"The Goddess" San Francisco Silent Film Festival (NTSC) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. San Francisco Silent Film Festival (PAL) - Region 0 - PAL vs. German/French TV channel ARTE - Region 0

(aka "Shen nu" )

directed by Yonggang Wu
China 1934

The great actress Ruan Lingyu earned international acclaim for her powerful performances in a series of social dramas made between 1927 and 1935. Her success brought her much fame that caused her to commit suicide at the age of 24. In The Goddess (1934), Ruan Lingyu portrays a single mother whose only hope for supporting her son is to submit to a life of prostitution. The film is a heartbreaking look at life under the strictures of an intolerant society.

Theatrical Release: 1934 - China

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DVD Comparison:

San Francisco Silent Film Festival (NTSC) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. San Francisco Silent Film Festival (PAL) - Region 0 - PAL vs. German/French TV channel ARTE - Region 0 - PAL

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman and Pavel Borodin for the Screen Caps!

(San Francisco Silent Film Festival (NTSC) - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. San Francisco Silent Film Festival (PAL) - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. German/French TV channel ARTE - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	San Francisco Silent Film Festival Region 0 - NTSC	San Francisco Silent Film Festival Region 0 - PAL	German/French TV channel ARTE Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:14:30	1:14:30	1:19:40
Video	4:3 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.71 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	4:3 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5:70 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	4:3 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.48 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: San Francisco Silent Film Festival (NTSC)
Bitrate: San Francisco Silent Film Festival (PAL)
Bitrate: German/French TV channel ARTE
Audio	Dolby Digital 2.0	Dolby Digital 2.0	MPEG-1
Subtitles	English or Chinese intertitles	English or Chinese intertitles	Chinese intertitles with German subtitles
Features	Release Information: Studio: San Francisco Silent Film Festival Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 4:3 Edition Details: • Both NTSC and PAL versions • English version and Chinese version • commentary by Richard J. Meyer DVD Release Date: Keepcase Chapters 10	Release Information: Studio: San Francisco Silent Film Festival Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 4:3 Edition Details: • Both NTSC and PAL versions • English version and Chinese version • commentary by Richard J. Meyer DVD Release Date: Keepcase Chapters 10	Release Information: Studio: German/French TV channel ARTE Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 4:3 Edition Details: • First recorded to VHS, then digitized... DVD Release Date: Chapters
Comments	The San Francisco Silent Film Festival PAL version appears to be the sharpest. The German/French TV counterpart has had significant contrast boosting and is zoomed in. There appears to be different damage spots on the versions. Obviously the San Francisco Silent Film Festival DVD is the only option (offering both PAL and NTSC) although the time differences compared to the German/French show a missing 5 minutes. Unusual but both the NTSC and PAL editions on the San Francisco Silent Film Festival DVD share the exact same time meaning that one was not prepared properly for its required video format . as the NTSC side is significantly hazier (greenish/brown tinge) I would guess that it is the culprit. Our meager suggestion is if you own the San Francisco Silent Film Festival DVD and own a PAL compatible player - watch the PAL version. It is quite possible that someone may have such a dire interest in this film that they may consider purchasing a Region-Free player to watch the superior version. *-Gary W. Tooze*

Recommended Reading in Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwanese Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy by Zhen Ni, Chris Berry, Ni Zhen	Zhang Yimou: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers) by Frances Gateward	Chinese Films in Focus: 25 New Takes by Chris Berry	Wong Kar-Wai: Auteur of Time (Bfi World Directors) by Stephen Teo	China into Film: Frames of Reference in Contemporary Chinese Cinema (Envisioning Asia) by Jerome Silbergeld	New Chinese Cinemas by Nick Browne	Once Upon a Time in China : A Guide to Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese Cinema by Jeff Yang	Chinese Film Theory by George S. Semsel	Women Through the Lens: Gender and Nation in a Century of Chinese Cinema by Shuqin Cui	Tsai Ming-Liang by Tsai Ming-Liang

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Menus

(San Francisco Silent Film Festival (NTSC) - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. San Francisco Silent Film Festival (PAL) - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. German/French TV channel ARTE - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

Subtitle / Intertitle Sample

(San Francisco Silent Film Festival (NTSC) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. San Francisco Silent Film Festival (PAL) - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. German/French TV channel ARTE - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)

Screen Captures

Associated Reading (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Metropolis (Bfi Film Classics, 54) by Thomas Elsaesser	Movie Posters of the Silent Film Era To Color by Rex Schneider, Christopher Buchman	American Film Cycles: The Silent Era (Bibliographies and Indexes in the Performing Arts) by Larry Langman	Family Secrets: The Feature Films of D. W. Griffith by Michael Allen	The First Female Stars : Women of the Silent Era by David W. Menefee	Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses by Anthony Slide	The Silent Cinema Reader by Lee Grieveson, Peter Kramer	Silent Stars Speak: Interviews With Twelve Cinema Pioneers by Tony Villecco	Haunted Screen Expressionism in the German Cinema by Lotte Eisner

Check out more in "The Library"

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