Michael Brooke
31-10-2001, 21:49
With inspired timing, Criterion's latest turned up on my doormat today, and while I won't have time to get a full review up tonight (sadly, given the date), I can at least post initial impressions.
On the basis of a casual browse, this looks like a <U>very</U> strong thumbs up. Two versions of Benjamin Christensen's 1920 masterpiece (a mesmerising and often startlingly powerful dramatised documentary about witchcraft) are included: the original version, in a gorgeous tinted print supplied by the Swedish Film Institute (original Swedish intertitles and optional English subtitles), and the rarely-screened 1960s version with the intertitles replaced by recorded narration by the legendary William S Burroughs.
Clearly, it's unreasonable to expect a pristine picture from a film that's 81 years old - there are inevitable age-related spots and scratches and occasionally more serious damage, and there's not a lot Criterion can do about that. But the transfer is commendably sharp and clear, and at times the images are startlingly vivid (the demonic sabbath in Chapter 11 is particularly powerful, and in virtually perfect condition). Music is available in Dolby 5.0 and 2.0 versions (both featuring admirably clear modern recordings), and there's also a critical commentary by Danish silent film scholar Casper Tybjerg that I've yet to sample.
A quick check of the same demonic sabbath sequence in the Burroughs version reveals a print that's slightly more contrasty, but still in remarkably good condition - and the absence of tinting means there's slightly more in the way of surface detail. The soundtrack is the original mono, and seems in reasonable nick considering its age.
Despite effectively including two full-length features on the disc, Criterion haven't stinted on the extras either - I've already mentioned the commentary; there's also a filmed introduction by director Benjamin Christensen, 'Bibliotheque Diabolique', an annotated collection of illustrated manuscripts about witchcraft, a stills gallery (where the quality is remarkably high), notes on the music score and, most interesting of all, nearly five minutes of out-takes that didn't make the final cut, including multiple takes of a nun attempting a demonic expression. There are also printed essays about the film and the music.
A full review will be posted in due course - but I can't see too much wrong with it from where I'm sitting at the moment! Oh, and the best news? Contrary to rumour, I can now confirm that it is 100% definitely not region-coded - I've set my player to both regions 1 and 2 and it played back perfectly in both.
On the basis of a casual browse, this looks like a <U>very</U> strong thumbs up. Two versions of Benjamin Christensen's 1920 masterpiece (a mesmerising and often startlingly powerful dramatised documentary about witchcraft) are included: the original version, in a gorgeous tinted print supplied by the Swedish Film Institute (original Swedish intertitles and optional English subtitles), and the rarely-screened 1960s version with the intertitles replaced by recorded narration by the legendary William S Burroughs.
Clearly, it's unreasonable to expect a pristine picture from a film that's 81 years old - there are inevitable age-related spots and scratches and occasionally more serious damage, and there's not a lot Criterion can do about that. But the transfer is commendably sharp and clear, and at times the images are startlingly vivid (the demonic sabbath in Chapter 11 is particularly powerful, and in virtually perfect condition). Music is available in Dolby 5.0 and 2.0 versions (both featuring admirably clear modern recordings), and there's also a critical commentary by Danish silent film scholar Casper Tybjerg that I've yet to sample.
A quick check of the same demonic sabbath sequence in the Burroughs version reveals a print that's slightly more contrasty, but still in remarkably good condition - and the absence of tinting means there's slightly more in the way of surface detail. The soundtrack is the original mono, and seems in reasonable nick considering its age.
Despite effectively including two full-length features on the disc, Criterion haven't stinted on the extras either - I've already mentioned the commentary; there's also a filmed introduction by director Benjamin Christensen, 'Bibliotheque Diabolique', an annotated collection of illustrated manuscripts about witchcraft, a stills gallery (where the quality is remarkably high), notes on the music score and, most interesting of all, nearly five minutes of out-takes that didn't make the final cut, including multiple takes of a nun attempting a demonic expression. There are also printed essays about the film and the music.
A full review will be posted in due course - but I can't see too much wrong with it from where I'm sitting at the moment! Oh, and the best news? Contrary to rumour, I can now confirm that it is 100% definitely not region-coded - I've set my player to both regions 1 and 2 and it played back perfectly in both.