movies. Amazing to think that this was made when my grandparents were young children. Your comparison of the city to Asimov's The Caves of Steel was also interesting - I hadn't really connected them before, but there is definitely a similarity (although obviously Asimov has a far more positive take on technology, and particularly robots). Fritz Lang made some truly great films in the silent and early sound era. I can't imagine it would get a lot of clicks as a reaction, but his movie Dr. Mabuse the Gambler and, especially, its sequel The Testament of Dr. Mabuse are both great and worth checking out at some point if you liked this.
This is the only silent film in my collection, the production design and special effects for its time are amazing also influencing modern films like Star Wars and Bladerunner.
A big help in restoring the film was that they found the original music score and could put the lost sequences in order. I was able to see the restored version at a theatre, an amazing experience. I have the DVD and watch it once or twice a year. I like your comparison to Brazil, interesting thought.
Just as interesting as the film are the behind the scenes horror stories. The robot suit was terribly uncomfortable and Brigitte Helm couldn't breathe in it and got cuts and bruises from wearing it, and her dress apparently actually caught fire while they were burning the fake Maria at the stake. The flooding scenes also took a long time to actually complete and the actors would spend hours and hours standing in water that Fritz Lang demanded be kept at a low temperature. Dude was a madman
I own a DVD with the remastered version of "Metropolis" from - I think - 2000/2001 by Alpha-Omega digital GmbH commissioned by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung. They worked with digital restoration, removed defects, pin sharpened it and created a new 35 mm negative of the film. Then they added a new score by Bernd Schultheis, performed live by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. The quality is so phenomenal as if the movie was made today. 🙂
Metropolis is one of my favorite movies, one of just a couple movies that I've purchased multiple versions of. Brigitte Helm does a brilliant job switching between Maria and Robot Maria. And the special effects were ground-breaking; it's absolutely worth checking out how they did some of those in-camera effects! Thanks so much for reacting to this masterpiece!
Fantastic to see someone reacting to this landmark piece of filmmaking; a truly groundbreaking moment, not just for sci-fi, but cinema in general. Other films from the same period you should check out are Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari; along with Fritz Lang’s M to name but three. I actually got to see Metropolis at a special screening in the early 2000s; the film was accompanied by a live performance of the soundtrack & it was incredible.
Thank you for doing this. At some point you must watch the anime "Metropolis" from 2001. I do not wish to spoil it only to say that it is not a remake but more a "reply". And that in my view the two films are not complete without each other. Also if you are ever looking for any other vintage films to watch that someday you should watch "Lost Horizon" (1937) another film that was almost completely lost and then reconstructed. It's one of my favorite films of all time. Cheers.
Fritz Lang's movies are amazing. "M" has been mentioned here, it's one of the first serial killers in cinema. "The Testament of Dr. Mabuse" is great and is quite prophetic, I won't explain how. His first American movie "Fury" is amazing and the 1953 "The Big Heat" is insane.
It might take more 3½ minutes before you run the film but it is worth while waiting,, yr skill warmth and enthusiasm,, yr passion, is a joy to experience 🎉 thank you 😊😊😊
Speaking only for myself, I love when reactors give older movies a chance
Agreed
I never would’ve seen this it wasn’t for CineFix and the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list. I even find it better than Star Wars. And even better than Sunrise and Napoleon IMO.
I agree
I hope he does Passion of Joan of Arc. I consider it my personal favorite silent movie.
100% agreed. I think more reactors should do this. After all, most reaction channels claim to do their channel because they are into movies. And if you are into movies, you should watch at least some of the classics and milestones at some point. Same goes to foreign films too.
There is so much more to discover in cinema than - to over-simplify - just the MCU and Star Wars. It's like if you claim you love food, and than just order burgers and pizza day in day out. Burgers and pizza can be great, no doubt, but there is so much more out there you would miss out on.
The miniatures work is still amazing almost 100 years later.
It’s incredible. Totally see Blade Runner being inspired by this at least from the miniature work standpoint.
