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

ADDITION: Arrow Blu-ray (May 2019): Arrow Academy have released a Blu-ray of Alekei German's 1998 masterpiece, "Khrustalyov, My Car!". The dual-layered disc's feature takes up 35 MB, and the remaining space is filled with worth-while supplements. The 1.37:1 1080p Black & White image is nothing short of breathtaking. Though particular shots are intentionally over-exposed, the typical frame is chock-full of immaculate detail. The often roaming camera perhaps belies the following screenshots in this regard, as the motion creates a somewhat blurry static image, but trust me when I say that in motion, this is a thing of beauty. Black levels show a deep and varied spectrum, giving a faithful transfer of Cinematographer Vladimir Ilin's cinematography (he was also DoP for "Hard to Be a God", another masterpiece of recent years). A flawless transfer from Arrow Academy.

The music, thanks to composer Andrei Petrov, creates a chaotic and dizzying effect on the viewing experience. Thankfully, the film is presented in an uncompressed, 2.0 Russian Linear PCM track, 24-bit to boot. Dialogue is clear (when intended) and the mixing with the soundtrack is well balanced. There are optional English subtitles on this Region FREE' Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.

Producer Daniel Bird provides a commentary track on this new Blu-ray package from Arrow Academy. The track covers the film's production (which is a Herculean accomplishment) as well as information regarding director Aleksei German. For a film this magnitude, the commentary exposes the blood sweat and tears that went into the production. "Between Realism and Nightmare" is a 26-minute video essay on "Khrustalyov, My Car!" and the films of Aleksei German by historian and film critic Eugénie Zvonkine. This well-produced piece featuring Zvonkine is fantastic, with the critic providing an astute and far-reaching contextual analysis of the film and the filmmaker's style. "Diagnosis Murder: Jonathan Brent on The Doctors' Plot" is a 44-minute discussion with Brent, the co-author (along with Vladimir P. Naumov) of "Stalin's Last Crime: The Plot Against the Jewish Doctors 1948-1953. The academic talks about Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign, which provides the backdrop for "Khrustalyov, My Car!". Also here are two interviews, one with producer Guy Séligmann lasting 52-minutes and one with director Aleksei German, being interviewed by film historian and critic Ron Holloway over 47-minutes. Notable included in this Blu-ray release is a double-sided fold-out poster and a Limited edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Gianna D'Emilio, an archival essay by Joël Chaperon and original reviews.

"Khrustalyov, My Car!" had somehow escaped me until now. What a stunning film. The style is wholly unique, leading me to want to check out the director's other work. Arrow Academy's Blu-ray provides an impeccable transfer of the feature, not to mention hours of supplements that are all worth accessing. Highly recommended! 

Colin Zavitz