The Passion of Joan of Arc Blu-ray

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

(aka "The Passion of Joan or Arc" of "La passion de Jeanne d'Arc" )

France 1928

With its stunning camerawork and striking compositions, Carl Th. Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc convinced the world that movies could be art. Renée Falconetti gives one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film, as the young maiden who died for God and France. Long thought to have been lost to fire, the original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981—in a Norwegian mental institution.

SYNOPSIS: One of the most emotional film experiences of any era, Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 The Passion of Joan of Arc is a miracle of the cinema, an enigmatic and profoundly moving work that merges the worlds of the viewer and of saintly Joan herself into one shared experience of hushed delirium.

Dreyer's film charts the final days of Joan of Arc as she undergoes the degradation that accompanies her trial for charges of heresy - through her imprisonment and execution at the stake.

The portrayal of Joan by Renée Maria Falconetti is frequently heralded as the all-time finest performance in the history of film, and Dreyer's unusual and virtuosic method, in seeming to render the very soul of his actress, vaulted the director decisively into the ranks of the art form's supreme geniuses.

The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present The Passion of Joan of Arc in its worldwide Blu-ray première, in an exclusive new restoration, presented in both 20fps and 24fps playback speeds, and featuring Dreyer's own original Danish-language intertitles, available in THREE formats-Blu-ray, DVD, and Ltd Edition Dual Format (DVD & Blu-ray) SteelBook editions.

Posters (CLICK RIGHT poster for larger version)

Theatrical Release: 21 April 1928

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Criterion Collection - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Sky Cinema (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Peter Ax for the Sky Cinema DVD Captures

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Sky Cinema- Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers			Also available in a Limited Edition Steelbook:
Distribution	Criterion Collection Region 0 - NTSC	Sky Cinema (Korea) Region 0 - NTSC	Masters of Cinema - Spine #125 - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:22:19	1:22:02	20 Frames/s version: 1:36:12.958 24 Frames/s version: 1:20:11.000 La Duca Version: 1:17:42.000	20 Frames per second version: 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,445,095,732 bytes Feature: 18,172,606,464 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 21.99 Mbps
Video	1.33 : 1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: ? mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33 : 1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.89 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	24 Frames per second version: 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,445,095,732 bytes Feature: 15,149,494,272 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 21.99 Mbps	La Duca version: 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,445,095,732 bytes Feature: 14,498,300,736 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 21.99 Mbps
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate: Criterion .	Cannot Obtain
Bitrate: Sky Cinema
Bitrate: 20 Frames per second Blu-ray
Bitrate: 24 Frames per second Blu-ray
Bitrate: La Duca version Blu-ray
Audio	English (Silent) (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)	Silent (Dolby Digital 1.0), Music (Dolby Digital 5.1)	LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, Spanish, and none	Korean, English, and none	English, and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by Casper Tybjerg, Dreyer scholar from the University of Copenhagen • Production notes • The film is accompanied by Richard Einhorn's *Voices of Light, an original orchestral work inspired by the film and performed by renowned choral ensemble Anonymous 4, the Nederlands Radio Choir and the Nederlands Radio Philharmonic • Notes on Voices of Light*, including interviews, essays, photographs and medieval texts used for the libretto • Interactive essay on the film's production and the life and trial of Joan of Arc • Multimedia history of the film's many versions • Restoration demonstration & extensive production design archive DVD Release Date: November 9, 1999 Keep Case Chapters 23	Release Information: Studio: Sky Cinema (Korea) Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33 : 1 Edition Details: • Carl Theodor Dreyer Filmography • Notes on the Film (in Korean) DVD Release Date: 2004-02-17 Keep Case Chapters 23	Release Information: Studio: Masters of Cinema Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 20 Frames per second version: 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,445,095,732 bytes Feature: 18,172,606,464 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video 24 Frames per second version: Feature: 15,149,494,272 bytes La Duca version: Feature: 14,498,300,736 bytes Total Video Bitrate for all 3: 21.99 Mbps Edition Details: • Presented in both 20fps and 24fps playback speeds • Optional audio tracks: a piano score performed by Japanese silent film composer Mie Yanashita (for the 20fps option), and a radical accompaniment by esteemed American avant-garde musician Loren Connors (for the 24fps option) • Newly translated optional English subtitles for Dreyer's original Danish intertitles • The complete "Lo Duca" version of the film - the version (featuring an alternate edit and soundtrack) that circulated in France and around the world for decades before the rediscovery of Dreyer's "director's cut" • Restoration Demonstration (2:36) • Extended illustrated A 100-PAGE BOOK containing: Writing on the film by Jean Drum & Dale D. Drum about the film, replete with extensive quotations from Dreyer, Falconetti, and more; a contemporary review of the film by H.D. (the poet Hilda Doolittle); a new English translation of the 1930 review of the film by Luis Buñuel; a short 1951 excerpt about the film from writing by André Bazin; a new translation of the 1953 essay about the film by Chris Marker; two short pieces about the film and cinema in general by Carl Theodor Dreyer from 1929 and 1950; a new essay by scholar Casper Tybjerg unpacking the version history of the film; a selection of the production’s set-design blueprints, photographs of physical set-models, and onset stills, all reprinted in high-resolution courtesy of the Danish Film Institute; a detailed technical note on the MoC restoration, versions presented, and frame-rates presented; and rare and archival imagery. Blu-ray Release Date: November 19th, 2012 Custom Blu-ray Case Chapters 9 / 9 / 16

