An experimental high-speed montage of Berlin, a day-in-the-life of Weimar culture. Also "Opus 1," a short color film thought to be lost, also by director Ruttmann. This release is part of the "Treasures of the Weimar Republic" series. (See "The Blue Angel" for details.) Silent. New orchestral score.

This orchestral film is a classic of Weimar cinema.
A lyrical portrait of a bustling metropolis in late Spring begins with daybreak. Slowly the city awakens with signs of activity. Faithful commuters, morning delivery trucks and cross-town buses start to make their way through this urban center. Eventually, the city's a pulsating organism teeming with activity and moving to the rhythm of its own daily schedule. But as the day comes to an end, the city shuts down and goes to bed so that it may meet tomorrow morning anew.

"Berlin: Symphony of a Great City" [1927] runs 62 minutes. "Opus I" [1922] is 10 minutes long. Both films are in black-and-white.

The Kino VHS version includes a new score composed and conducted by Timothy Brock and performed by the Olympia Chamber Orchestra.

Part of Kino Video's "Treasures from the Weimar Republic" series.

A Fox Europa film.

DVD Features:

Region 0 Encoding
Keep Case
Bonus Film 'Opus 1'.

Distributor Notes: At once an invaluable photographic record of life in Weimar Berlin and a timeless demostration of the cinema's ability to enthrall on a purely visceral level, "Berlin, Symphony of a Great City" (1927, 62 min.) offers a kaleidoscopic view of a single day in the life of the bustling metropolis. Also included on this DVD is "Opus 1" (1922, 10 min.), a rare example of the German avant-garde cinema. Director Walther Ruttmann's hand-colored film is an exploration of the geometry of movement.

Source: Image Entertainment, Inc.

Walther Ruttmann: