|
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'Miraculous Virgin' or 'The Miraculous Virgin' or 'The Wonder-Maid')
Directed by Stefan Uher
Czechoslovakia 1967
|
Adapted by
The Sun in a Net director Stefan Uher from the
renowned 1944 novella by Dominik Tatarka, the film is an
exquisite, surreal odyssey through the Slovak art scene
of the 1960s. The mysterious Anabella (Knife
in the Water's Jolanta Umecka) casts a spell
over a group of young artists to become their muse,
awakening desires and providing inspiration. Few works
have embraced or expressed the notion of artistic
fervour as wholeheartedly as The Miraculous Virgin. Second Run present Stefan Uher's The Miraculous Virgin on region-free Blu-ray and DVD editions which also includes Uher's breathtaking 1959 short film Marked by Darkness (Pozna ení tmou), an all- new documentary about the film and its legacy produced by the Slovak Film Institute, and a rare vintage featurette 'Looking for Anabella' - a short archival documentary on the filmmaker's search for the titular lead - plus a booklet with a new essay on the film by Michal Michalovi. |
Posters etc.
 |
 |
 |
Theatrical Release: January
20th, 1967Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review:
Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray| Box Cover |
|
| Distribution |
Second Run |
| Runtime |
1:36:33.833 |
| Video |
Disc Size: 31,953,114,433 bytes Feature Size: 24,076,677,120 bytes Average Bitrate: 29.39 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video |
|
Bitrate:
Second Run Blu-ray
|
|
| Audio |
LPCM Audio Slovak 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
| Subtitles | English, None |
| Features |
Release
Information: Studio: Second Run
Disc Size: 31,953,114,433 bytes Feature Size: 24,076,677,120 bytes Average Bitrate: 29.39 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
Chapters: 12 |
| Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Second Run's package is advertised as "presented from a brand new 2K restoration of the film from original materials by the Slovak Film Institute". IMDb lists the film as being shot for 1.66:1 but this transfer aspect ratio is 1.37:1 and composition looks correct to me. The image is extremely impressive - layered contrast, bright, depth and reasonably tight with texture. I thought this dual-layered, 1080P, Blu-ray looked clean and very pleasing in-motion. I also loved Stanislav Szomolányi's cinematography.
The audio transfer is via a linear PCM 2.0 channel mono track (24-bit). There are few aggressive effects that comes through with hints of depth. There is a score by Ilja Zeljenka (Uher's The Sun in a Net, Dragon's Return) and it suits the film's shifting moods. Second Run add optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.
Second Run extras include Marked by Darkness (Pozna ení tmou,
1959) - a playful short film (16:50) by Stefan Uher that reminded me a
bit of Jean Cocteau. The Story of 'The Miraculous Virgin' is an
all new, 24-minute, documentary on the film, the talents behind it and
its legacy, produced by the Slovak Film Institute. Looking for
Annabella is a short archival documentary on the filmmaker's search
for the titular lead including time at the audition process. There is
also a trailer and the package has a booklet featuring new writing on
the film by Michal Michalovi. Miraculous Virgin is a wonderfully imaginative, mixed genre, surreal transcendent effort with a poetic sensibility providing an enjoyable film-experience with themes involving desire, expectation, fantasy, art and much more. On top of that the Blu-ray presentation is sweet.... and there are some relevant extras. Strongly recommended to fans of 60's Czech or world cinema in general. I thought it was fabulous on many levels. - Gary Tooze |
Menu - Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Box Cover |
|
| Distribution |
Second Run |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
|
Gary Tooze
|
|
Thank You!
