Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Grosstadt (1927)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Walter Ruttmann

Writers:

Karl Freund (screenplay)
Carl Mayer (idea)

Release Date:

13 May 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

This movie shows us one day in Berlin, the rhythm of that time, starting at the earliest morning and ends in the deepest night.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Avant Garde | Night Life | Building | Pre War

Cast

Paul von Hindenburg

...

Himself (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Berlin: A Symphony of a Big City (International: English title) (informal literal English title)
Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (USA)
Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis (USA)

Runtime:

65 min | Finland:79 min

Country:

Germany

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Deutsche Vereins-Film

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lulu in Berlin (1984)

A Priceless Time Capsule of Germany's Weimar Period

This is a very straightforward and pleasant silent picture that delivers exactly what it promises. Namely: footage of Berlin, its residents, and the whole spectrum of city activities during an ordinary day in 1927. If you have any interest in seeing real life in Weimar Germany, this film is an excellent rental. It opens with an Eisensteinian-style montage sequence, as a train approaches the city. Upon its arrival in Berlin's Union Station, the city is remarkably desolate. As the film progresses, the city begins to wake up, and you are shown residents at work (mostly in factories) and leisure. You will see shopkeepers, businessmen, restauranteurs, policemen, soldiers, politicians; children at play and even some vagrants. The acts become gradually more harsh as the film progresses, with mildly unpleasant imagery beginning to creep in (e.g. shots of dogs fighting, footage of beggars, litter, an arrest, etc.), only to gracefully recede as the film reaches its closing. The final act shows Berlin's night life, which is as lavish and swinging as anything in our own "Roaring 20's." This is an impeccable time capsule and it has something to offer both film and history buffs. Berlin was truly a world city at this time, and it was extremely interesting to see everything in the Weimar's Golden period, before Hitler and the destruction that followed. Technically speaking, it is a very well made and restored film; the footage is crisp and the music was never overwhelming. This is a really easy film to appreciate and it is definitely worthwhile, particularly for history buffs. Highly recommended. ---|--- Reviews by Flak Magnet