The Art-Style is called "German Expressionism"
- another great movie by Fritz Lang to check out would be "M" (which is labelled as a mystery-suspense-thriller)
- also a classic from this period would be "Nosferatu" by F.W. Murnau (basically a Dracula-movie)
- regarding the latter, there is a movie called "Shadow of the Vampire" (starring Willem Dafoe) a fictional take on the making of Nosferatu
We're on the same page! Normally, I scroll down to check I'm not just repeating what someone else said, but this time, excited at a reaction to a classic silent movie, I just jumped in with the same comment as you: check out Nosferatu, with the fun follow up of "Shadow...".
James has already viewed M (until today his earliest film) but not yet done Shadow of the Vampire or Nosferatu (either version, Murnau's or Herzog's).
@@brettcoster4781 oh - i must have missed that - thank you :)
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920) also deserves a mention - perhaps *the* quintessential German exressionist film.
the pinnacle of german expressionist silent cinema in terms of visuals is Faust, also by Murnau
One of the biggest influences on sci fi films, tv, and literature.
Felt it!
Killing it with the movie selection as usual dude
Appreciate ya for peeping this one. People skip out on gems like these
You watching films like this is the reason I subscribed to your channel. I love your open minded excitement for these movies and it’s a joy to take this journey with you.
This is awesome, exactly the vibe of this channel. Happy you have this up here!
1927 was an amazing year for films!! We had Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans, Wings (first Best Picture winner), Napoleon and The Jazz Singer (first film with spoken dialogue).
Sunrise is such a masterpiece! Truly one of the most beautiful films ever made, along with Le Passion de Jeanne d'Arc. Silent film really reached an artistic peak in the late twenties. Much as I like sound films, I feel like a lot of the visual artistry was lost in the scramble for the new technology. I still need to see Wings and Napoleon.
@@melanie62954 I could also suggest The Crowd (1928), La Roue (1923), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Greed (1924), City Lights (1931), Thief Of Baghdad (1924).
I could suggest DW Griffith’s films including Birth Of A Nation (1915) for its techniques if you don’t mind the racism. Intolerance (1916), Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920) are great films from him as well. He founded United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in 1919. There’s a documentary about him called DW Griffith: The Father Of Film.
@@melanie62954 especially Cabinet Of Dr Caligari, Intolerance, Birth Of A Nation, La Roue, The Crowd, A Trip To The Moon.
I’d also recommend City Lights as it’s my favourite silent movie.
An amazing movie,glad to see you appreciate it.All of Fritz Lang's early German movies are worth checking out,especially his sound movies, "M" and The Testament of Dr Mabuse.
"M" is mind blowingly good.
And Fritz Lang's Destiny (in German "Der müde Tod", "The Weary / Tired Death"), a fairy tale pioneering special effects, some of which were invented for that film (and cited ever after). It is said to have been Alfred Hitchcock's favorite silent film.
C3PO was designed in homage to Maria and R2D2 was in homage to Drone 1, Drone 2 and Drone 3 in "Silent Running"
Dude...I JUST saw this at Seattle, WA’s Benaroya Hall last night, with Frank Strobel conducting the live orchestra! 😮😮😮
Dude THAT’S a moment. Hell yeah!
Love when they do stuff like that
What an unforgettable night!!
So glad you watched one of my favs. Loved your interpretation too. The care and thought that went into every frame is amazing in this film. Not to mention, it’s still as relevant today, as it was then. We are still sacrificing our own to the beast (technology without heart) that will destroy us if it remains unchecked. Much love to all 🖖
One of my absolute favorites! So glad you got to see the most complete version. I remember freaking out when they made the announcement that the missing footage had been found. I lived in NYC at the time, and my now-wife and I made a trip to the Film Forum to see the updated version in a theater. Was an almost religious experience.
This film was ahead of it's time. Saw it in a film class and I was blown away.
