Saraband Blu-ray - Liv Ullmann

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

(aka "Anna" or "Sarabande')

Sweden 2003

With his final film, Ingmar Bergman returned to two of his most richly drawn characters: Johan (Erland Josephson) and Marianne (Liv Ullman), the couple from Scenes from a Marriage. Dropping in on Johan’s secluded country house after decades of separation, Marianne reconnects with the man she once loved. Nearby, the widowed musician Henrik (Börje Ahlstedt), Johan’s son from an earlier marriage, clutches desperately to his only child, the teenage Karin (Julia Dufvenius). A chamber piece performed by four wounded characters and suffused with disappointment and forgiveness, Saraband is a generous farewell to cinema from one of its greatest artists.

***

Ingmar Bergman is back. With a vengeance. "Saraband" is not what might be expected from a venerable director with six decades of experience who will turn 87 next week. But Bergman has never been an ordinary filmmaker, and what he's given us is no genial last hurrah but rather an intensely dramatic, at times lacerating examination of life's conundrums that is exhilarating in its fearlessness and its command.

Named after a 17th century court dance, "Saraband" is the Swedish writer-director's first serious look at family relationships since 1983's "Fanny and Alexander." Characterized by costar Liv Ullmann as the most personal film Bergman has ever made, it is also proof that he still has both the passion for exploring psychological intricacies and the gifts to make that passion indelible.

Excerpt from Kenneth Turan's Review at the Los Angeles Times located HERE

Posters and Alternate DVD cover

Theatrical Release: December 1st, 203 - Swedish TV

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Comparison:

Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC vs. Tartan - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

Box Cover

Distribution	Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC	Tartan - Region 2 - PAL	Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:51:32	1:46:51 (4% PAL speedup)	1:51:51.496
Video	1.75:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.1 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.80 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	Disc Size: 49,873,870,959 bytes Feature Size: 17,566,500,864 bytes Average Bitrate: 17.59 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Sony
Bitrate: Tartan
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0)	Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0)	LPCM Audio Swedish 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English, French, Portuguese, None	English, None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Sony Pictures Aspect Ratio: Aspect Ratio 1.75:1 Edition Details: • 'The Making of Saraband' (43:48 - widescreen 4:3 with burned-in English subtitles) • Previews DVD Release Date: January 10th, 2006 Keep Case Chapters: 12	Release Information: Studio: Tartan Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Behind Saraband (43:53 / 16x9) • Persona Trailer (2:32 / 4:3) • Autumn Sonata Trailer (2:23 / 4:3) DVD Release Date: March 27, 2006 Keep Case Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Disc Size: 49,873,870,959 bytes Feature Size: 17,566,500,864 bytes Average Bitrate: 17.59 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • shares the Blu-ray Disc with Scenes From a Marriage (US Theatrical) Blu-ray Release Date: November 20th, 2018 Custom Blu-ray Case Chapters 18

Comments:

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

The Criterion Blu-ray of Saraband is part of their Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema 100th Anniversary 30 Blu-ray Boxset (reviewed, as a work in-progress, HERE). Saraband shares this Blu-ray with "Scenes from a Marriage (Theatrical Version)". See comparative captures, a listing of technical details, extras etc., on this page.

The Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) 1080P transfer is in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio on another dual-layered Blu-ray but has a modest bitrate. The HD presentation is better in every respect than the DVDs. Saraband was shot on digital and the 1080P looks clean and very tight with impressive detail despite the low-ish bitrate. The Blu-ray visuals look excellent.

Criterion transfer the audio via a liner PCM 2.0 channel stereo transfer at 24-bit in the original Swedish. The film's music is beautiful consisting of Bach, Anton Bruckner, Brahms, Robert Schumann etc. and it sounds very crisp in the uncompressed. There are optional English subtitles on the region FREE Blu-ray disc.

The are no extras for Saraband on this Blu-ray.

Saraband is a film that seems to improve each time I see it. Bergman expands on an earlier work, emotionally relevant and, another masterpiece. My only gripe is the lack of supplements for the film but the 1080P presentation and Criterion's massive Blu-ray package is richer with the inclusion of this work.

Gary Tooze

ADDITION: - Tartan - Region 2- PAL (March 06'): The two transfers are basically identical. Only when zooming in, does Tartan reveal slightly more variation in colors in the pixels. For normal viewing, this is undetectable and as such negligible.

As for the transfer itself, it is flawless, without any artifacts, kept in its original color scheme. It looks stunning.

- Henrik Sylow

***

Magnificent transfer from Sony Pictures - the sharpness and detail are quite impressive. I don't suspect any manipulations and colors look strong (shot digitally) and theatrically accurate. Audio is 2.0 channel and consistent throughout. Subtitles seem to capture all the translatable dialogue and my one complaint is a common one - the yellow subtitles. In the informative featurette 'The Making of Saraband' a no-nonsense Bergman again assures us that this is his last effort and I have no reason to disbelieve him. The film is a beautiful work of art and this digital edition merits a premature ranking as the best DVD of the Year so far. It may maintain that same status many months from now. It has our highest recommendation.

There is an MK2 Region 2 PAL edition of the film HERE (and a Swedish one too I believe) that made our DVD of the Year poll but I have no seen it and am unfamiliar with the transfer, extras etc. Nor am I even aware if it has English subtitles.

Gary W. Tooze

DVD Menus

(Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC LEFT vs. Tartan - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Subtitle Sample

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

Screen Captures

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC TOP

2) Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

More Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray Captures

Box Cover

Distribution	Sony Pictures - Region 1, 4 - NTSC	Tartan - Region 2 - PAL	Criterion (Ingmar Bergman's Cinema) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

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