Ingmar Bergman's - Smiles of a Summer Night - Tartan - Region 0- PAL vs. Criterion Region 0 - NTSC Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night DVD Review Ingmar Bergman Smiles of a Summer Night

(aka 'Smiles of a Summer Night')

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.

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Theatrical Release: December 26th, 1955 - Sweden

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DVD Comparison:

Tartan - Region 0 - PAL vs. Criterion Collection - Region 0 - NTSC

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

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

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Tartan Region 0 - PAL	Criterion Collection - Spine # 237 - Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:44:24 (4% PAL speedup)	1:49:08
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
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Tartan
Bitrate: Criterion
Audio	Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	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

Comments:

The Tartan is a little 'heavy' - almost saturated. 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 slight 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)

Subtitle Sample