Following its first projection, the film "Metropolis" was considerably shortened and modified.
More than 25% of the original film was regarded as lost.
In 2008, an almost complete copy was found in Buenos Aires. The print was seriously
deteriorated and the image partly truncated because of the copy's 16-mm format.
This version contains new scenes and made it possible to correct the order of sequences.
The Spanish inter-titles were recreated.
A black edge was applied where the image is truncated to fit the 16-mm format.
The intertitles appear in their original style. The lost parts essential to the comprehension of the plot are summarized
by titles in a modern font. The shorter missing sections are marked with black frames.
A film produced by Ufa and distributed by Parafumet.
Shift change.
Down below
the Earth's surface
the workers' city.
As deep as lay the workers' city below the earth,
So high above it towered the complex club
named the "Club of the Sons," with its
lecture halls and libraries, its theaters and stadiums
Fathers for whom every revolution of a machine wheel meant gold
had created for their sons the miracle of the Eternal Gardens
"Which of you ladies shall today have the honor
of entertaining Master Freder, Jon Fredersen's son?"
"Look! These are your brothers!
Look—!
"These are your brothers!"
"Who — was that?"
But this is what happened to Freder —…
son of Joh Fredersen, master of Metropolis—!!
master of Metropolis — when he went in search of the girl:
"To the new Tower of Babel! To my father!"
"Why is it, Josaphat, that I learn of the explosion
from my son, and not from you——!"
"The details!"
"What were you doing in the machine halls, Freder?"
"I wanted to see the faces of the people
whose children are my brothers and sisters…"
Your marvelous city, father— and you the city's brain—
and all of us the city's light…——"
"And where are the people, Father, whose hands built your city?"
"Where they belong…"
"Where they belong?"
"…in the depths…?"
"What if one day those in the depths rise up against you?"
"The chief foreman of the Heart Machine, Grot — with an important message"
"Two more of those damned plans, Mr. Fredersen…"
"…in the pockets of two men involved in today's accident at the M-Machine"
"Why is it, Josaphat, that these plans were
brought to me by Grot, and not by you?"
"Apply to the G-Bank for your remaining wages—"
"Father, do you know what it means to be dismissed by you?——
It means: Go below! — Father! — go below! Into the depths——!"
"Do you know what it means to be
dismissed like that by Jon Fredersen?"
"Do you want to work for me, Josaphat?"
"Go home, Josaphat, and wait for me…
I still have a long way to go tonight…"
"Into the depths, — to be with my brothers…"
"Beginning today I wish to be kept informed of every step my son takes…"
"Brother…"
"…the machine!… Someone h a s to stay at the machine!"
"Someone w i l l stay at the machine…"
ME."
"Listen to me… I want to trade lives with you!"
"Wait for me—both of you…"
Yoshiwara — the district of vice.
In the heart of Metropolis there was a strange house, overlooked by the centuries.
The man who lived in it was Rotwang, the inventor.
Born for my happiness and mankind's blessing.
Lost to Joh Fredersen. Died giving birth to Freder, Joh Fredersen's son.
"A brain like yours, Rotwang, should be able to forget."
"Only once in my life did I forget anything:
that Hel was a woman, and you a man…"
"Let the dead rest in peace, Rotwang…
For you, as for me, she is dead…"
"For me, she is not dead, Joh Fredersen, for me, s h e l i v e s ——!"
For me she isn't dead
"Do you think that losing a hand is too high
a price to pay for re-creating Hel—?!
"Do you want to see her?"
So, Joh Fredersen—?! Isn't it worth the loss of a hand to have created the man of the future?
the MACHINE-Man—?!"
Give me another 24 hours, and no one, Joh Fredersen, no one will be able
to tell a Machine-Man from a mortal——!"
"The woman is m i n e , Joh Fredersen! The son of Hel was yours!"
"And what brings you to me, Joh Fredersen?"
"As usual, when my experts fail me, I come to you for advice…"
For months now, we have been finding these plans in my workers' clothes.
What do they mean?"
…at two… at the end of the shift! S H E has summoned us again…"
"Father—! Father—! Will ten hours never end??!!"
"—it is a plan of the 2000-year-old catacombs
deep below the lowest level of your Metropolis…"
"I should like to know what my workers
are doing in the catacombs."
"Today I will tell you the legend of the TOWER OF BABEL"
Come, let us build a tower whose top may reach unto the stars!
"And on the top of the tower we will write the words:
Great is the World and its Creator! And Great is Man!"
Ébut the minds that had conceived the Tower of Bable could not build it.
The task was too great. So they hired hands for wages.
But the hands that build the Tower of Babel
knew nothing of the dream of the brain that had conceived it.
One man's hymns of praise became other men's curses
People spoke the same language, but could not understand each other…
Great is the world and its Creator And Great is Man
There must be a mediator between HEADS and HANDS
"THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN HEAD AND HANDS MUST BE THE HEART!"
"But where is O U R mediator, Maria—?"
"Wait for him! He will surely come!"
"We will wait, Maria—! But not much longer——!"
"Oh, mediator, have you finally come?"
"You called me——Here I am!"
Rotwang, give the Machine-Man the likeness of that girl.
I shall sow discord between them and her!
"I shall destroy their belief in this woman——"
Leave me alone now, Joh Fredersen… You will find the way back without me–"
"You fool! Now you will lose the one
remaining thing you have from Hel — your son!"
"Until tomorrow, in the cathedral!"
Feder sees a monk in the pulpit who preaches:
"Verily, I say unto you, the days spoken of in the Apocalypse are nigh!"
