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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "Jeux dangereux" )
directed by Ernst Lubitsch
USA 1942
As nervy as it is hilarious, this screwball masterpiece from Ernst Lubitsch stars Jack Benny and, in her final screen appearance, Carole Lombard as husband-and-wife thespians in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who become caught up in a dangerous spy plot. To Be or Not to Be is a Hollywood film of the boldest black humor, which went into production soon after the U.S. entered World War II. Lubitsch manages to brilliantly balance political satire, romance, slapstick, and urgent wartime suspense in a comic high-wire act that has never been equaled. ***
August, 1939. Poland is still free, but the Nazis are about to make
their fateful move. Suddenly: "It's the little man with the black
moustache!" Adolf Hitler is strolling calmly through Warsaw, completely
alone, staring into a butcher's window. But he's a vegetarian! Naturally,
he attracts some attention, and the narrator takes us into a flashback to
explain how Hitler arrived alone in a Warsaw high street.
Excerpt from Martin Hunt's review from the EUFS Programme 1992-93 located HERE |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: 6 March 1942 - USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL vs. Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Big thanks to Ole Kofoed and Dimitri van den Engel and Guillaume Mareri for the DVD Screen Caps!
1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT
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Keep Case Blu-ray version from Germany: |
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The Warner edition can also be purchased in the Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be):
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Distribution |
Films sans Frontières Region 0 - PAL |
Studio Canal Region 2 - PAL |
Warner Region 1 - NTSC |
Studio Canal Collection Region 'B' -Blu-ray |
Criterion Collection Region 'A' -Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:34:14 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:35:08 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:39:06 | 1:39:12.583 | 1:39:20.329 |
Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1 - 1080P
Dual-layered
Blu-ray
Disc Size: 36,772,126,961 bytes Feature: 23,099,842,560 bytes Video Bitrate: 23.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1.37:1 - 1080P
Dual-layered
Blu-ray
Disc Size: 44,930,263,939 bytes Feature: 25,949,466,624 bytes Video Bitrate: 30.64 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
Films sans Frontières
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Bitrate:
Warner
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Bitrate:
Criterion Blu-ray
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Audio | English (mono) |
2.0 Dolby Digital Mono French, English |
English (mono) |
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1644 kbps 2.0
/ 48 kHz / 1644 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps /
16-bit / DN -4dB) DTS-HD Master Audio French 1648 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1648 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit / DN -4dB) DTS-HD Master Audio German 1612 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1612 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit / DN -4dB) |
LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz
/ 1152 kbps / 24-bit Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
Subtitles | French, none. | French, none | English, French, Spanish, none | French, German, none | English, none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Films sans Frontières Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 8 |
Release Information: Studio: Studio Canal Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: November 7th, 2001 Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: March 1, 2005 Chapters 26 |
Release Information:
Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
• Gallery
Blu-ray
Release Date: February 21st, 2012 Chapters 7 |
Release Information:
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 44,930,263,939 bytes Feature: 25,949,466,624 bytes Video Bitrate: 30.64 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Blu-ray
Release Date: August 27th, 2013 Chapters 12 |
Comments |
NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (August 2013): You may judge the image quality yourself - I think it is fairly obvious that the Criterion 1080P is superior. It has a much higher bitrate, is smoother, marginally brighter, shows more information the frame, has less damage etc. - and provides a tremendous presentation. By comparison the Studio Canal may be slightly horizontally stretched. Contrast is strong - really another step higher.
The Criterion linear PCM mono track at 1152 kbps sounds fine - I don't notice much of a difference between the European DTS-HD Master track except the LPCM may be a bit tinnier - more notable in Werner Heymann's fine score. Truly, it's all good with optional English subtitles.
Criterion really load up with some amazing extras - firstly we get a new, thorough and totally professional new audio commentary featuring film historian David Kalat. It seems to cover every aspect of the film, Lubitsch, the performers and more. Pinkus’s Shoe Palace is a 45-minute 1916 German silent short directed by and starring Ernst Lubitsch, with a new piano score by Donald Sosin. Lubitsch le patron is a 53-minute 2010 French documentary by Jean-Jacques Bernard on the director’s career from how the son of a German Jewish tailor became the undisputed master of elegant American comedy. We get two episodes of The Screen Guild Theater, a radio anthology series: Variety (1940), starring Jack Benny, Claudette Colbert, and Lubitsch (29:31), and To Be or Not to Be (1942), an adaptation of the film, starring William Powell, Diana Lewis, and Sig Ruman (25:41) plus the package has a liner notes booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien and a 1942 New York Times op-ed by Lubitsch.
Magnificent - the film remains an absolute gem and now it comes looking even better and with fabulous extras including the excellent commentary. This Blu-ray is very strongly recommended!
***
ADDITION: Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (April 2012): Cracking film chosen by Studio Canal for their Blu-ray Collection. Lubitsch's To Be or Not To Be is a consummate masterpiece.. It looks pretty sweet on this dual-layered BD package from Studio Canal. The film 'crisps-up' and showcases some nice textures. The contrast is significantly more-layered and detail rises. It may not seem like an overwhelming improvement via the static screen captures but its advancement is more evident as the film runs in 1080P.
The initial menu screen offers either French or German - but the film IS in English and has the ability to be played with NO subtitles. The audio offers DTS-HD Master DUBs in French and German as well as the original English in similar lossless. The Blu-ray disc is coded region 'B'-locked.
Supplements are mostly not English-friendly with a commentary (in French) by Jean Douchet, a 35-minute piece entitled To Be a Classic (in 1080i) mostly in French with Truffaut and others discussing the importance of the film. Joe Dante gives his accolades (in English) for 10-minutes in To Be a Film Favorite (also in 1080i) and there is a digital gallery. This is housed in another of Studio Canal's wonderful Digi-books (French text) - see image above - and the disc offers an impressive presentation of a fabulous film. It's hard not to give this a full endorsement - what a film - and seeing it looking so much closer to theatrical-like quality was such a pleasure I already want to repeat. This Blu-ray will get plenty of play in my Home Theater. ***
ON THE DVDs: The Films sans Frontières edition doesn't look too bad here but has a high amount of speckles and dirt. Amusingly as well the Films sans Frontières version has translated the signs and letters of the film into French !?! (see large capture #5). Both PAL DVDs are cropped on both side edges. Both PAL editions are so dark that some details are lost (see large capture #3). The Warner is sharper, brighter and the best choice overall. Heil Warner! |
DVD
Menus
(Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL
- LEFT vs. Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner
- Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
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Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920 X 1080 RESOLUTION
Screen Captures
1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Films sans Frontières - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Studio Canal - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND 3) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - FOURTH 5) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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More Blu-ray Captures
1) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Studio Canal - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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Report Card:
Image: |
Criterion Blu-ray |
Sound: |
Blu-rays |
Extras: |
Criterion Blu-ray |
Box Covers |
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Keep Case Blu-ray version from Germany: |
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Distribution |
Films sans Frontières Region 0 - PAL |
Studio Canal Region 2 - PAL |
Warner Region 1 - NTSC |
Studio Canal Collection Region 'B' -Blu-ray |
Criterion Collection Region 'A' -Blu-ray |