A Visit to the Cinematheque Francaise's Metropolis Exhibit
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:42 pm
Recently I was fortunate enough to visit the Cinematheque Francaise, whose current feature exhibition is about none other than the production of 'Metropolis'.
There is a quite extraordinary collection of artefacts on display relating to the production, promotion, and various restorations of the film, including early concept art and original mattes (some of which I had already seen in the permanent collection of the Berlin Filmmuseum, which owns a large proportion of the items), to original costume designs, replica costumes, actual props (some fabulous Art Deco banknotes from the Yoshiwara sequence, the casts on which the Seven Deadly Sins masks from the church sequence were modelled), and even camera equipment which belonged to Karl Freund's assistant on the film, Robert Babesker. Particularly fascinating to me was a recreation of Freund's original camera rig, mounted on a sort of wooden hammock contraption in order to achieve his famous soaring camera effect.
Early concept art had the city looking somewhat more 1960s than in the final product. Several different Babel Towers were conceived, and there was also concept art from abandoned scenes, such as one set in a women's bathhouse. Various interesting revelations abounded amongst the anecdotes - for example, that Thea von Harbou gradually changed her personal image from frumpy to quasi-futuristic during the course of the production, and the fact that the Gottfried Huppertz score was composed in tandem with the production, evolving as the film did. There were some fun behind-the-scenes pictures of Brigitte Helm goofing around, extras in the Yoshiwara scene relaxing (Lang kept them compliant and in good spirits with large quantities of hooch), and Mae Murray visiting the film set.
The mooted highlight of the exhibition is a replica of the robot, commissioned by Lotte Eisner in the 1972 and constructed by the makers of the original (there is another replica in the museum's permanent display).
The various different versions and restorations are covered in great depth - the 16mm film can in which the remaining lost footage was discovered in Buenos Aires is on display - and even the Moroder version receives a thoughtful analysis.
For the collector, one of the highlights is one of the four known original one-sheet posters for the film, again from the Deutsche Kinematek, which I believe mounted a similar exhibition in Germany. The Cinematheque Francaise version includes an extra section on the exhibition and reception of 'Metropolis' in France.
The exhibition is as well organised as it can be in the cramped exhibition space (a symptom of every Frank Gehry building I've ever been inside), which had visitors getting in one anothers' way as they attempted to watch the six key sequences around which the exhibition is organised. Still, it was encouraging to see the visitors giving it their rapt attention. It's always a thrill to see audiences kept spellbound by a movie celebrating its 86th birthday.
There is an extensive exhibition catalogue but alas, it appears that it is currently only available in German or French. There is more information on the exhibition (again, French language only) at http://www.cinematheque.fr/fr/expositio ... index.html.
The museum's permanent collection is not large (though I understand it is rotated regularly), but contains some particularly impressive early cinema and pre-cinema equipment, much of it from the collection of early exhibitor Will Day. There is a particular focus on Melies and the part played in the development of film by stage magicians. Most stunning of all was a costume from Melies' 'Voyage to the Moon'. It's almost eerie to see a survivor from those mythical days!
Some other silent-era artefacts on display include a wonderful Erte-esque gown from Jacques Feyder's 'L'Atlantide' (1921), some of the original cogs from the machine from Chaplin's 'Modern Times', a Theda Bara rhinestone headpiece (no production named, but looked like 'Salome' to me) and other jewellery; Louise Brooks' bracelet from 'A Girl in Every Port' and a brief letter from Brooks to Langlois, thanking him for bringing her to Paris for the revival of 'Pandora's Box'. My only disappointment was that Rene Clair was represented only by some concept art for 'Sons le Touts de Paris'.
It goes without saying that it is well worth a visit if you're in that neck of the woods.
There is a quite extraordinary collection of artefacts on display relating to the production, promotion, and various restorations of the film, including early concept art and original mattes (some of which I had already seen in the permanent collection of the Berlin Filmmuseum, which owns a large proportion of the items), to original costume designs, replica costumes, actual props (some fabulous Art Deco banknotes from the Yoshiwara sequence, the casts on which the Seven Deadly Sins masks from the church sequence were modelled), and even camera equipment which belonged to Karl Freund's assistant on the film, Robert Babesker. Particularly fascinating to me was a recreation of Freund's original camera rig, mounted on a sort of wooden hammock contraption in order to achieve his famous soaring camera effect.
Early concept art had the city looking somewhat more 1960s than in the final product. Several different Babel Towers were conceived, and there was also concept art from abandoned scenes, such as one set in a women's bathhouse. Various interesting revelations abounded amongst the anecdotes - for example, that Thea von Harbou gradually changed her personal image from frumpy to quasi-futuristic during the course of the production, and the fact that the Gottfried Huppertz score was composed in tandem with the production, evolving as the film did. There were some fun behind-the-scenes pictures of Brigitte Helm goofing around, extras in the Yoshiwara scene relaxing (Lang kept them compliant and in good spirits with large quantities of hooch), and Mae Murray visiting the film set.
The mooted highlight of the exhibition is a replica of the robot, commissioned by Lotte Eisner in the 1972 and constructed by the makers of the original (there is another replica in the museum's permanent display).
The various different versions and restorations are covered in great depth - the 16mm film can in which the remaining lost footage was discovered in Buenos Aires is on display - and even the Moroder version receives a thoughtful analysis.
For the collector, one of the highlights is one of the four known original one-sheet posters for the film, again from the Deutsche Kinematek, which I believe mounted a similar exhibition in Germany. The Cinematheque Francaise version includes an extra section on the exhibition and reception of 'Metropolis' in France.
The exhibition is as well organised as it can be in the cramped exhibition space (a symptom of every Frank Gehry building I've ever been inside), which had visitors getting in one anothers' way as they attempted to watch the six key sequences around which the exhibition is organised. Still, it was encouraging to see the visitors giving it their rapt attention. It's always a thrill to see audiences kept spellbound by a movie celebrating its 86th birthday.
There is an extensive exhibition catalogue but alas, it appears that it is currently only available in German or French. There is more information on the exhibition (again, French language only) at http://www.cinematheque.fr/fr/expositio ... index.html.
The museum's permanent collection is not large (though I understand it is rotated regularly), but contains some particularly impressive early cinema and pre-cinema equipment, much of it from the collection of early exhibitor Will Day. There is a particular focus on Melies and the part played in the development of film by stage magicians. Most stunning of all was a costume from Melies' 'Voyage to the Moon'. It's almost eerie to see a survivor from those mythical days!
Some other silent-era artefacts on display include a wonderful Erte-esque gown from Jacques Feyder's 'L'Atlantide' (1921), some of the original cogs from the machine from Chaplin's 'Modern Times', a Theda Bara rhinestone headpiece (no production named, but looked like 'Salome' to me) and other jewellery; Louise Brooks' bracelet from 'A Girl in Every Port' and a brief letter from Brooks to Langlois, thanking him for bringing her to Paris for the revival of 'Pandora's Box'. My only disappointment was that Rene Clair was represented only by some concept art for 'Sons le Touts de Paris'.
It goes without saying that it is well worth a visit if you're in that neck of the woods.
