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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "The Battleship Potemkin" or "Bronenosets Potyomkin" or "Броненосец Потёмкин" or "The Armored Cruiser Potemkin" or "The Battleship Potyomkin" or "Bronomzidi Potiomkini")
directed
by Sergei M. Eisenstein
Soviet Union 1925
Probably one of the most surprisingly unwatched of
the classic genre films, Sergei Eisenstein’s Bronenosets
Potyomkin ( Battleship Potemkin ) made in 1925 has not
maintained a distinctive impact on modern audiences. It
was voted the greatest film of all time at the Brussels,
Belgium, World's Fair in 1958 and the following year
``Citizen Kane'' had its giant re-release and went to
the top of the list for the next 40+ years.
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Posters
Theatrical Release: April 28th, 1925 - Soviet Union
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Kino (The Ultimate Edition - 2-disc) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Films Sans Frontieres (Part of the Eisenstein l'intégrale Box) - Region 0 - PAL vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Eureka (UK) - Region 2/4 - PAL vs. Kino - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Big thanks to Mikkel Svendstrup of DVDsnak and Ole of DVD-Basen for the DVD Screen Caps!
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DVD "Ultimate" Package
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(Films Sans Frontieres - Region 0 - PAL vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. - Eureka - Region 2/4 - PAL - RIGHT)
DVD Box Covers |
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Distribution |
Films Sans Frotieres Region 0 - PAL |
Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC |
Eureka |
Distribution | Kino - Region FREE Blu-ray | Kino - Region 0 NTSC |
Films Sans Frotieres Region 0 - PAL |
Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC |
Eureka Region 2/4 - PAL |
Runtime | 1:12:01.358 |
Disc 1 : 1:09:06 Disc 2: 1:08:42 |
1:10:59 | 1:14:06 | 1:13:09 |
Video |
Disc Size: 43,365,400,976 bytes Feature Size: 18,006,675,456 bytes Average Bitrate: 27.40 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video 1080P |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.26 + 6.48 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s |
1.25:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: N/A mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.29:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.29:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: Kino Blu-ray |
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Bitrate: Kino Ultimate Edition Disc 1 |
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Bitrate: Kino Ultimate Edition Disc 1 |
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Bitrate:
Films sans frontieres
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Bitrate:
Image
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Bitrate:
Eureka
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Distribution | Kino - Region FREE Blu-ray | Kino - Region 0 NTSC |
Films Sans Frotieres Region 0 - PAL |
Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC |
Eureka Region 2/4 - PAL |
Audio | DTS-HD Master Audio 4151 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4151 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) | Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 | DD mono & stereo ( 3 different scores) | Dolby Digital 2.0 stere0 |
Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 |
Subtitles | Inter-titles in translated English or Inter-titles in original Russian with optional English subtitles | Disc 1:
Inter-titles English Disc 2: Inter-titles in Russian with optional English subtitles |
French, English (removable) | None (Inter-titles in Russian and English) | None (Inter-titles in Russian and English) |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Kino
Disc Size: 43,365,400,976 bytes Feature Size: 18,006,675,456 bytes Average Bitrate: 27.40 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video 1080P
Edition
Details: Chapters 20 |
Release Information: Studio: Kino Aspect Ratio: Edition
Details: Chapters 12 X 2
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Release Information: Studio: Films Sans Frotieres Aspect Ratio: Edition
Details: Chapters 8 |
Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Edition Details:
Chapters 12
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Release
Information: Chapters 15 |