The mad scientist in this movie had a single leather glove on one hand. There is some speculation that this was the inspiration for the single leather glove worn by Dr. Strangelove.
Things to Come (1936) written by H. G. Wells, and starring Raymond Massey, is a notable, early sci-fi movie that’s an interesting watch. Love the older stuff…
Yes, portions of TTC have the same grand scale as Metropolis.
This is another landmark Science Fiction film for you to react to. Try to find the longest version of the film as possible here on RUclips, as the US version of the film was butchered by the censors for having a Socialist theme, along with showing how far behind America was in technological advances and public infrastructure.
The production of this film was truly monumental, they shot something like 350 hours of film, thats 600 kilometer of film tape! They had to build an entire new giant hall in only a couple months (still standing!) and used almost 27000 starving children and unemployed workers as extras. Took 310 days to shoot and cost 5 million Reichsmark or 1.1 million USD in 1927, thats 19 million USD in 2024. The grandfather of all and any sci-fi
Been around a decade since I've watched this; stellar to see someone reacting to it! You're 100% correct in this being a major influence on Brazil.
Just to let you know (I'm not a habitual commenter) your willingness to look at all shades of film including stuff like this is why I rate your reaction channel so highly.
Thanks for that!
I saw the restored 2008 edition when it first came out in theaters. It's an impressive film for 1927 but I think you do a way better job of latching on to all the texture and symbolism than I did! You see this reflected in so many things that came after, including but absolutely not limited to 1984, THX 1138, The Matrix, Thom Yorke's ANIMA, etc. The 1902 Georges Méliès film _La Voyage Dans La Lune_ was restored and set to a great soundtrack by the french electronic duo AIR in 2011, it's not feature length but well worth a watch, speaking of early sci-fi! Then Scorcese made the 2013 film _Hugo_ about Méliès.
The director of Akira made a remake of this film as an anime under the same name. (That remake also inspired Blade Runner 2049, the ending shot of 2049 is an exact 1:1 copy of one of the scenes in the remake for Metropolis.)
Katsuhiro Otomo wrote the adapted screenplay from Osamu Tezuka's 1949 _Metropolis_ manga, while Rintaro directed it.
Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen a RUclips reaction to Metropolis - good for you dude! You really need to react to some of Fritz Lang's other films...he was an amazing director!
I believe he's done M as well, which was also great
'Just did a Naruto move in 1924" My thought exactly when I first saw it. That comment only made my day and I subscribed!
That soundtrack...oh my.
This is a masterpiece of filmmaking. At the risk of sounding pretentious, it is the type of film studied by film students, revered by artists and the true cinephile.
Don't be upset if not many people tune in.
The animated film Metropolis 2001 is worth checking out, its based on a manga from 1949 that was inspired by this Metropolis (1927). The manga shares no plot elements from 1927 but the 2001 animated film does and references some scenes.
I second this. A gem of millennial era anime. And it was written by Katsuhiro Otomo, author/director of Akira.
@@maniac086 A solid thirding from me, too. And it has such a wonderful score and, for its time, a great melding of 2D and digital artwork.
One of my favorite films ever made.
I love that you choose to react to this. I've always appreciated your adventurous taste in films and I'm glad to see another side of that here.
The Passion of Joan of Arc WHEN bro??
The Passion of Joan of Arc is incredible! I hope he reacts to it.
I remember first seeing Metropolis after picking up a copy at the Sci-Fi museum in Seattle and it blew me away. It's amazing to see the primordial form of so much that would end up in later films, from the sci-fi city architecture, C-3PO looking robots, Rottwang's evil hand, even the soundtrack. I liked how you pointed out the dichotomy between Joh and Rottwang, one copes with a tragic loss by shutting off their feelings and the other engage in an excess of emotion. It'd be interesting to see how a modern version would handle those sorts of things.
Fritz Lang was definitely a visionary director. His first sound film "M" is amazing as well, especially for how little sound he decides to actually include.
To the people not knowing it: He has indeed already reacted to Fritz Lang's "M".
