Solaris Blu-ray Andrei Tarkovsky

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka 'Солярис' or 'Solyaris' or 'Solaris')

USSR 1972

Ground control has been receiving strange transmissions from the three remaining residents of the Solaris space station. When cosmonaut and psychologist Kris Kelvin is sent to investigate, he experiences the strange phenomena that afflict the Solaris crew, sending him on a voyage into the darkest recesses of his own consciousness. In Solaris, legendary Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky creates a brilliantly original science fiction epic that challenges our preconceived notions of love, truth, and humanity itself.

Poster and Book Cover

Theatrical Release Date: March 20th , 1972

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews Nostalghia.com

Comparison:

MK2 (France) - Region 0 - PAL vs. RusCiCo Region 0 - NTSC vs. Artificial Eye Region 0 - PAL vs. Criterion Region 0 - NTSC vs. Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Ole of DVDBasen and Pavel Borodin for the DVD Screen Caps!

DVD Box Cover Click logo to order from:
Distribution	MK2 (Russia) Region 0 - PAL	RuCiCo Region 0 - NTSC ( North America )	Artificial Eye - Region Free - PAL	Criterion Collection, spine #164	Criterion Collection, spine #164 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	2:39:40 (4% PAL speedup)	Total of part 1 + part 2 of film: 2:39:27 minutes	Total of part 1 + part 2 of film: 2:39:36 minutes	2:46:35	2:46:54.170
Video	Aspect ratio: 1.95:1 Anamorphic Average Bitrate: 5.38 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	Aspect ratio: 2.20:1 Anamorphic Average Bitrate: 8.14 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	Aspect ratio: 2.20:1 Anamorphic Average Bitrate: 8.14 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	Aspect ratio: 2.30:1 Anamorphic Average Bitrate: 5.53 mb/s ( interviews disc 6.98 mb/s ) NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,904,054,951 bytes Feature: 33,471,197,184 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 22.96 Mbps

	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: MK2 Disc 1
Bitrate: MK2 Disc 2
Bitrate: "Solaris" RusCiCo Disc#1
Bitrate: "Solaris" RusCiCo Disc#2
"Solaris" Artificial Eye Disc#1
"Solaris" Artificial Eye Disc#2
Bitrate: "Solaris" Criterion Disc#1
Bitrate: "Solaris" Criterion Disc#2 Interviews disc
Bitrate: Blu-ray

RusCiCo and Artificial Eye - LEFT Criterion DVD - MIDDLE Criterion Blu-ray - RIGHT

Audio

Russian, Dubs in English and French. All in (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Russian (Dolby Digital 1.0)

LPCM Audio Russian 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles

Russian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese ( You cannot choose 'NONE' )

English, None

Features

Release Information:
Studio: RusCiCo / Artificial Eye / MK2

Bonus Materials:

Biography of director Andrei Tarkovsky Biography of sci-fi writer Stanislav Lem
10 min Documentary on actor Donatas Banionis, The Master of a Small Town
Interview with actress Natalya Bondarchuk
Interview with Andrei Tarkovsky's sister, Marina
Fragment from another film based on S. Lem's novel, Investigation of Pilot Pirx(1979)
Archive Photo Album
Filmographies of principal actors, director, camerman, composer, script writer
Trailers of films by A. Tarkovsky

DVD Release Date: MK2 was 25th May 2005
Slim Digipak with no sleeve
16 in Part 1, 16 in Part 2 - total = 32 Chapters

2 Discs

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion

Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1

Edition Details:
• Region 0
• DISC ONE: New digital transfer, enhanced for widescreen televisions
• Audio essay by Tarkovsky scholars Vida Johnson and Graham Petrie, co-authors of The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue.

• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition
• DISC TWO: Nine deleted and alternate scenes ( not restored )

Berton's Flight ( 3:05)
Kris' Takeoff from Earth (4:23)
Something to Eat (1:08)
Beginning of Part 2 (:59)
Kris and Harl's Meal (2:21)
Kris' Delerium/The Mirror Room (4:25)
Mother (6:00)
Further Philosophy (1:02)

Video interviews with:

• Natalya Bondarchuk (32:20)

• Cinematographer Vadim Yusov (33:54)

• Art director Mikhail Romadin (16:46)

• Composer Eduard Artemyev (21:43)
• Documentary excerpt with Solaris author Stanislaw Lem (4:55)

DVD Release Date: November 26th, 2002
Double Keep Case
33 Chapters ( 33rd is Color Bars )

2 Discs

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,904,054,951 bytes

Feature: 33,471,197,184 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 22.96 Mbps

Edition Details:
• Commentary by Tarkovsky scholars Vida Johnson and Graham Petrie, co-authors of The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue. It is in 33 Chapters as follows:

Tarkovsky's Collaborators

Donatas Banionis

The Soviet Film Bureacracy

The issues of Special Effects

Narrative Consistency

Tarkovsky and his Parents

Moral Knowledge

Russian and Western Audiences

Clues

Stanislaw Lem's Novel

Yuri tarvet

The Sets: Kris and Gilbarians' Rooms

Sculptured Time

Sos Sarkasian

Elliptical Shorthand

Kris' Reasons

How Could Hari Know?

