ADDITION: BFI Nyman Edition - Nov 07': The BFI DVD with Michael Nyman's score uses the same source that the German Absolut Medien, although the BFI image looks as if it may be a shade sharper. The BFI disc is picture boxed (black borders on every corner) and the actual screen ratio on the DVD is 1:1.24. I believe that the OAR should be in 1:1.19 for these silent film. There's no subtitles during the film, only a brief introduction with Russian title card translations to English. It doesn't appear to exhibit the chroma found in the Arte and older BFI edition. For some it may be the one to get.

Per-Olaf Strandberg

****

On the First three posted: With these three releases of Dziga Vertov's essential "Man with a Movie Camera" we get quite a wide range of diverging quality. Let's start with the worst.

The already 7 year old BFI disc is the obvious loser. It lacks sharpness, detail and is full of artefacts (many of them are in color, which damages the black and white image severely). The screenshots should already give you an impression of this very poor transfer, yet it looks even worse in motion, particularly if you use a projector.

The choices of score here are the Alloy Orchestra and In the Nursery Scores. I know a lot of people who love the In the Nursery track, yet I've always been enamored with the Alloy Orchestra score, because it provides the perfect dynamic rhythm that the images demand.  

The only extra on the BFI release is an audio commentary by film historian Yuri Tsivian. Tsivian explains Vertov's revolutionary techniques and intentions, such as the concept of catching "life unawares" and ignoring the conventions of narrative cinema. It's a very informative and insightful track, certainly worth more than one listen.

In motion, the French arte and German absolut Medien releases look quite similar. Yet upon closer inspection I've found the German release to be the clear winner. No disc of "Man with a Movie Camera" that I have seen so far has displayed this sharpness, crispness and detail. The black and white imagery is beautifully preserved and the contrast is excellent throughout.

Just look at the very first screencap and you'll see the ranking immediately. While the French arte disc isn't quite as sharp and detailed as the German release, it is still far superior in quality to the disastrous BFI job.

Score-wise the German release disappointed me, due to the lack of the fantastic Alloy Orchestra score. This score isn't just my own personal preference, but is absolutely indispensable due to being faithfully based on Vertov's notes and musical instructions. Any DVD release of "Man with a Movie Camera" that wants to call itself "ultimate" must include this soundtrack. Just to further proof my point regarding this score, here's J. Hoberman's comment from the Village Voice:

"The three-man ensemble's original score (for Man with a Movie Camera) - a syncopated noise symphony that, at once homemade and high-tech, mixes radio transmissions, birdcalls, and police sirens- surpasses all expectations in its sensitivity to Vertov's wit, eccentricity, and sense of rhythm. ...A once-in-a-life-time experience."

 - Stan Czarnecki