10 Films That Were Totally Changed For Foreign Audiences

5. Metropolis Gets Less Socialist In The US

Outside of maybe Citizen Kane and Killer Klowns From Outer Space, you're unlikely to find a film that has had quite such a profound effect on cinema as Metropolis. And outside of Germany you're unlikely to have seen the proper version of Fritz Lang€™s science fiction masterpiece, a silent classic that still astounds today with practical special effects and an operatic story that seems bang up to date, when in fact it was made all the way back in 1927. The expressionist style and sci-fi trappings remain a sight to behold, which must've been nice for the studio since it cost a whopping five million Reichsmarks, making it the most expensive film ever on its release. Lang's lyrical, allegorical work received mixed reviews upon its release, and so American distributors Paramount and MGM - who had partially funded that enormous budget - felt no compunction about taking out the scissors when it came to releasing the film in America. The original 153 minute version was cut down to just 115, losing a good half an hour of story and plot. Not that that mattered, since the studios assumed the social commentary and metaphor would've flown right over the heads of US audiences - or perhaps worrying that the message of working class rebellion would be understood all too well. Either way, along with making severe edits they also brought in playwright Channing Pollock to rewrite all the title cards, assist in the cuts and basically change the film's whole story, making it easier to understand and erasing the Rotwang character's original motivation for creating his robot. For decades this was the only version of Metropolis available, until old cannisters of Lang's original cut were unearthed and the full 153 minute version was restored and released to Americans for the first time.