Berlin: Symphony of a Great City

Rating:
Summary: A special journey back in time!
Review: Watching this outstanding film is like travelling back in time to Berlin of 1927, experiencing it as a visitor or as a native Berliner would, with views, insights and glimpses of street scenes, restaurants, shops, trains, stations and many more. In a carefully arranged sequence, the film begins with a train ride into the city as a passenger would see it, then we see empty streets as the city awakens to a new day. Each short scene captures a piece of everyday life in the metropolis; from pidgeons on the street and a meandering cat to a couple of quarrelling men on a busy street. The style of this early documentary often reminded me of some famous Soviet Avant-Garde films such as "The End of St Petersburg" and "Earth" in that the pictures, camera angles and varying speeds of presenting a sequence of images create a drama, a feeling, thereby making this much more than just a collage of city scenes. A perfectly suited orchestral score composed by Timothy Brock completes the experience. Director Walther Ruttmann has truly managed to capture the essence of Berlin in 1927 in this one hour film which is divided into five acts; from early morning in the first, to night life in the fifth act, making you feel as if you really have visited pre-war Berlin for a day. This becomes even more poignant when you consider that the city was largely destroyed by bombs during World War II, and that this marvellous film allows a unique travel experience to a long-lost time and place. Picture quality is excellent as well, and for any lover of history and travel, as well as of film making in general, this DVD is a must.