("Mia aioniotita kai mia mera" or "L'Éternité et un jour" or "L'Eternità e un giorno" or "Eternity and a Day")

directed by Theo Angelopoulos
Greece 1998

Eternity And A Day follows the final days of Alexandre (Bruno Ganz), a celebrated Greek author as he prepares to leave his seaside home for what he feels is the last time. While preparing to depart, he finds a letter from his long-dead wife, Anna (Isabelle Renauld), who wrote about a memorable summer day they spent over thirty years ago. From that point, Alexandre embarks on a metaphysical journey through his past and present with the help of a young street urchin boy that crosses his path. Realizing that after spending his entire life chasing after the words of poems and novels, Alexandre wants one final chance to capture the lost precious moments of the true happiness that he know realizes, even if only for one day.

Poster

Theatrical Release: May 23rd, 1998 - Cannes Film Festival

Reviews    More Reviews    DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL vs. Triangelfilm / Sandrews - Region 2 - PAL vs. New Yorker - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Arvid for the Sandrew Screencaps!

AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL LEFT vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL MIDDLE vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC RIGHT

DVD Box Cover

 

Distribution

AV Channel / Madman

Region 4 - PAL

Triangelfilm / Sandrews

Region 2 - PAL

New Yorker - Region 1 - NTSC

Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC RIGHT

 

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

Versatil  Region 0 - NTSC Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC

(TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL LEFT vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC 2nd vs. )

Also available: A 3-DVD Theo Angelopoulos boxset, featuring Ulysses' Gaze (1995), Landscape In The Mist (1988), and Voyage To Cythera (1984).

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

Distribution

AV Channel / Madman

Region 4 - PAL

Triangelfilm / Sandrews

Region 2 - PAL

New Yorker - Region 1 - NTSC Versatil  Region 0 - NTSC Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime 2:07:32 (4% PAL speedup) 2:07:24 (4% PAL speedup) 2:07:16   2:07:20   2:07:10  
Video

1:1.78 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.15 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.79 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
1.63:1.00 Letterboxed WideScreen
Average Bitrate: 6.0 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
1.63:1.00 Letterboxed WideScreen
Average Bitrate: 5.54 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
1.61:1.00 Letterboxed WideScreen
Average Bitrate: ? mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
Bitrate:  Madman
Bitrate:  Triangelfilm / Sandrews

Bitrate:  New Yorker

Bitrate:  Versatil

Bitrate:  Xin Sheng

NONE AVAILABLE

Audio Greek (Dolby Digital 2.0) Greek (Dolby Digital 2.0) Greek (Dolby Digital 2.0) Greek (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)  Greek (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) 
Subtitles English, None Swedish (optional), NO English English, and None English, Portuguese, Spanish and None English, Traditional Chinese and None
Features Release Information:
Studio: AV Channel / Madman

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1:1.78

Edition Details:
• Still gallery in slideshow format (0:42)
• Madman trailer reel

DVD Release Date: 31 March 2006
Keep Case

Chapters 14

 

Release Information:
Studio: Triangelfilm / Sandrews

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.66:1

Edition Details:

DVD Release Date: 2006-01-25
Keepcase

Chapters 18

 

Release Information:
Studio: New Yorker

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterbox - 1.63:1 (Picture-boxed)

 

Edition Details:
Video Introduction by scholar Andrew Horton (author of "The Films Of Theo Angelopoulos")
• "The Journey Through Time of Theo Angelopolous" (from the French TV program "Metropolis")
• Poetry by Greek masters

DVD Release Date: August 15th, 2006
Keep Case
Chapters: 20

Release Information:
Studio: Versatil (Brazil)

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterbox - 1.63:1 (Picture-boxed)

 

Edition Details:
•Filmography

•Still Gallery in slideshow format

•Music selections from the film.

 

DVD Release Date: April 9th, 2002
Keep Case inside a handsome cardboard sleeve
Chapters: 14

Release Information:
Studio: Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan)

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterbox - 1.61:1 (Picture-boxed)

 

Edition Details:
• Director Filmography (in Chinese)

• Synopisis (in Chinese)

.

DVD Release Date: February 9th, 2004
Keep Case
Chapters: 9

.

Comments:
ADDITION: Madman (R4) - Dec 06' - This Madman (R4) DVD is excellent anamorphic quality, a possible a port from the Greek DVD that is supervised by the director. The picture is sharp (the screen caps don't make full justice), and has a beautiful depth. I believe that the shade of blue / gray in the pictures is from the original color timing. It seems that the film laboratory that cut and preserved the film negative, has handled it with rough hands. The transfer is full of dirt and dust, especially the first ten minutes. It doesn't disturb very much, but is unnecessarily careless. Overall this is a great DVD. The DD 2.0 sound is strong. I'm not so enthusiastic about the yellow subtitles. Can't Madman provide optional white subs? Still full marks!

