Metropolis is one of those films everyone has heard of and many film buffs claim to have watched, but when one speaks of it, most details, save for the scene of the fembot's clothing in flesh, tend to disappear.
But the truth is that the film, although technically sci fi, is really a polemic. Fritz Lang would make one of the more interesting films on class struggle ever made, yet, like Rod Serling would do decades later, in the television series The Twilight Zone, he would get away with his attacks on materialism and social disorder and dehumanization because many people, in that day, dismissed all sci fi.
The best version of the film that I've seen is the one released by Kino. It is restored to its full length (give or take a few seconds) and is remastered digitally.
But, the truth is that, even in the public domain, the film is worth seeing. I saw a scratched up version of the film decades ago, on tv, and it still impressed.
One thing to bear in mind, though, is that the film is a silent film, which means it is, in a sense, a different art form than modern sound and color film. It has its own rhythms, and once one gets used to them, the film unfolds very naturally. But, if you are expecting the spoonfed crap of modern Hollywood, you'll loathe this film.
You've been warned.