As you pointed out, James, the production design is a minor miracle, taking full advantage of the Art Deco sensibility of the time. I loved your enthusiasm for this film. Great analysis!
Dude thanks for doing Metropolis. Legit one of my all time favorites.
It makes you wonder how many films from this period have been lost forever. Lots of parts of this film were used in the official music video of Queen's Radio Ga Ga.
I've read that about 50% of films made before 1950 have been lost. Such a shame.
I'm so glad you are watching this. This is a prewatch comment just because i wanted to tell you that I did a film study of this in college. It's one of my favorite films ever made. I will be commenting again once I watch your video 😂
Oooooh!!!! You are gonna LOVE this movie. It influenced everything from Star Wars to Blade Runner. For years, about 40 minutes we’re missing until they were discovered in Argentina in 2008. Reportedly, there are still several scenes yet to be found.
You wisely noticed the lighting and shadowing. The Italian artists have a term for this effect - it's called "Chiaroscuro". It is a formidable form of expression and lends atmosphere to paintings, film and even scenery outside. It is particularly effective in the Art Deco style which this movie is made.
I was so excited to see you’d reacted to this film. 😊
I live in St. Louis and I sometimes like to take whole days and go on “urban odysseys” that consist of no plans, lots of walking, getting on and off the Metrolink at random spots and just seeing where the day takes me. On one of these special days, I wandered past an old theater and decided I’d go in and watch whatever movie was playing next because I was tired from walking. This was the movie. It was so fantastic, and I was so grateful that the day had taken me to it.
Thanks for reacting to such a great variety of films. ❤
So glad you took a chance on this amazing piece of film. I find something new with every time I watch it. Hope you bring us more classics James.
Terry Gilliam definitely takes a lot of cues from German expressionism.
Another filmmaker that does it even more overtly is Tim Burton.
His Gotham city in Batman is Metropolis, down to the cathedral.
PS
You can see German expressionism in manga and anime as well.
Finally! A reactor I follow has reacted to my favourite film of all time ❤ The impact this film had on me on first viewing I can’t put into words how. Starting with the colourised version with the modern soundtrack and then discovering different restoration versions, it’s a travesty that this masterpiece will never be seen in its original form. I love this film so much so thank you so much for doing this reaction.
I’m sure comments will have mentioned that Hel was the inspiration for C3-PO from Star Wars. The central building was copied directly into Blade Runner as the police headquarters. The city model sequences again were hugely influential in the city scape of Blade Runner.
The crazy amount of effect shots, the huge amount of extra’s cast, the accidental flooding of the set during the flooding of the workers town plus other production problems, saw the cost of this film soar to a million dollars. A huge amount for the time and it crippled the industry in Germany.
There’s a lot in the making of this film and definitely worth reading up on.
Anyone who has ever worked in a factory knows and understands the hell it is. It's repetitive death. It sucks the life out of you knowing that as soon as you leave, totally exhausted you have to return 12 hours later to repeat the whole process over again. I've worked in a few factories in my day, and this film perfectly captures the misery it is.
this is one of my favorite movies of all time!!! I had the opportunity to see the restored “complete” cut on the big screen in a historic theatre (i even found a picture of the original ticket from where it was shown there in 1927!) and it was one of my favorite moviewatching experiences ever. so much heart and such incredible leaps and bounds in visual effects techniques and its my go-to to show people who are a little iffy about watching silent films
The first time I saw this, it was a version with modern rock music instead of the original soundtrack. It included Pat Benatar and other legends. It was so cool!
LOVE that you did this. As you rightly spotted, this still resonates hard today. From Kubrick to Ridley Scott to James Cameron. Although Philip K Dick had written the core of Blade Runner 20 years previously, Scott merged it brilliantly with threads and ideas from Metropolis. And Terminator, RoboCop? Both owe their lineage to Brigitte Helm's brilliant performance as Maria.
