Metropolis
“There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.”
Synopsis
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the rich and the poor, the son of the city's mastermind meets a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-12-05
Top Cast
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Gustav Fröhlich
Freder Fredersen
Brigitte Helm
Maria / The Machine Man
Alfred Abel
Johann 'Joh' Fredersen
Rudolf Klein-Rogge
C.A. Rotwang
Theodor Loos
Josaphat
Fritz Rasp
The Thin Man
Erwin Biswanger
No. 11811 - Georgy
Heinrich George
Grot
Fritz Alberti
Creative Human - Man Who Convinces Babel (uncredited)
Grete Berger
Working Woman (uncredited)
Olly Boeheim
Working Woman (uncredited)
Heinrich Gotho
Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Gottfried Huppertz
Man Playing Violin (uncredited)
Georg John
Working Man Who Causes Explosion of M-Machine (uncredited)
Margarete Lanner
Woman of Eternal Gardens / Lady in Car (uncredited)
Rose Lichtenstein
Working Woman (uncredited)
Hanns Leo Reich
Marinus (uncredited)
Arthur Reinhardt
Working Man (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Shanghai International Film Festival（restored version）
Festival / Special Debut
April 25, 2010
Wide Cinema Exhibition
October 13, 1984
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$5.3M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.4M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.25x
-$3.9M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Fritz Lang
- Screenplay & Story
- Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou
- Original Score
- Gottfried Huppertz, Otto Harzner
- Original Title
- Metropolis
- Country of Origin
- Germany
- Spoken Languages
- No Language
- Runtime
- 2h 28m
- Production Budget
- $5.3M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.4M
- Production Studios
- UFA
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou
Gottfried Huppertz, Otto Harzner
Günther Rittau, Walter Ruttmann, Karl Freund
Fritz Lang
Erich Pommer
Department Leadership Roster
Günther Rittau
Director of Photography
Fritz Lang
Director
Walter Ruttmann
Director of Photography
Erich Pommer
Producer
Fritz Lang
Editor
Gottfried Huppertz
Original Music Composer
Karl Freund
Director of Photography
Aenne Willkomm
Costume Design
Fritz Lang
Screenplay
Thea von Harbou
Screenplay
Otto Harzner
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
General — Suitable for all audiences.
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Metropolis.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Metropolis.
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Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2022 (Critics' Poll). Every decade the Sight and Sound team asks critics to name the greatest films of all time. Here are the results of the 2022 poll – the largest ever, with 1,639 critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics each submitting their top ten ballot - and now updated with the complete list. 《视与听》2022年影评人评选影史百大电影（含并列完整版）： 由 1639 位影评人、策展人及学者共同票选的影史最伟大电影。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#152] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#171] Out 1 (1971) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:36:35 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
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TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:33:14 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Metropolis
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Metropolis about?
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the rich and the poor, the son of the city's mastermind meets a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Who directed Metropolis?
Metropolis was directed by Fritz Lang.
Who stars in Metropolis?
The principal cast of Metropolis includes Gustav Fröhlich, Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Theodor Loos.
When was Metropolis released and how long is it?
Metropolis was released in 1927 with a total runtime of 2h 28m.
What was the box office and production budget of Metropolis?
Metropolis had a reported production budget of $5.3M and grossed $1.4M at the worldwide box office (0.25 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Metropolis?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Metropolis was composed by Gottfried Huppertz, Otto Harzner.
Is Metropolis based on a book or true story?
Metropolis is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Thea von Harbou".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Metropolis?
Metropolis holds official age classifications: AU: G (General — Suitable for all audiences.); DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); FR: TP; GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).