Comments: |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Kino - Region FREE' Blu-ray - April 2010: I guess the important thing is that Kino have done an acceptable job here. Unlike their own 'Ultimate" DVD package the image transfer is progressive and is obviously improved (contrast, detail) in 1080P resolution. The Blu-ray appears to have NTSC running time - not PAL speedup although I'm unsure of the frame-rate situation. Bottom line their it is longer than the 'Ultimate' by about 3-minutes. More detail is shown threw the lighter contrast and at times the restoration can look quite impressive showing reasonably consistent grain. Scratches can gain prominence in the HD resolution. More good-news - they offer both the original Russian intertitles (with optional English subtitles) and pre-translated to English title cards - although not seamlessly branched. Each 'version' is about 18 Gig on the dual-layered disc. NOTE: I only used the Russian intertitles as samples below. We again get original 1926 Edmund Meisel score performed by the Deutsches Filmorchestra, but now offered in a lossless, powerful, DTS-Master 5.1 at a whopping 4151 Kbps. I prefer the crispness of the score to any perceived mix opportunities - but in-all it works quite well offering another expression for the home theater presentation. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.No new extras but the 8-part, 42-minute Tracing Battleship Potemkin is transferred in HD although I didn't find this significant to the appreciation. There are also the galleries - looking strong. There are 6-pages of film notes by Bruce Bennett. Great stuff Kino! - We can state with confidence that this is the definitive version of the Eisenstein classic - everything is done adeptly (you didn't screw this up). Could Kino be one of the 'heroes' of the new format? With The General, Fallen Angels and Ballast. It truly is a 'new age' and we fully endorse the Battleship Potemkin Blu-ray! **** ADDITION: Kino Ultimate Edition - Oct 07': I'll be brief - the new Kino Ultimate Edition has two discs - a dual-layered first disc featuring the 'restored' film with newly translated English intertitles. It also has a photo gallery and a 42 minute documentary entitled 'Tracing Battleship Potemkin' in a lot of Russian with English subtitles. Disc two is single-layered and has the 'restored' film with original Russian intertitles and optional English subtitles. Both are interlaced and feature the original 1926 Edmund Meisel score performed by the Deutsches Filmorchestra, offered in 5.1 or 2.0 flavors. Although it has interlaced combing, the image is improved (especially in the area of contrast) and shows extensively more in the frame. Audio sounded very strong. I am still investigating why the Kino version(s) are short than the older NTSC editions - I suspect it is from an unconverted PAL source (this might also explain the ghosting/combing). Gary Tooze *** NOTE: The superior version expected from BFI, is not forthcoming yet. READ HERE. "80 years after its first screening in Russia and 100 years after the events it portrays, Battleship Potemkin will be presented for the first time in a newly reconstructed version. This presentation of the film will screen as a special event of the Retrospective section during the 55th Berlin International Film Festival. This new reconstruction of the Russian premiere version includes, for the first time, the Russian intertitles with their original graphics as well as Leo Trotsky's opening words. What is more, the changes and cuts carried out, for instance, on the famous staircase sequence as a result of the film's reworking and censorship have been corrected." **** ADDITION: Films sans frontieres (Feb-2005) - This disc is available either alone or as a part of the French
Eisenstein 4-disc l’integrale box released by Films sans Frontieres. The
box consists of 8 films; each DVD-9 disc contains two films. The Eureka has been brightened and I see edge-enhancement. Because of the digital processing it is less sharp than the Image Entertainment DVD. The aspect ratio is the same and the damaged spots on the film are the same, so it appears that Eureka have just done some contrast boosting in an attempt to improve the image quality, but in essence their manipulations have only lessened its clarity. I don't have any reason why the times are slightly different and Ole who owns the Eureka disc did not some "ghosting" prevalent when the production is from one standard taken to another. Bottom line: Stick with the Image Entertainment for now. |
Kino - Region FREE
Blu-ray Menus
DVD Menus
Ultimate Edition - Disc 1
Disc 2 - Ultimate Edition
(Films Sans Frontieres - Region 0 - PAL)
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(Image - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. -
Eureka - Region 2/4 - PAL - RIGHT)
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Screen Captures
Ultimate Edition samples:
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1) Kino Ultimate Edition - Region 0 - NTSC - Disc 1 TOP 2) Kino Ultimate Edition - Region 0 - NTSC - Disc 2 SECOND 3) Films Sans Frontieres - Region 0 - PAL THIRD4) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - FOURTH5) Eureka - Region 2/4 - PAL - FIFTH 6) Kino - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
1) Kino Ultimate Edition - Region 0 - NTSC - Disc 1 TOP 2) Kino Ultimate Edition - Region 0 - NTSC - Disc 2 SECOND 3) Films Sans Frontieres - Region 0 - PAL THIRD4) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - FOURTH5) Eureka - Region 2/4 - PAL - FIFTH 6) Kino - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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DVD Box Covers |
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Distribution |
Films Sans Frotieres Region 0 - PAL |
Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC |
Eureka Region 2/4 - PAL |
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Gary Tooze
Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA |
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Many Thanks...