Also important to note how pivotal both Metropolis and Fritz Lang were. The movie comes after s bunch of German expressionist classics like Nosferatu and Dr Caligari (all those shadows and angles), and Fritz Lang himself went onto be a pioneer of noir (with his Mabuse trilogy amongst others) which is also reflected in subsequent cinema (Godard's Alphaville, Bladerunner again). And of course it also continued to revolutionise production design, in camera trickery (from miniatures to mirrors) and FX.
So yes this film deserves all the praise it gets.
Thinking about it, alongside Buster Keaton's stunt work from the time, almost all cinema has evolved from a combination of the two. Maybe add a bit of Japanese Noh theatre and you get the rest of the action genres. 🤔😉
An influential Sci Fi Epic!
They rereleased the movie in 1984 with a kicking soundtrack by Freddy Mercury, Pat Benatar, Cycle V, Bonnie Tyler, Jon Anderson, Adam Ant, Loverboy, Billy Squier, and Giorgio Moroder.
There's a lot of versions of this movie:
155 minutes (Original Cut)
116 minutes (1927 edit)
107 minutes (1927 US)
128 minutes (1927 UK)
118 minutes (August 1927)
91 minutes (1936)
83 minutes (1984)
124 minutes (2001)
148 minutes (2010 cut)
That 80s version is a mess in my view. About half is still missing and the crass soundtrack does it no favours. I grew up with that version and it nearly put me off revisiting the later restorations.
This was my second favorite silent film. The first being Abel Gance's Napoleon, which was released the same year.
War of the Worlds 1953 is a classic film. Forbidden Planet, Day of the Triffids is some others you should react too.
One of my favourite films! Hard to believe it's almost a century old.
Some of the lost footage was found in my country, Argentina, I'm glad it exists!
I love that you do all kinds of films throughout history. Love it!!!
I’ve watched this in 2 consecutive college film classes, it’s a really impressive film even today.
Very nice, James. I would follow this up with "Things to Come" by HG Wells (1935 or so, I think it is). It expands on this.
1936.
@@LaptopLarry330 Thanks for the correction, Larry. I meant to go look and totes forgot.
Another great older german silent film from this same time is called 'Nosferatu' (1922). I'm always amazed by the shadow work and the lighting in these older black and white movies.
I'm so glad you got into this classic Sci-Fi film - you should try Battleship Potemkin - it's hard hitting ans influential on so many films that followed it.
Oh my gosh, this G is the absolute wild card. Your choices for reactions rule. I can’t wait!
Back in 1989, I was stationed in England and got to see the Metropolis: The Musical based upon this movie. The set was elaborate and huge. The music can be found here on RUclips.
This film FEELS iconic..still to this day!
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Have a great day!
It’s Very nice you are reacting to Silent Movies I recommend you to Watch : The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Nosferatu (1922), The kid (1921), The Gold Rush(1925) and The Passion of Joan of Arc
This film inspired the likes of Spielberg, Lucas, Raimi, and Scorsese.
Director Fritz Lang's best films are all about societal divisions and how an evil element can arise within that disparity. In Metropils it's done on a very grand scale, but Lang also creates that same schism in M (1931) or my favorite SCARLET STREET (1945) and also the excellent THE BIG HEAT (1953), all of which you should definitely check out. Great reaction!
The 1984 blade runner city loosely based on metropolis, theme about man-made human and question about soul is there as well
@@robertjewell9727 I only watch metropolis and dr mabuse so far....oh wait, also ring of niebelungen, but the dragon not ageing well and looks like toy nowadays 😅
Absolutely fantastic reaction, always interesting to hear your take on films such as this! And very strong start in regards to silent cinema on this channel as well.
Hi James. There is a 2001 anime film of the same name (based on a 1949 manga by one of the godfathers of the medium, Osamu Tezuka of Astro Boy fame) that draws heavily on this film and has its own very storied history (the manga was based very loosely only on the still frame of the robot being awakened having never actually seen the film itself, while the 2001 film adaptation incorporates a lot more of the actual plot and themes from Lang's original) that would be an interesting companion watch.
