Top SFX shots No.10: Metropolis

Fritz Lang's truly seminal SF masterpiece boasts a number of SFX shots that were not only iconic but ground-breaking in their use of hanging miniatures, miniature sets and a makeshift method of compositing known as the "Schufftan Process", which involved removing strategic areas of silvering from a mirror and projecting 'live' footage onto the other side. But the film is best known for its astonishing model work, of which this shot is a particularly fine example. Note that the cars and vans of Lang's future city move at varying speeds and even veer a little to the left or right. Also, the use of bright sunlight truly captures the sense of scale of a grand metropolis, and this is less evident in some of the more widely-reproduced shots featuring flying machines.

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