Chester arts hub Storyhouse has announced it will be presenting a unique experience for fans of the science fiction film genre.
Next week, it will be screening Fritz Lang’s movie masterpiece Metropolis, a silent sci-fil film created back in 1927. Storyhouse’s presentation will also feature a live musical performance by two of Britain’s foremost silent film musicians.
A German expressionist film, Meropolis was written by screenwriter Thea von Harbou, who collaborated with Lang. The screenplay was based on her 1925 novel with the same name that was originally penned as a film treatment. The film stars Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Brigitte Helm and Rudolf Klein-Rogge and was made in Germany in the Weimar period, telling a tale set in an urban dystopia in the future. The films key message appears on the screen in text: “The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must Be the Heart”.
Applauded for its impressive visuals and high production values, the silent film has been highly influential on many filmmakers in the sci-fi genre, including George Lucas, Ridley Scott, and Terry Gilliam.
Accompanying the film and adding drama will be Jonny Best on the grand piano and Trevor Bartlett, the celebrated percussionist. Best and Bartlett are renowned for pairing music with silent films and have been performing live together since back in 2016.
Metropolis, complete with live music, will be at the Storyhouse on Thursday, July 20. The venue can be found on Hunter Street in Chester and the film screening will run from 7:30 to 10:00 pm.