Truly a scary movie!
It amazes me every time I watch this at how self aware everyone involved in this film were. They had a good understanding of film despite it literally being in it's infancy. The way they were able to move from theater to movie production and do it so well, just blows me away.
I just recently watched this with my 14-year-old - I was very surprised and thrilled when they chose it for a Friday night movie tonight!!
And also, I'm sure these videos get less views but those of us watching are so grateful you're exploring older and more obscure films!
Absolutely LOVE that you're willing to give some older movies a chances! There are some incredible silent movies out there that are even to this day genuinely great. (I also recommend Haxan if you want a very VERY weird silent horror film. It's one of my favourites)
Now you're in this old earth movies, please deep dive into Nosferatu (1922), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari(1920) and Häxan (1922), production value are on a different level.
This film is so influential. The entire "mad scientist" trope originates from this film.
German Expressionist films from the 1920 - 30s really was the golden age.
I saw this in Montreal in the 90's at Place Des Arts and there was live symphonic music playing during the showing. 👍👍
Every couple of years, the AFI Silver in Silver Spring, Maryland shows the "complete" version with live music accompaniment. I've been twice, and it's fantastic.
This is one of the best movies ever made. I think they’ve found even more lost footage since the Criterion version was released. There is a beautifully restored and colored version of the brothel scene on RUclips that is a must see.
Glad you watched this early masterpiece.
Also, lets not forget that less than 25 years prior to this movie cities were lit by gas, petrol or candle, the streets were filled with people walking and horse-drawn carriages and if you wanted to be entertained you went to see a live performance or read a book. The technological advancements people experienced back then was stunning.
_Metropolis_ is a truly seminal motion picture. Ahead of its time and hugely influential on a lot of Sci-Fi to follow.
Slowly exploring the Silent Era has been a treat. If you haven't already watchen them, I'd also recommend:
- Intolerance (D.W.Griffith) from 1916
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene) from 1920
- The Golem: How He Came into the World (Paul Wegener) from 1920
- Destiny (Fritz Lang) from 1921
- Nosferatu (F.W.Murnau) from 1922
- Die Niebelungen (Fritz Lang) from 1924
- Battleship Potemkin (Sergej Eisenstein) from 1925
- Napoleon (Abel Gance) from 1927
- Woman in the Moon (Fritz Lang) from 1929
One of the most beautiful films ever made and one the most influential especially with science fiction. Fun fact about this movie is that if you were to watch Blade Runner and this side to side they’re almost identical. (I believe they are similar but it’s either this one or Blade Runner 2049 I can’t remember which. Maybe some one in the comments can help explain.) if you looking for a good drama after going through your list of Science Fiction, I highly recommend The Trial directed by Orson Welles.
You should check out Speedy... a 1928 silent film by Harold Lloyd. It was filmed on the streets of New York City and Coney Island. Its wild to how NYC looked back then and all of the old dangerous rides.
He should also react to “Safety Last” (1923), in which Harold Lloyd executes one of the most dangerous stunts ever made in a film during the 1920s.
I saw this for the first time on the big screen and it blew my tiny mind.
Awesome. Love seeing reactions to the older movies. So many good ones out there waiting to be rediscovered.. They're not old if you're seeing them for the first time.
I apparently need to rewatch this, I remembered so little. This might be my favorite reaction from you still though, really highlights what makes you unique among the reaction community.
thank you for bringing this film which is true art
YES. This is one of my all time favourite movies!
I love this movie so much!! Glad that you have enjoy it
What an iconic choice. I remember watching this in a history of sci-fi class and being blown away.
I rewatched the reaction to 'M' last night, and wished James would react to Metropolis. My wish was answered.
OMG! I can't beleive there is a reaction, by a film-maker to this! This haunted my early tweens, but totally prepared the young me for 2001, Bladerunner. Apocalypse etc.
