1927 documentary
Rating: 17/20
Plot: A day in the life of bustling Berlin.
The wild editing and music (the Olympia Chamber Orchestra was in this version that I heard) reminded me a little of Koyaanisqatsi a little. The chaotic arrival of a train hooked me, and then my eyes were glued to this thing. Typewriter dizziness followed by monkeys, fun animatronics in shop windows, the innards of factory machines, traffic, the hustle and bustle of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. I don't know what it reveals about Berlin, apparently a great city, unless the intent was to show off the "hat game" of Berliners during the nightlife scenes at the end. With that sort of hat game, no wonder Kennedy was proud to proclaim that he was a Berliner.
This whole thing is just so musical, so the "symphony" in the title is apt. Fiercely-edited juxtapositions, perfect camera angles, and some 1920's movie trickery give this a rhythm that, even watching this 90 years after it was made, is refreshing. There are a lot of more poignant moments, too, including a windy section in Act 4 where there's an apparently suicide, completely staged by director Walter Ruttmann, I suppose. It makes the whole thing a little difficult to trust, but it can be forgiven because the way the lady's eyes are shown in that scene is such a powerful image.
Oh, and Charlie Chaplin's feet make a cameo appearance.
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