ADDITION: Warner Archive - December 2010: The Warner Archive MOD disc is progressive, single-layered and anamorphic. There are no extras and no subtitles. There doesn't appear to be a large difference in the image quality between the two releases. The Warner may be marginally brighter and slightly cropped on the side edges. The French edition has PAL speed-up, an optional French DUB and subtitle choices plus some extras. Even with the current WBShop sale the French disc is still cheaper - and in stock. Only those with sensitivity to PAL speed-up, or who are locked to NTSC, should consider the Archive disc.

Gary Tooze

***

ON THE FRENCH DVD: This release of Fritz Lang’s 1955 picture from Warner France comes a few years before the exemplary Légendes du Cinema series, and its less than lustrous transfer, not to mention the snapper case belies its age. The disc is dual layered with the movie occupying one side of the disc with 4.13 Gig. The image quality is somewhat murky, image is a little soft and colors while clean have a brownish tinge. The print used is free of damage like speckles and surface marks but the DVD image is ultimately a slave to the typically early fifties Eastmancolor process. Nonetheless it’s a marked step up from Moonfleet’s only previous home video version on a 1995 Laserdisc which had dreadfully pumped up color with bleeding and sundry other problems. It’s a perfectly serviceable image, without ever looking brilliant, but I recommend it unreservedly for newcomers to the movie who are interested in Lang. And for Langians the disc is a no-brainer. Given the movie’s relative obscurity in English speaking repertory cinema I strongly doubt Moonfleet will see a major Region 1 makeover any time soon.

The two short bonus feature commentaries by Bernard Eisenschitz are lovingly and lucidly composed. Eisenschitz, like other French Langian cinephiles is able to probe and relate Lang’s thematic imagery and engage viewers effortlessly with the many levels of meaning in the picture. Happily the Shorts are also subbed (English only.) The original English Stereo soundtrack is clean and direct. And subtitles (I only checked French and English) are comprehensive.