 - Per-Olof Strandberg

****

ADDITION- TriangleFilm / Sandrews - Region 2- PAL - Oct 06': It appears for the English-speaking world Mr.. Angelopoulos is not getting any digital respect. Arvid dug up this Swedish version that surpasses all the others but its flaw would be a lack of English subtitles. For many who know the film well - it may not be necessary. Regardless the English-locked viewers continue to wait.

****

ADDITION - New Yorker - Region 1 - NTSC (Aug 06'): Well, I'm sure there is a release of this Angelopoulos' film 'Eternity and a Day' somewhere out there on DVD - I just don't happen to own it. New Yorker has uncharacteristically not 16X9'ed this image and it is disappointing. There is a black border circumventing the frame limiting horizontal resolution. It has 'combing' and our assumption is that it is not transferred progressively.

I've become particularly sensitive to boosting and the hyped black levels on the Xin Sheng Dai have ruined that release for me - it looks paper thin and colors are affected to the negative. What I am saying is that the New Yorker looks the best of these three but is only suitable for tube viewing. It is far from what it could be.

Audio was clear and fairly consistent and the New Yorker subtitles are the best - translation-wise and visually.

Where the New Yorker improves is in the extras - there is over 30 minutes of featurettes with some decent material and there are some text screen poems. Those anxious to see this masterpiece should go for the New Yorker of these three, but just don't expect much in terms of the image. Hopefully we can review the Angelopoulos Boxset soon to see other digital releases - however this film is not in that package.      

*****

ADDITION - Xin Sheng Dai (TW) - Region 0 - NTSC: Well, it is a definite improvement over, what may be the worst DVD in my collection, the Brazilian Versatil edition. Infinitely sharper, brighter and with better subtitles the Xin Sheng Dai is far from perfect - it is non-progressive and exhibits a very strange uneven frame which I have left in the screen caps for you to see. The black-level boosting is outrageous. This will undoubtedly be left invisible to those tube watchers with over scan present. It also has a green haze. Truly though this is a night and day comparisons with my only positive points about the Versatil are that it allowed me to see the film, love it and then seek out an alternate version - and you also get the separated music in the Brazilian release which is quite handsomely packaged.

*****

I had never ordered a DVD from Brazil before, but with the help of my good friend Gregory was able to order Theo Angelopoulos's "Eternity and a Day". I had wanted to see the film for some time and as it is nowhere on the horizon for my normal trusted DVD distributors I decided to take a chance.

For image quality, I have seen worse DVDs, but not too much worse. The picture was pretty bad, even worse than VHS I would guess. Hazy, dark, washed out colors... and it was consistent throughout. The sound quality was a little better than the picture, but would still not be considered acceptable my many. The Extras are pretty much as expected; filmography, stills, but a nice addition was all of the music from the film which plays in track sequence. A good idea! the Packaging is also very nice. a Keep case inside a cardboard sleeve ( similar to "Love Letter" ). Another nice touch... this would be a stellar DVD if it only had the most important feature: a strong picture.

What I found kind of humorous was one of the Extras was a Photo Gallery. Usually these consist of captures of a lesser quality than the DVD image itself. in this case they were actually BETTER than the DVD! :) . The film is great, but the DVD is not worth picking up. out of   

Gary W. Tooze




DVD Menus

 

AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL LEFT vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL RIGHT

 

 

.

New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC

.



(Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC RIGHT)

 

 


Screen Captures

 

Subtitle Sample

 

(AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL TOP vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL 2nd vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC 3rd vs. Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC 4th vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC BOTTOM)

 

 


Screen Captures

 

(AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL TOP vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL 2nd vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC 3rd vs. Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC 4th vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC BOTTOM)

 

 

 

 


 

(AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL TOP vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL 2nd vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC 3rd vs. Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC 4th vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC BOTTOM)

 

 

 


 

(AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL TOP vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL 2nd vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC 3rd vs. Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC 4th vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC BOTTOM)

 

 

 


 

(AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL TOP vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL 2nd vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC 3rd vs. Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC 4th vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC BOTTOM)

 

 

 


 

(AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL TOP vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL 2nd vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC 3rd vs. Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC 4th vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC BOTTOM)

 

 

 

Report Card:

 

Image:

Madman

Sound:

-

Extras: New Yorker
Menu: New Yorker

 

AV Channel / Madman - Region 4 - PAL LEFT vs. TriangleFilm/ Sandrews - Region 2- PAL MIDDLE vs. New Yorker - Region 1- NTSC RIGHT

DVD Box Cover

 

Distribution

AV Channel / Madman

Region 4 - PAL

Triangelfilm / Sandrews

Region 2 - PAL

New Yorker - Region 1 - NTSC

Versatil (Brazil) - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC RIGHT

 

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

Versatil  Region 0 - NTSC Xin Sheng Dai (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC

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