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - October 12': The Masters of Cinema package is... WOW. It constitutes an exclusive new MOC restoration supervised and produced by James White and it is immensely impressive. In this lone dual-layered Blu-ray we get the 20fps version (1:36:12) with the option of both Silent or 2005 piano score performed by Japanese silent film composer Mie Yanashita, the 24fps playback (1:20:11) in silent or with interesting accompaniment by revered American avant-garde musician Loren Connors - starting after the prologue - or the complete 1950's "Lo Duca" version of the film disowned by Dreyer - generally considered a butchering of his artistic vision - yet, it remains a unique curiosity. All three are in 1080P and with the same bitrate. The captures below are from the 20 frames per second transfer - which seems to be the same image quality as the 24 frame rendering. The Lo Duca version is quite inferior. There is, predictable, contrast flickering but detail in close-ups is... miraculous. You can see tears glinting in the light, make-up, facial and nose hair - looking amazingly crisp. The screen captures below can speak for themselves and I'll only say this has drastically exceeded my expectations. Damage is cleared and grain textures are not readily present - and while more would have been appreciated - after reading the liner notes book I see it is no fault of the transfer. I was blown away by the HD presentation.

The scores are offered in a linear PCM at 1536 kbps. I get the feeling that, like Richard Einhorn's Voices of Light score - the Yanashita piano accompaniment will only grow in my appreciation. So will the cool, funkier Loren Connors composition. Both scores sound impressive in lossless and add more beauty to the incredible images.

There is a brief 'Restoration Demonstration' with a couple of split screens and the package contains a 100-page illustrated book containing (as described by MoC): writing on the film by Jean Drum & Dale D. Drum about the film, replete with extensive quotations from Dreyer, Falconetti, and more; a contemporary review of the film by H.D. (the poet Hilda Doolittle); a new English translation of the 1930 review of the film by Luis Buñuel; a short 1951 excerpt about the film from writing by André Bazin; a new translation of the 1953 essay about the film by Chris Marker; two short pieces about the film and cinema in general by Carl Theodor Dreyer from 1929 and 1950; a new essay by scholar Casper Tybjerg unpacking the version history of the film; a selection of the production’s set-design blueprints, photographs of physical set-models, and onset stills, all reprinted in high-resolution courtesy of the Danish Film Institute; a detailed technical note on the MoC restoration, versions presented, and frame-rates presented; and rare and archival imagery.

What more can we say - one of the most anticipated and wonderful Blu-rays of 2012 - to date. The Passion of Joan or Arc leaves everyone speechless - one of the true miracles of cinema and now looking better than ever in the new format. It's like a dream come true.

***

ON THE DVDs (2002): I'd say chances are about 95% that the Korean is legit. I had a conversation with 2 different people from Criterion regarding the Korean ports about a year ago. At first they acted like they didn't know what I was referring to, but they finally relented and admitted that they did indeed license some supplements to some Korean companies. They don't like the fact publicized since the Korean ports in many cases are significantly less money and often Region 0 (i.e. Notorious). I can't speak for this particular title, but I have confirmed that The Seventh Seal, Notorious, Rebecca, and The Magic Flute are all legit.

Jeff Adkins

All of our evidence suggest that the Korean Sky Cinema DVD is possibly a BOOTLEG of the Criterion - the time difference is the exact amount for the Criterion logo, damage marks are exact, subtitles are exact and slightly brightened - unless Sky Cinema has the NTSC license for this (given them by Criterion... it is a possibility as stated above) then they have simply ported the Criterion DVD - a good job , but they choose not to get all the Criterion wonderful Extras. DVDBeaver does not support the illegal obtaining of copy written material for the purpose of resale. We will immediately inform Criterion. If we ever come to a conclusion, we will post it here. Right now we are suspicious.