Lost scenes from METROPOLIS (1927) rediscovered ! (1 Viewer)

[Frank M]

Sensational discovery in Buenos Aires: Lost scenes from “Metropolis” rediscovered

Staff members of the Museo del Cine Pablo C. Ducros Hicken in Buenos Aires, found the missing scenes which had been considered lost up to now, in a 16mm Negative.

Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung > news


Someone should look for the complete Magnificent Ambersons in Buenos Aires


A longer article about the discovery:
“Metropolis": Key scenes from the famous movie rediscovered | Nachrichten auf ZEIT online

and a gallery: Film: The revival of Metropolis | Nachrichten auf ZEIT online

 

[Ray H]

This news brings a smile to my face.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Proof that miracles do happen. A little disappointed it's 16mm since it'll contrast with the high quality 35mm in the '01 restoration, but at least it exists. It's amazing to think it's been sitting there all this time.

 

[Jack Theakston]

If the 16mm negative was directly off of 35mm material and not a dupe, it may yield an image as good. The quality is entirely circumstantial, of course.

Murnau-Stiftung needs a better English translator. That press release was incomprehensible.

 

[Lord Dalek]

=O.

Maybe a complete print of Greed got into the same stash.

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

WOW...I just can't believe it...one of the MAJOR HOLY GRAILS OF CINEMA has been found. The most exciting filmic find in I don't know how long...when's the last time something of this magnitude turned up?

I wonder how long it'll take to complete the restoration and put it on DVD/Blu-Ray/InterActive Mind Beam/Whatever...

I'm salivating at the thought of finally being able to see a complete version of METROPOLIS. And, Kino, youse had bettuh do a native NTSC transfer and not overcompress it this time, or else...

 

[Richard--W]

Exciting news.
Now we'll have to be patient, and watch for further developments. That's the hard part.

 

[MatthewA]

Will Kino be able to get ahold of it in time for the Blu-Ray?

 

[Patrick McCart]

Images from the 16mm negative can be seen here:
http://www.zeit.de/online/2008/27/bg-metropolis-en

Heavily scratched, but it seems to have very good photographic quality. Seems like it'll take a while since that's some serious digital work needed.

 

[Frank M]

Updated first post with links to english language articles.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Awesome, amazing news!!!

It seems to me that since the Blu-ray release was only mentioned a few weeks ago, and since they have obviously known about these elements for a while and were just waiting to confirm everything was there, that the BD for 2009 may indeed be the full restoration. I mean, they're saying that they will be restoring it and making it available for consumers, so it only makes sense.

I really think South America has the greatest potential to find more lost films. It seems that only in the last 15 years or so have they been able to better catalog what is actually down there in the archives. With so many prints going there during the 1920s-1940s without needing to be returned the possibilities for more great discoveries are there.

 

[seanOhara]

I'd rather have 16mm scenes than intertitles explaining the missing scenes.

----------------
Now playing: Miles Davis - Jeru
via FoxyTunes

 

[Will_B]

This is fabulous. First Blade Runner and now the progenitor of Blade Runner (and of so much more). I can't hardly wait.

In related news...anyone want to buy a robot? The Evil Maria, licensed recreation, from Fred Burton Productions. Only $7,500.



Gotta love the way they included a close up of her butt.

 

[ahollis]

Maybe there is a lost print of The Magnificent Ambersons somewhere in South America! Lost Metropolis is exciting news especially when it is verified by so many sources. I can wait to see it.

 

[MielR]

WHAT?!?! Oh my God this is such exciting news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If there was one "lost" film, (or a film with lost scenes) that I'd wish to be discovered, it would be Metropolis.
I am truly thrilled!


Maybe someday they'll find Theda Bara's 'Cleopatra' and London After Midnight. ;-)

 

[dana martin]

after reading that is there hope that the full complete 210 min berlin premier cut still exist, i have had the Kino on my wish list for some time, but never got around to it, no here is to holding out hope, that this added missing footage can be used to completely tell the story , that none of us have truly ever seen.

The other problem that i have with this silent is the frame rate, that is sort of an issue on this, because at times it looks as if its running to fast,

 

[Cassy_w]

It looks like it is runing too fast because it is running too fast. :frowning:

 

[Mark Zimmer]

This is amazing news. It will be fascinating to see how things that seem nonsensical now will play out in the intended version. It does look like the print is in pretty rough shape but better than than not at all, which is how we've been seeing the film for the last 80 years.

 

[Frank M]

I have bought the german magazine with the exclusive story and just read it. It's a long story, they printed a large number of frames and described several lost scenes.

The film copy from Argentina has spanish intertitles and is not complete. But the experts think that most of the missing material has been rediscovered.

Edit:

According to Martin Koerber only one scene is missing. Read his comment

 

[dana martin]

Hopefully they will fix the frame rate problem, and that last missing scene will show up, did the latest showing in the article give the run time?