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

ADDITION: Second Run Blu-ray (March 2022): Second Run have transferred Karel Kachyna's Coach to Vienna to Blu-ray. It is cited as "presented from an HD transfer of the new 4K restoration by the Czech National Film Archive." Initial screens inform us the digital restoration is from the original image and sound negative. It is in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate, and the resulting 1080P image quality is highly impressive - equal kudos to the stark black and white cinematography by Josef Illík. There is some inherent softness but the HD presentation is wonderful showing subtle grain while there is depth and pristine contrast. This looked absolutely marvelous on my system. 

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Second Run use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Czech, German and Russian languages. Coach to Vienna has few strongly aggressive moments with minor gunfire. Mostly it is sounds of the forest, the carriage and horses plus consistently exported dialogue. The striking classical score is credited to Jan Novák and is reminiscent of Mozart and Bach. It sounds beautiful adding to the impressive black and white visuals. It is one of my favorite parts of this presentation. Second Run offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Second Run Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historians Mike White, Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger. Coach to Vienna reminds Samm of Peter Strickland's Katalin Varga similar pacing and storyline plus they discuss relationships to other films like František Vlácil’s Marketa Lazarová and seeing Karel Kachyna's film as a kind of revenge-drama. They talk about Iva Janzurová and her limited dialogue (how much of Coach to Vienna is a one-sided conversation), the film being very much like a play, the stunning cinematography by Josef Illík, how Coach to Vienna leaves so many open-ended questions and is disorienting. It's informative and I always appreciate their well-researched analysis and observations. It's Not Always Cloudy (Není stále zamraceno, 1950) is Karel Kachyna’s long unseen feature-length, semi-documentary propaganda and graduation film, co-directed by Vojtech Jasný. It follows the gradual improvement of the state farm somewhere in the Krušné hory borderland, where new settlers come after the expulsion of the German population. There is a trailer and image gallery. The package has a 20-page booklet featuring a new essay on the film by writer Jonathan Owen. 

Karel Kachyna's Coach to Vienna is such a brilliant, mysterious Czech gem. The setting is a delightful fog-shrouded wood picked up poetically by the black and white cinematography. Shade is always prevalent from the large forest trees with light peeking through providing a suspicious, foreboding atmosphere as Krista readies her revenge - preparing more mentally than with the hidden axe and misplacing guns of her two Nazi soldier kidnappers. It has a sobering conclusion slowly built from the subtle tension of the journey. There is such a appealing balance of the serene setting and curious sense of mounting anticipation. I really enjoyed this Second Run Blu-ray package from the unexplained circumstances of the plot to the edifying commentary, documentary and included booklet. This has our highest recommendation!

Gary Tooze