Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis

Berlin Symphony of a Metropolis German Berlin Die Sinfonie der Grostadt is a 1927 German film directed by Walter Ruttmann, cowritten by Carl Mayer and Karl Freund.

The film displays the filmmakers knowledge of Soviet montage theory. Some socialist political sympathies, or identification with the underclass can be inferred from a few of the edits in the film, though critics have suggested that either Ruttmann avoided a strong position, or else he pursued his aesthetic interests to the extent that they diminished the potential for political content. Ruttmanns own description of the film suggests that his motives were predominantly aesthetic Since I began in the cinema, I had the idea of making something out of life, of creating a symphonic film out of the millions of energies that comprise the life of a big city.These films were conceived of in the mid to late 1920s amongst the artistic writers and filmmakers Usually when gathered in open coffeehouse discussions as they toiled at their craft as an avantgarde, new style of early filmmaking that evolved from a scriptfree open narrative form that sought to show a clearer, less cluttered view of the world free from a real storyline or rigid structure. Although these films were often edited to give them some structure and a pleasing aesthetic value they evolved into what was later the travelogue film which also remained popular for a time. What made them very popular for urban audiences was that these films were often shot in their home cities showing easily recognizable landmarks and if one was lucky enough he or she may see someone they know up on the big screen or even get to see themselves on film. ........

Source: Wikipedia