Consider this: the masters of B&W film making always had one extra character to direct which color directors do not....shadow. Every shadow in every frame had to be carefully managed as though it were another player. Indeed it is.
I'm so glad you watched this! It's one of my favorite movies. Amazing to think that this was made when my grandparents were young children. Your comparison of the city to Asimov's The Caves of Steel was also interesting - I hadn't really connected them before, but there is definitely a similarity (although obviously Asimov has a far more positive take on technology, and particularly robots).
Fritz Lang made some truly great films in the silent and early sound era. I can't imagine it would get a lot of clicks as a reaction, but his movie Dr. Mabuse the Gambler and, especially, its sequel The Testament of Dr. Mabuse are both great and worth checking out at some point if you liked this.
This is the only silent film in my collection, the production design and special effects for its time are amazing also influencing modern films like Star Wars and Bladerunner.
A big help in restoring the film was that they found the original music score and could put the lost sequences in order. I was able to see the restored version at a theatre, an amazing experience. I have the DVD and watch it once or twice a year. I like your comparison to Brazil, interesting thought.
I am glad you watched this movie. I think if you love cinema or are a student of cinema,this movie is a must see.
"i'm no number, i am a free man"
Just as interesting as the film are the behind the scenes horror stories. The robot suit was terribly uncomfortable and Brigitte Helm couldn't breathe in it and got cuts and bruises from wearing it, and her dress apparently actually caught fire while they were burning the fake Maria at the stake. The flooding scenes also took a long time to actually complete and the actors would spend hours and hours standing in water that Fritz Lang demanded be kept at a low temperature. Dude was a madman
I own a DVD with the remastered version of "Metropolis" from - I think - 2000/2001 by Alpha-Omega digital GmbH commissioned by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung.
They worked with digital restoration, removed defects, pin sharpened it and created a new 35 mm negative of the film. Then they added a new score by Bernd Schultheis, performed live by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.
The quality is so phenomenal as if the movie was made today. 🙂
Maschinenmensch is like a flapper's Iron Man.
Metropolis is one of my favorite movies, one of just a couple movies that I've purchased multiple versions of. Brigitte Helm does a brilliant job switching between Maria and Robot Maria. And the special effects were ground-breaking; it's absolutely worth checking out how they did some of those in-camera effects! Thanks so much for reacting to this masterpiece!
This film is where you learn the art of visual storytelling.
You keep watching more wonderful but more obscure films James... and I'll keep watching them with you!
Fantastic to see someone reacting to this landmark piece of filmmaking; a truly groundbreaking moment, not just for sci-fi, but cinema in general.
Other films from the same period you should check out are Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari; along with Fritz Lang’s M to name but three.
I actually got to see Metropolis at a special screening in the early 2000s; the film was accompanied by a live performance of the soundtrack & it was incredible.
Thank you for doing this. At some point you must watch the anime "Metropolis" from 2001. I do not wish to spoil it only to say that it is not a remake but more a "reply". And that in my view the two films are not complete without each other.
Also if you are ever looking for any other vintage films to watch that someday you should watch "Lost Horizon" (1937) another film that was almost completely lost and then reconstructed.
It's one of my favorite films of all time.
Cheers.
This is an amazing film. Proud of you for reacting to a silent film.
Epic. Great to get your reaction to this, the genesis of modern fantasy and sci fi cinema.
Just wanna say I really appreciate ur reaction/analysis to this. I shared many of the same thoughts during my watch. Left a like! Great film indeed.
I appreciate that!
Fritz Lang's movies are amazing.
"M" has been mentioned here, it's one of the first serial killers in cinema.
"The Testament of Dr. Mabuse" is great and is quite prophetic, I won't explain how.
His first American movie "Fury" is amazing and the 1953 "The Big Heat" is insane.
It might take more 3½ minutes before you run the film but it is worth while waiting,, yr skill warmth and enthusiasm,, yr passion, is a joy to experience 🎉 thank you 😊😊😊
Wow I wondered if anyone would ever react to this one. You're the perfect one to watch this one