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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka 'Smiles of a Summer Night')

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/bergman.htm
Sweden 1955

 

After fifteen films of mostly local acclaim, the 1956 prize-winning comedy Smiles of a Summer Night at last ushered in an international audience for director Ingmar Bergman. Set in turn-of-the-century Sweden, four women and four men attempt to juggle the laws of attraction amidst their daily bourgeois life. When a weekend in the country brings them all face to face, the women ally to force the men's hands in their matters of the heart, exposing their pretentions and insecurities along the way. Chock full of flirtatious propositions and sharp-witted wisdom delivered by such legends of the Swedish screen as Gunnar Björnstrand, Eva Dahlbeck, Harriet Andersson, and Ulla Jacobsson, Smiles of a Summer Night is one of film history's great tragicomedies, a bittersweet view of the transience of human carnality.

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 26th, 1955 - Sweden

Reviews                                                               More Reviews                                                        DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Tartan - Region 0 - PAL vs. Criterion Collection - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Per-Olaf Strandberg for the Tartan Screen Captures!

1) Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT

2) Criterion - Region 0- NTSC - SECOND

3) Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE Blu-ray - RIGHT

 

Box Covers

 

Distribution

Tartan

Region 0 - PAL

Criterion Collection - Spine # 237 -

Region 0 - NTSC

Criterion Collection - Spine # 237 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:44:24 (4% PAL speedup) 1:49:08 1:49:24.599 1:49:24.599
Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.39 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.86 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,904,006,490 bytes

Feature: 32,073,277,440 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,533,646,240 bytes

Feature: 32,073,277,440 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Tartan

 

Bitrate:

 

Criterion

 

Bitrate:

 

Criterion Blu-ray

 

Bitrate:

 

Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) Blu-ray

 

Audio Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

LPCM Audio Swedish 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio Swedish 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles English, and none English, and none English, and none English, and none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Tartan Video

Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Bergman on SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT TEXT 8 pages
• Derek Malcolm Film Notes 3 pages
Filmographies Ingmar Bergman
Ulla Jacobsson
Eva Dahlbeck
• Stills Gallery
• Ingmar BergmanCollection Trailer

DVD Release Date: September 24th, 2001
Transparent Keep Case

Chapters 20

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion Collection


Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Video introduction to the film by director Ingmar Bergman
• New video conversation with film historian Peter Cowie and producer Jorn Donner
• New piece by renowned theater and film critic John Simon, author of Ingmar Bergman Directs
• Swedish theatrical trailer
• Essay by film critic Pauline Kael

DVD Release Date: May 25, 2004
Keep Case
Chapters: 28

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion Collection


1080P Dual-layered
Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,904,006,490 bytes

Feature: 32,073,277,440 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

Edition Details:
• Video introduction to the film by director Ingmar Bergman (3:53)
• Video conversation between Bergman scholar Peter Cowie and writer Jörn Donner, executive producer of Fanny and Alexander (16:51)
• Original theatrical trailer (2:01)
• 26-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by theater and film critic John Simon and a 1961 review by film critic Pauline Kael

Blu-ray Release Date: May 2nd, 2011
Keep Case
Chapters: 28

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion Collection


1080P Dual-layered
Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,533,646,240 bytes

Feature: 32,073,277,440 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

Edition Details:
• Video introduction to the film by director Ingmar Bergman (3:53)
• Video conversation between Bergman scholar Peter Cowie and writer Jörn Donner, executive producer of Fanny and Alexander (16:51)
• Original theatrical trailer (2:01)
 

Blu-ray Release Date: November 20th, 2018

Custom Blu-ray Case

Chapters 16

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc.

The Criterion Blu-ray of Smiles of a Summer Night is part of their Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema 100th Anniversary 30 Blu-ray Boxset (reviewed, as a work in-progress, HERE). It is one of the few that is exactly the same as the original Criterion Blu-ray release with exactly the same file size and bitrate for the main feature. It has the exact same extras and audio as well. The only variance is the menu screen (see below) which are why the overall disc size is slightly different. It is Region FREE where the original was Region 'A'-locked. 

***

ADDITION: (April 2011) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray: The only comparative issue with the Blu-ray is that the 2004 Criterion DVD was so strong. So the Blu-ray looks great but doesn't excel as demonstratively over the SD counterparts as we have seen in past examples. It's improvement in grain visibility and other visual film-like qualities will depend more on the capabilities of your system or your discerning eye. I suspect that many would be hard-pressed to differentiate. The DVD had some, but not a preponderance, of noise and, predictably, the 1080P transfer has less.

 

The audio is lossless through the Blu-ray  with a fine linear PCM mono track at 1152 kbps but like the video you would have to really focus on the attributes to identify a strong improvement over the 7-year older NTSC DVD. Typically, the Criterion offers optional English subtitles on their region 'A'-locked disc.

 

Extras are the same as the previous Criterion disc with the 4-minute video introduction to the film by director Ingmar Bergman from his studio at Faro Island, then there is an excellent 15-minute video conversation between Bergman scholar Peter Cowie and writer Jörn Donner, executive producer of Fanny and Alexander, an original theatrical trailer and the 26-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by theater and film critic John Simon and a 1961 review by film critic Pauline Kael.

 

The Blu-ray is only a dollar more than the corresponding Criterion DVD (at the writing of this review) and is surely worth more than that but those who already own the SD edition should judge based on their sensitivity to the audio/visual improvements or how fervent their adoration of the film. There is no question that it looks and sounds better - but the degree is not as significant a superiority as we have seen from the upgraded  format in the past. First time owners of the film for home theater usage shouldn't hesitate in picking up the Criterion - another Bergman classic.

 

***

ON THE DVDs: The Tartan is a shade 'heavier' - thicker and closer to saturation. The Criterion is clearly sharper; compare the tiara in the 3rd set of captures. Brightness and black level on the Criterion are also better; highlights have a lovely glow.  Its only fault is the slight cropping.  The minor softness of Tartan's transfer is masking the grain. Both are very good though, but as commonplace - Criterion is the superior. 

 - Gary W. Tooze


 

DVD Menus

(Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Criterion Collection - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

 

Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray

 

 

Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Subtitle Sample

 

1) Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0- NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


 

Screen Captures

 

1) Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0- NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0- NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0- NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0- NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Tartan - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0- NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


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Report Card:

 

Image:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sound:

Criterion Blu-ray

Extras: Criterion Blu-ray

 

Box Covers

 

Distribution

Tartan

Region 0 - PAL

Criterion Collection - Spine # 237 -

Region 0 - NTSC

Criterion Collection - Spine # 237 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gary Tooze

Many Thanks...