Island of Memory

The Ocean's Motives

Hari's Humanity

A Dysfunctional Family

Color and Texture

Natalya Bondarchuk

Western Culture

Bach and Breughel

Levitation as Motif

Hari's writhing

Solaris as Science Fiction

Ambiguity

Film Stocks

Big Issues

Questions and Possible Answers

Color Bars

• Nine deleted and alternate scenes ( not restored )

Berton's Flight ( 3:05)
Kris' Takeoff from Earth (4:23)
Something to Eat (1:08)
Beginning of Part 2 (:59)
Kris and Harl's Meal (2:21)
Kris' Delerium/The Mirror Room (4:25)
Mother (6:00)
Further Philosophy (1:02)

Video interviews with:

• Natalya Bondarchuk (32:20)

• Cinematographer Vadim Yusov (33:54)

• Art director Mikhail Romadin (16:46)

• Composer Eduard Artemyev (21:43)
• Documentary excerpt with Solaris author Stanislaw Lem (4:55)
• 24-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate and an appreciation by director Akira Kurosawa

Blu-ray Release Date: May 24th, 2011
Transparent Blu-ray Case
32 Chapters

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - May 11': The new Criterion is improved in the expected areas - but most notably the black and white sequences which, like the rest of the film, are darker and show less of the light surface scratches. On the other DVDs - MK2 (France), RusCiCo (Russia) and Artificial Eye UK - these sequences had chroma. Colors don't vary much, but they are tighter and the overall image has a bit more information in the frame and showcases a bit of depth. The original Criterion DVD was not bad - but this Blu-ray supports the film in a significantly more distinguishable way. The 1080P 'scope' is far more film-like and this is another excellent Criterion HD transfer.

Audio remains faithfully mono - but in an uncompressed form; a linear PCM track at 1152 kbps. There are some effect sounds that benefit from the lossless track and it adds another level of atmosphere to the film experience. Criterion, predictably, have optional English subtitles on the Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

Extras duplicate the 2002 DVD with the commentary by Tarkovsky scholars Vida Johnson and Graham Petrie, co-authors of The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue, the 9 deleted and alternate scenes and video interviews with Natalya Bondarchuk, cinematographer Vadim Yusov, Art director Mikhail Romadin and composer Eduard Artemyev plus the documentary excerpt with Solaris author Stanislaw Lem. There is also a 24-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate and an appreciation by director Akira Kurosawa.

Tarkovsky fans didn't need my endorsement - to have the film looking its 1080P best and sounding authentic as well as available on one lone disc makes for an easy purchase. The extras alone are worth the price - our highest recommendation!

***

ADDITION: (MK2 - Region 0 - PAL - June 2005) - The MK2 is, again, an exact port of the current RusCiCo - as is the Artificial Eye. All PAL RusCiCo's are original PAL source and all NTSC RusCiCo's are from PAL sources (unconverted). All have the 5.1 surround in both Russian and English and French Dubs. The only recommendation is the Criterion in every department.

***

The RusCiCo and Artificial Eye versions are slightly cropped vertically reducing it from its aspect ratio of roughly 2.25 (2.30?) to 2.20 . Although the PAL - AE is superior to the RusCiCo NTSC, it is obvious to see the striking quality of the Criterion in comparison. I have gone through all the extras of the Criterion (and they are extensive), and they blow away the RusCiCo/AE. RusCiCo/AE does offer multiple sub-titles as well as dubs in English and French (if you are into that) but I still couldn't find a way to totally remove the subs from the RusCiCo. Thank goodness the Criterion finally came around with this one, the sharpness and attention to detail are outstanding. Might be their best disc of the year!

RusCiCo also changed the mono soundtrack to 5.1. It sounds very good, but not accurate and they don't offer the ability to choose the mono.

Regarding the Menus: The Criterion have limited animation, often with a shadowy Khari appearing and disappearing. However the resonance of the 5.1 in the RusCiCo/AE menus is quite stirring. I liked the RusCiCo better. It appears as though more work has gone into them.

DVD Menus

NOTE: RusCiCo / AE ? and MK2 menus are exactly the same.

RusCiCo / Artificial Eye / MK2	Original Criterion DVD

Criterion - Region 'A'- Blu-ray

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

Subtitle sample - Criterion - Region 'A'- Blu-ray

Film Screen Captures

( NOTE: I found it extremely hard getting exact frame captures with the aspect ratio being incompatible. They are as close as I was able to get. )