The Serpent's Egg Blu-ray

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

(aka "Ormens ägg" or "Das Schlangenei")

USA / West Germany 1977

In 1977, legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman teamed up with the equally legendary Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis for what would be the director s one and only Hollywood feature.

Berlin, 1923. Out-of-work circus performer Abel Rosenberg (David Carradine) is living in poverty. When his brother commits suicide, he moves into the apartment of his cabaret singer sister-in-law (Liv Ullmann), but the pair soon attract the attentions of both the police and a professor with a terrifying area of research when they start to make enquiries about his mysterious death.

One of Bergman's darkest and most unlikely films, The Serpent's Egg is a hypnotic, Kafkaesque tale of paranoia in a poisoned city.

***

Ingmar Bergman comes very close to camp in this 1977 study of life (or lack thereof) in the decaying Berlin of the 20s--how else to take exchanges like "Go to hell!" "Where do you think we are?" David Carradine and Liv Ullmann suffer mightily and at length, but the unmitigated anguish has no shape or substance, apart from pointing out that Nazis and their progenitors were not nice people. To that extent, it's simply exploitative.

Excerpt of Dave Kehr's Chicago Reader comments located here

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 26th, 1977 - Sweden

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Comparison:

MGM - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Arrow Academy - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT

2) Criterion - Region FREE Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) Arrow- Region FREE Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers

Distribution	MGM Region 1 - NTSC	Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE- Blu-ray	Arrow Academy Region FREE- Blu-ray
Runtime	1:59:12	1:59:48.306	1:59:29.453
Video	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.38 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One: 49,138,103,012 bytes Feature: 22,808,266,752 bytes Video Bitrate: 21.85 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One: 47,343,374,062 bytes Feature: 35,206,103,232 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.82 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate: Criterion: Blu-ray
Bitrate: Arrow Blu-ray
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps
Subtitles	English, French, Spanish, None	English, none	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.66:1 Edition Details: Original English audio Commentary by David Carradine "Away from Home" featurette (19:32) "German Expressionism" featurette (5:35) Photo gallery (47 in click-thru slideshow) Original theatrical trailer (widescreen, unrestored 3:18) DVD Release Date: February 10th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: 24	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One: 49,138,103,012 bytes Feature: 22,808,266,752 bytes Video Bitrate: 21.85 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • shares the Blu-ray Disc with *The Touch* • Away From Home (15:48) Blu-ray Release Date: November 20th, 2018 Custom Blu-ray Case Chapters 22	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One: 47,343,374,062 bytes Feature: 35,206,103,232 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.82 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio Commentary by actor David Carradine • Bergman's Egg a newly filmed appreciation by critic and author Barry Forshaw (25:42) • Away From Home, archival featurette including interviews with David Carradine and Liv Ullman (15:54) • German Expressionism, archival interview with Author Marc Gervais (5:36) • Stills gallery (15:40) • Theatrical trailer (3:18) • Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork choices • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Geoffrey Macnab Blu-ray Release Date: December 4th, 2018 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 13

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Arrow Academy - Region FREE Blu-ray (January 2019): Apparently Serpent’s Egg on Criterion is from a 2017 Swedish restoration and the Arrow is from an MGM Master. I can't verify that with absolute certainty but there are some differences from the Criterion and the Arrow 1080Ps.

NOTE: Arrow says: "The restoration that Criterion and Arrow are using is one and the same. I think the confusion may have stemmed from the fact that MGM supplied it to us directly, but it’s exactly the same master."

The Arrows has cooler skin tones and is a bit sharper with the max'ed out bitrate (not sharing the Blu-ray with another film as the Criterion does). I would consider the differences cancel each other out (newer restoration vs. more technically robust transfer) but it is nice to have options. They look similar enough that most will not have issue with either video or audio (both 24-bit linear PCM mono). The differences come in the extras where Arrow duplicate the only supplement on the Criterion - the 16-minute featurette "Away From Home". This piece features excerpts from a 2004 program on "The Serpent's Egg" and has interviews with actors David Carradine and Liv Ullmann and film historian Marc Gervais - but add much more including the Carradine commentary found on the MGM DVD as well as Bergman's Egg a newly filmed 26-minute appreciation by critic and author Barry Forshaw and German Expressionism, a short archival interview with author Marc Gervais. Plus the Arrow offers a stills gallery, theatrical trailer and the package has a reversible sleeve featuring two artwork choices and the first pressing purchasers get an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Geoffrey Macnab. The supplements are an important part of appreciating this enigmatic work from Bergman and the Arrow is the one to own for those keen on understanding The Serpents' Egg.

***

The Criterion Blu-ray of The Serpent's Egg is part of their Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema 100th Anniversary 30 Blu-ray Boxset (reviewed HERE). The Serpent's Egg shares this Blu-ray with The Touch. See comparative captures, a listing of technical details, extras etc., on this page.

NOTE: Yes, as has been leaked, we can now confirm that this Blu-ray set is Region FREE!

"The Serpent's Egg" comes to us from a new 2017 transfer from a 35mm duplicate of the negative.

Though not as impressive a transfer as some other films in this gargantuan set, it is still a welcome addition to Blu-ray. The film shares a disc with Bergman's "The Touch" and has a moderate bitrate. The immediate thing you will notice regarding this transfer is the different color grading when compared to the older SD DVD version. The Blu-ray tones down the warm reds, allowing for a paler look, especially when it comes to skin tones. The overall palette of the film could be described as mustard-relish-brown (hot-dog?). Detail is still an improvement over the DVD. If this palette was the intended look (which I'm guessing it was) then this Blu-ray is an improvement over the DVD. Contrast is healthy though could show a more varied range of blacks. This is most likely due to the fact that this must have been the best print available to Criterion. There is a fair amount of heavy grain in the picture, giving the film a certain texture although it enhances the presentation's lack of depth.

As with the other releases here, the film has a linear PCM Swedish track. There are optional English subtitles on this Region-Free Blu-ray.

The sole extra here is a 16-minute featurette "Away From Home". This piece features excerpts from a 2004 program on "The Serpent's Egg" and has interviews with actors David Carradine and Liv Ullmann and film historian Marc Gervais.

Bergman's dark political thriller "The Serpent's Egg" gets a nice release here as part of Criterion's massive Blu-ray collection of Bergman films. Unless a better print is found (original negative?) of this release, this is the best the film has looked to date.

Colin Zavitz

***

ON THE DVD: It should be noted here the events that have transpired in regards to the MGM Boxset - originally scheduled for release on February 10th, 2004. Two of the 5 films, Shame and Hour of the Wolf, were not originally set in their proper aspect ratio of 1.37:1, but altered to 1.66:1. The Internet community banded together to voice their displeasure at this bastardization, and MGM have showed they were listening and are making amends by delaying the Boxset citing problems with "two of the films". More information can be found HERE. I am unsure if the other three films in the Boxset will be available individually, but I was fortunate enough to get my hands on this copy prior to the MGM announcement.

Although The Serpent's Egg DVD shows some good film grain, I don't think its quite as sharp as The Passion of Anna. This non-anamorphic image is acceptable, but not stellar. I found no instances of dirt or debris and the aspect ratio appears to be maintained. I am slightly concerned, as with Passion, in the redness of the skin tones which again appears to be present. Contrast is good and there is no visible signs of digital manipulation. There are some plentiful, if weak at times, Extras with two short featurettes, a commentary, a trailer and a photo gallery. out of