(aka 'The Red and the White')
Directed by
Miklós Jancsó
Hungary / Soviet Union 1967
Set in 1919, during the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Miklós Jancsó’s
The Red and the White is a war film unlike any other. In the brutal Civil
War which took place, Hungarian volunteers supported the ‘Red’ revolutionaries
in a war of attrition against the ‘White’ counter-revolutionaries who were
seeking to restore the old Czarist order.
Through its stylistic virtuosity, ritualistic power and sheer beauty, Jancsó
invites us to study the mechanisms of power almost abstractly and with a cold
eroticism that clearly portrays the utter futility of war. Although the film was
an Hungarian-Russian co-production, the Russian authorities banned it from being
shown anywhere in the Soviet Union. Miklós Jancsó is arguably the key
Hungarian filmmaker of the sound era.
Theatrical Release: September 20th, 1968
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Second Run DVD - Region 0 - PAL
| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution | Second Run DVD - Region 0 - PAL | |
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Alternate DVD Version -
in Region 1 Kino has released this title but the transfer is quite poor
and there are no extras - see comments at Digitally Obsessed
HERE.
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| Runtime | 1:26:54 | |
| Video |
2.35:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.60 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate: |
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| Audio | Hungarian / Russian (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
| Subtitles | English, None | |
| Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Message
of Stones (Kövek üzenete) - Budapest: The first film in Miklós Jancsó’s
renowned but rarely-seen documentary series Message of Stones. |
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| Comments: |
The source print's image is quite inferior and those weaknesses have been transferred to the Second Run PAL DVD. Now I have looked high and low and can't seem to find my Region 1 Kino copy of this film (I know I have it as I've seen the film at least 3 times via it!), but if recollection serves me well - it was actually even poorer than this UK DVD. Hopefully we will throw up some comparison captures to verify this soon. It is very likely that the haziness of much of the DVD image is inherent in the film itself although I have no way to verify that at this point. The transfer itself appears quite solid although I did see a few minor instances of 'combing' which may have resulted from the 'alchemist' system of digital replication. Again - only my best guess. Audio also had some weakness but it did not impinge upon my viewing experience. Nice bonus with this DVD is Jancsó’s first film in his documentary series Message of Stones. This is pretty rare stuff that you are not likely to see anywhere else. A 20-page liner notes booklet is included with photos and an interview with Miklós Jancsó conducted by writer/critic Andrew James Horton. I applaud Second Run for bringing out this astonishing film in a less-than-stellar appearance that they will no doubt be criticized for. I can't think of many political films in the last century that are at this level and we strongly recommend the film with serious doubts that it will ever look or sound better on the DVD medium. |
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| DVD Box Cover |
|
CLICK to order from:
|
| Distribution | Second Run DVD - Region 0 - PAL | |
|
|
Alternate DVD Version -
in Region 1 Kino has released this title but the transfer
is quite poor and there are no extras - see comments at Digitally Obsessed
HERE.
|
|
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