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

ADDITION: Second Run Blu-ray (February 2023): Second Run have transferred Vojtech Jasný's The Cassandra Cat to Blu-ray. It is cited as "presented from a new 4K restoration by the Czech National Film Archive". The HD presentation starts with this text introduction:

"The goal of this digital restoration was to make the film available in a form similar to how audiences would have seen it at the time of its initial release in 1963. The Cassandra Cat was distributed on 35mm prints with either 1:1.85, 1:2.35 or 1:2.55 aspect ratio. This is a restoration of the 1:2.55 manifestation with a four track magnetic sound.

The image was digitised from the intermediate positive preserved by Narodni filmoq archiv, Prague, and the sound was digitised from film prints preserved by Filmoteka Narodowa — Instytut Audiowizualny and the National Film Institute Hungary — Film Archive, and from the original negative preserved by Narodni filmovy. archiv, Prague.   

The digital restoration of this film was made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kueerova and Mr. Eduard Kudera and was carried out in 2021 at 12Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, under the supervision of Narodni filmovy archiv, Prague, with the support of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. This film was restored using the outputs of the NAKI DF13P010VV006 "Methodology of Digitising the National Film Fund in the Czech Republic" project."

Wikipedia tells us: "Maintaining the film's original colour scheme proved to be a challenge due to its "multi-coloured experimental celluloid techniques"

It looks very pleasing in 1080P on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. It is in the super widescreen of 2.55:1, colors are rich - notable reds. There can be a bit of thickness and a few cue blips but is a very appreciated restoration and digital rendering. The film's colorization effects are delightful.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Second Run use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (16-bit) bump in the original Czech language. I would have thought mono would have been a superior choice. The Cassandra Cat has no demonstrative aggressive sequences that come through with modest depth and score by Czech composer Svatopluk Havelka (The Ear), sounding clean with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Second Run offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Second Run Blu-ray offers a 'Projection Booth' audio commentary with Mike White, Spencer Parsons and Chris Stachiw. They discuss how this is a "Live action, original fairy tale" and how critique of the government is snuck into the narrative, as well as the 'narrator' character played by Jan Werich who has over 35 writing credits including the screenplay and dialogue for The Cassandra Cat. They share observations on the allegorical manner of the storytelling, the taxidermy, the children, the many close-ups and much more. These guys are enjoyable and intelligent. I found it a very informative commentary. Included is the 1/4 hour animated short Incorrectly Drawn Hen (Spatne namalovana slepice) from 1963 about a creative student's outlet. It was directed and written by Jiri Brdecka, co-writer of The Cassandra Cat. There is a trailer and the package has a liner notes booklet featuring a new, expansive essay by author Cerise Howard.

Vojtech Jasný's The Cassandra Cat is delightful. It involves the shattering of a ‘black and white’ life view - that had the children's imagination hindered. Enter a visiting circus cat who exposes the villagers true nature via color like a full-body mood ring. Jonathan Rosenbaum referred to The Cassandra Cat in the Chicago Reader as a "genuine oddity from 1963 Czechoslovakia" and described it as "whimsical, likable, and inventive" and likened it to a cross between the Pied Piper and Bye Bye Birdie. He also wrote that it is "one of the best early examples of the Czech New Wave". Notably - Ivan Passer (Cutter's Way) worked on The Cassandra Cat as an assistant director. The Second Run Blu-ray is exceptional - a 4K restoration, max'ed out bitrate, edifying commentary, short animated Czech film and a booklet. Absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze