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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Man I Killed" or "The Fifth Commandment")

 

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
USA 1932

 

"Often overlooked amongst director Ernst Lubitsch’s comedies and musicals, Broken Lullaby is a riveting and brilliant romantic drama from the pre-Code era, starring Lionel Barrymore (It’s a Wonderful Life), Nancy Carroll (The Kiss Before the Mirror), and Phillips Holmes (The Criminal Code).

Musician Paul Renard is haunted by the memory of Walter, a German soldier he killed during the First World War. He travels to Walter’s home town, and, passing himself off as a friend of the deceased, is taken in by his grieving family. But when he finds himself falling in love with Elsa, Walter’s fiancée, he becomes worried that the truth will emerge...

With a screenplay by regular Lubitsch collaborator Samson Raphaelson (The Shop Around the Corner, Heaven Can Wait), Broken Lullaby was rapturously received by critics at the time, with one describing it as ‘the most unusual and dramatic situation the screen has presented’."

***

A young French soldier in World War I is overcome with guilt when he kills a German soldier who, like himself, is a musically gifted conscript, each having attended the same musical conservatory in France. The fact that the incident occurred in war does not assuage his guilt. He travels to Germany to meet the man's family.

Posters

Theatrical Release: January 24th, 1932

Reviews                                                                More Reviews                                             DVD Reviews

 

Review: Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Also released on Blu-ray by Kino in 2020:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:17:35.400        
Video

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 24,588,302,574 bytes

Feature: 22,850,359,872 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.72 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -30dB

The Films of Ernst Lubitsch:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -30dB

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Indicator

 

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 24,588,302,574 bytes

Feature: 22,850,359,872 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.72 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Audio commentary with author and film historian Joseph McBride (2021)
• The Films of Ernst Lubitsch (2001): archival audio recording of a presentation by Scott Eyman, author of Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise, presented as part the British Film Institute’s 2001 Lubitsch retrospective at the National Film Theatre, London (1:17:13)
• The Men I Killed (2023): video essay on Broken Lullaby and Francois Ozon’s 2016 film Frantz, comparing their different cinematic approaches to adapting Maurice Rostand’s 1930 play, L'homme que j'ai tué, and its 1931 English-language translation, The Man I Killed, by Reginald Berkeley (13:15)
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Christina Newland, archival profiles of director Ernst Lubtisch, star Lionel Barrymore and screenwriter Samson Raphaelson, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits


Blu-ray Release Date: March 27th, 2023

Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 11

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (March 2023): Indicator have transferred Ernst Lubitsch's Broken Lullaby to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "2021 restoration from a 2K scan". I wish I had the 2020 Kino 1080P to compare as this must appears to be a newer transfer. Regardless, it still has some of the weaknesses of a film made 90--years ago. We can see marks and warping in scenes shifts. The image is generally quite soft but strong black levels raise the HD presentation. Without a film-level restoration this is the best we are likely to get. 

NOTE: We have added 46 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Broken Lullaby has aggressive battle-related sounds. It suffers from its production era in being slightly scattered and hollow but it is consistent. The score was by W. Franke Harling (By Candlelight, The Kiss Before the Mirror, Blonde Venus, Trouble In Paradise, Shanghai Express.) It supports the film well in the uncompressed transfer. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers the, previous, Kino commentary by Joseph McBride (author of How Did Lubitsch Do It?) He discusses the term 'shell shocked' (we now call PTSD), the director's ellipses, quoting some of the reviews of Broken Lullaby, the flamboyant theatrical approach of the film unlike standard, subtle, Lubitsch and much more. It is excellent. While watching the film you also have the option of listening to an archival audio recording of a presentation by Scott Eyman, author of Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise, presented as part the British Film Institute’s 2001 Lubitsch retrospective at the National Film Theatre, London. It is from 2001 and entitled The Films of Ernst Lubitsch - running 1 1/4 hours. The Men I Killed is a new video essay on Broken Lullaby and Francois Ozon’s 2016 film Frantz, comparing their different cinematic approaches to adapting Maurice Rostand’s 1930 play, L'homme que j'ai tué, and its 1931 English-language translation, The Man I Killed, by Reginald Berkeley. It runs shy of 1/4 hour. There is Indicator's usual image gallery of promotional and publicity materials and the package has a limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Christina Newland, archival profiles of director Ernst Lubtisch, star Lionel Barrymore and screenwriter Samson Raphaelson, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits.

Ernst Lubitsch's Broken Lullaby is a brilliant example of the director's poetic sincerity. Mordaunt Hall of The NY Times stated about Broken Lullaby; "further evidence of Mr. Lubitsch's genius, for, while it is tearful, its story is unfurled in a poetic fashion, with unexcelled performances..." It's another Lubitsch film that deserves more coverage from the opening montage sequence to his warning of WW2 and singular anti-war expression. Not a typical Lubitsch film but a great one. I am very happy the Indicator Blu-ray - the McBride commentary, Scott Eyman audio, new video essay and liner notes booklet. Our highest recommendation!

Gary Tooze

 


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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Also released on Blu-ray by Kino in 2020:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


 


 

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