Berlin: Symphony of a Great City

1927 1h 9m DE

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🍅

86%

FRESH

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 131🍅86%Rotten Tomatoes★7.6IMDB · 4,891

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Paul von Hindenburg
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Walter Ruttmann
Writers: Walter Ruttmann, Karl Freund
Languages: No Language
Countries: Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

99 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Walter Ruttmann, shot by Robert Baberske. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Edmund Meisel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Walter Ruttmann shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0017668 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Walter Ruttmann directs. Robert Baberske behind the camera. Edmund Meisel scores. Walter Ruttmann cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in No Language.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
299 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Walter Ruttmann, shot by Robert Baberske. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Edmund Meisel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Walter Ruttmann shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7IMDB entry: tt0017668 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 8 themes, including "berlin, germany", "city portrait", "black and white", "train".