(aka "Zentropa" )
directed by Lars von Trier
Denmark 1991
“You will now listen to my voice . . . On the count of ten you will be in Europa . . .” So begins Max von Sydow’s opening narration to Lars von Trier’s hypnotic Europa (known in the U.S. as Zentropa), a fever dream in which American pacifist Leopold Kessler (Jean-Marc Barr) stumbles into a job as a sleeping-car conductor for the Zentropa railways in a Kafkaesque 1945 postwar Frankfurt. With its gorgeous black-and-white and color imagery and meticulously recreated (if then nightmarishly deconstructed) costumes and sets, Europa is one of the great Danish filmmaker’s weirdest and most wonderful works, a runaway-train ride to an oddly futuristic past ***
“Europa”, later renamed “Zentropa”,
tells the story of a young naļve
American, who comes to Germany after the
war, to help rebuild the country, but
ends up as a conductor in a sleeping
wagon, and is slowly drawn into the
shame and guilt of the nation. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: May 12, 1991 (Cannes Film Festival)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Electric Parc/Tartan (The Lars von Trier Collection - 4 disc) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC
Big thanks to Henrik Sylow for the artan and Electric Parc and Gregory Meshman for the Filmax!
NOTE: The Tartan is exactly the same as the Electric Parc edition!
(It is 100% identical to the one from Electric Parc, except the cover and the booklet are translated into English)Reviewed HERE
DVD Box Cover |
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Distribution |
Electric Parc Region 2 - PAL |
C riterion Collection - Spine # 454Region 1 - NTSC |
Runtime | 1:47:23 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:52:04 |
Video |
2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced
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2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate : Electric Parc |
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Bitrate : Criterion |
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Audio | 2.0 Dolby Digital English, 5.1 Dolby Digital English, 2.0 Dolby Digital German (dub) | 2.0 Dolby Digital English, German, Danish |
Subtitles | Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, English, German, French, Dutch and None | English, and None |
Features |
Release
Information: Studio: Electric Parc
Aspect Ratio:
Edition
Details: Chapters 13 |
Release
Information: Studio: Criterion
Aspect Ratio:
Edition
Details: Chapters 17 |
Comments |
ADDITION: Criterion -
Region 1 - NTSC - November 08': The image is
as the image is - it has some subtle, and
overt, shifting in styles and I don't see
too much difference between the Criterion
and the Electric Parc/Tartan editions (by
the way, reviewed fully
HERE). The
Criterion does show more information along
the left edge - colors may be more 'real' on
the Criterion (skin tones) but both seem to have the same
amount of digital noise. Weighing all the plus and
minuses the Criterion (also progressive and
dual-layered) nudges ahead in the image
department - possibly because it shares the
disc with less supplemental material. I did see some very infrequent
combing on the Criterion making me suspect
the alchemist transfer method was utilized -
but it also may have been another style
intent - I can't be 100% sure. NOTE: Gregory was kind enough to send us some of the non-anamorphic Filmax Region 2 - PAL captures but it seems that it is out of contention in the running for image supremacy of Europa. Both Tartan/Electric Parc and Criterion offer subtitles - Criterion only in English and the PAL edition in a variety of language choices. Both also offer 2.0 channel audio but I believe the Electric Parc provides a German DUB as well. Extras - Criterion duplicates audio commentary featuring director Lars von Trier and producer Peter Aalbęk Jensen (in Danish, with English subtitles) but loses the one with Lars von Trier, Jean-Marc Barr and Udo Kier. On a second dual-layered disc the Criterion repeats the Anecdotes from Europa (2005), a short documentary featuring interviews with film historian Peter Schepelern, actor Jean-Marc Barr, producer Peter Aalbęk Jensen, assistant director Tómas Gislason, co-writer Niels Vųrsel, and prop master Peter Grant and the The Making of “Europa” (1991), a documentary following the film from storyboarding to production. What's new? - we get Trier’s Element (1991), a documentary featuring an interview with von Trier, and footage from the set and Europa’s Cannes premiere and press conference. Anecdotes from Europa (2005), is a short documentary featuring interviews with film historian Peter Schepelern, actor Jean-Marc Barr, producer Peter Aalbęk Jensen, assistant director Tómas Gislason, co-writer Niels Vųrsel, and prop master Peter Grant. Some interesting 2005 interviews with cinematographer Henning Bendtsen (about Dreyer!), composer Joachim Holbek, costume designer Manon Rasmussen, film-school teacher Mogens Rukov, editor/director Tómas Gislason, producer Peter Aalbęk Jensen, art director Peter Grant, actor Michael Simpson, production manager Per Arman, actor Ole Ernst. There is a conversation with Lars von Trier from 2005, in which the director speaks about the “Europa” trilogy and a short film, entitled Europa—The Faecal Location from 2005 by Gislason. There is a 12-page liner notes booklet featuring a new essay by critic Howard Hampton. Nothing new - Criterion gives us some extensive supplements on a masterpiece film - with the best looking transfer - as far as we are aware. Recommended! Gary Tooze *****
ON THE
ELECTRIC PARC (TARTAN): |
DVD Menus Electric Parc
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Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC
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Disc 2
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Screen Captures
1) Tartan and Electric Parc The Lars von Trier Collection - 4 disc - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) Filmax - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM
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1) Tartan and Electric Parc The Lars von Trier Collection - 4 disc - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) Filmax - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM
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1) Tartan and Electric Parc The Lars von Trier Collection - 4 disc - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) Filmax - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM
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Criterion Commentary subtitle sample
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More Criterion captures
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