Arch of Triumph - Ingrid Bergman

(aka 'Triumphbogen')

Directed by Lewis Milestone
USA 1948

Paris 1938, city of last resort for the stateless, including a surgeon (Boyer) whose obsession with a Nazi sadist (Laughton) leaves him vulnerable to deportation and ill-prepared for romance with Ingrid Bergman. The original Remarque novel is too hefty to fit into two hours screentime, and if Milestone chooses to focus on the tale of the doctor's revenge and his doomed romance, he also breathes life into an assembly of supporting roles: concierge, café proprietor, a general reduced to night-club doorman, none of whom is played for comic relief. Bergman seems out of place as an Italian/Romanian good-time girl, but Russell Metty gives harsh light and inky shadow to seedy hotel rooms we'll see again in Touch of Evil ten years on.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 17th, 1948

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DVD Review: Kinowelt Home Entertainment - Region 2,8 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Kinowelt Home Entertainment - Region 2,8 - NTSC
Runtime	2:12:28
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.36 mb/s NTSC 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 1.0), DUB: German (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Subtitles	German, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kinowelt Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Documentary on Ingrid Bergman (1:09:32 in English) • Discussion of Sternberg and Remarque (in German - no subtitles) • trailers (mostly in English) DVD Release Date: July 6th, 2007 Custom Digipak (see image below) Chapters: 18

Comments:

NOTE: The Feature is in NTSC and the bonus features are in PAL!

This dual-layered transfer is only suitable for CRT viewing - it is rife combing (an interlaced source) - see last capture. There is also horizontal banding producing abundant macro-blocking and some chroma bug evident (see capture identifying below). None of these deficiencies should hinder television tube viewing to any strong degree. English mono audio is acceptable but not stellar and there is a German DUB optional as are German subtitles. The film is a good war-romance and Bergman's visage steals the show, although some decent camerawork makes it pleasant viewing.

Supplements on disc two include a good hour+ long documentary (in English) on Ingrid Bergman with input from many of her colleagues, contemporaries and friends. This vaults the DVD into recommendation territory. For those keen on the era, or Bergman herself, you will enjoy the package.