The monk's hand points to the Bible, in which is written:
"And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns…"
…And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, having a golden cup in her hand…
…And upon her forehead was a name written, mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of abominations of the earth."
"You will destroy Joh Fredersen — him and his city and his son!"
"If you had come earlier, you wouldn't have scared me…But now I beg you:
Stay away from me and my beloved…!"
"Where is he, whose clothes you wear?"
"Will you please wake Georgy? He must take me at once to the Worker's City…"
"No. 11811, you will return to your machine
and forget that you ever left it—understand?"
"I must have someone who is loyal to me, Josaphat.
— how else can I reach the end of my Journey — ?!"
"I must continue, Josaphat
I must now look only to the People, to whom Georgy pointed the way ..."
"This evening, Josaphat Ð this evening, when I return..."
"So, what price do you ask in order to leave this house this evening?"
"You do not seem to have understood, on whose behalf I am here…"
"This man does not wish that his son be found here this evening!"
"In three hours I'll come for you!"
"Come! It is time to give the Machine-Man your face!"
"Where is Maria—?!"
"She is with your father…"
"I tell you, she is with your father———!"
She is the most perfect and obedient tool that ever a man possessed! Tonight you'll see,
as she is unveiled before the eyes of the top hundred. You'll see her dancing...
C.A. Rotwang requests Joh Fredersen to be his guest this evening.
"I want you to visit those in the depths, in order to destroy the work
of the woman in whose image you were created!"
C.A. Rotwang requests Joh Frederson to be his guest this evening.
"Verily, I say unto you, the days spoken of in the Apocalypse are nigh…!"
"All seven deadly sins for her sake!"
"Death descends upon the city———!"
The Book of Revelations
I put on this disguise to escape from the Thin Man… But for ten days your father's spy
has been making even the workers' city risky…"
"The only thing keeping the workers in check is that they still wait for the Mediator that was promised to them…"
"More strange things have happened, Freder…"
"On the night you fell sick…"
"…once the best of friends were, because of that woman…"
"…the other man… the same evening…"
"The Eternal Gardens lie abandoned, but night after night in Yoshiwara…"
"And this woman, at whose feet all sins are heaped…"
…is also named Maria…"
"The same woman who those in the depths look up to as a saint——?!"
"Many now go to the City of the Dead, to a woman who has proven herself as true as gold."
"But the mediator must not be missing!"
"Whatever happens tonight, it is my express orders to let the workers do as they will…"
"Joh Fredersen wants to let those in the depths use force and do wrong,
"so that he can claim the right to use force against them…"
"When you spoke to your poor brothers, you spoke of peace, Maria…
Today a mouthpiece of Joh Fredersen is inciting them to rebel against him…"
"She will destroy their belief in a mediator!"
"You know that I have always spoken of peaceÉ but your mediator has not come…"
"You have waited long enough! Your time as come—!"
"…but I have tricked Joh Fredersen! Your double does not obey his will—only mine!"
"Who is the living food for the machines in MetropolisÑ?!"
"Who lubricates the machine joints with their own bloodÑ?!"
"Who feeds the machines with their own flesh?!"
"Let the machines starve, you fools—! Let them die—!!"
"Kill them — the machines—!!"
"You are not Maria—!!!"
"YOU ARE NOT MARIA—!"
"Maria speaks of peace, not killing—! This is not Maria!!
"Joh Fredersen's son—!!"
"Kill him, the dog, in his white silken fur—!!"
"Get your women, your sons, from the workers' city! Let no one stay behind! Death to the machines—!!!"
In the attic with Maria, Rotwang grows ever more intoxicated by his triumph over Fredersen.
"…and I tricked Joh Fredersen twice over—! For I concealed from him that his son wants to be your brothers' mediator—and loves you—!"
Maria is not the only one listening to Rotwang. Outside the attic window Joh Fredersen has been evesdropping…
Joh Fredersen breaks into Rotwang's attic.
He battles with his old rival, overcoming him. Maria is free.
"…faithful after all…"
"Come, Freder! We must cross the workers' quarters."
"Women and men, let no one miss today—! Death to the machines—!!"
"None—none remained behind!"
"Don't touch the machines—! Let them speed to their deaths—!"
"To the Heart-Machine—!"
"Open the gates!"
"I said, open the gates!"
"If the Heart-Machine is destroyed, the entire machine district will end up in ruins."
"Have you gone mad—?? If the Heart-Machine is destroyed, the entire workers' city will flood—!!"
"Where are you fathers, your mothers?"
"Do you know that your son is among the workers?"
"Yes —You! You are Maria—!"
"To the air shafts—quickly! Quickly! The reservoirs have burst! The city is flooding—!"
"We'll take the children to the Club of the Sons!"
"Why are all the lights out?"
"I must know! Where is my son?!!!"
"Tomorrow thousands will ask in fury and desperation—Joh Fredersen, where is my son!?"
"Where are your children??!"
"The city lies underwater, the shafts are completely flooded—!!"
"Who told you to attack the machines, you idiots? Without them you'll all die!!"
"It's the witch's fault—!"
"Let's all watch as the world goes to the devil!"
"Find the witch, this is all her fault—! Strike her dead—!!"
"Now I'm going to take you home, my Hel—!"
"The witch—! The witch—! There she is—! There she is—!"
"Where are our children, you witch—??!"
"Burn the witch.— To the stake with her!!!"
"To the stake with her—!"
"Hel—! My Hel—!!"
"Your children…saved——!!!"
"Head and hands want to join together, but they don't have the heart to do it…
"Oh mediator, show them the way to each other."