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Cinema Guild (Project X)

Region 1 - NTSC

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.19 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Trailers for
• Making of Documentary (34:59)

DVD Release Date: November 3rd, 2009
Keep Case

Chapters 12

This was my introduction to the work of German director Christian Petzold, and I must say that the film left me quite impressed. Defying any sort of genre classification, I was never sure exactly what to expect next. What we have, however, are a series of characters put into situations where they do truly appear to be ghosts, drifting inside of a world in which they inhabit, but do not fit comfortably. The cast is wonderful here, and in a film with universally strong performances, Sabine Timoteo as Toni really stands out as a reckless and impetuous youth who thinks little of using people to get whatever she wants at the moment. The film is really quite wonderful, and I certainly recommend it to anyone.

The release from Cinema Guild - Project X, while not perfect, is relatively strong. My main concerns here come from the image. While it likely could have been sharper, the image is never overly dull to the point of being a fault. Moreover, their are some noticeable edge manipulated halos and, while I was unable to confirm it with a clear example, some scenes do appear to have minor combing which suggests that the disc is not progressive. However, these details are relatively minor and in the general scheme of things, didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film. The audio is quite good here, presented in the original German (with a few lines of French) and no discernible manipulation or background noise. The subtitles are clear and easily read without distracting from the image. Finally, besides trailers for four of Petzold's films, there is a, nearly 35 minute long, "making of..." documentary that combines raw footage of scenes being shot with interviews with the cast. While I'm not usually the biggest fan of such extras, this one proved to be a rewarding and informative piece.

Overall, the film itself is quite strong and while the disc does have some faults, its still worth picking up. Recommended.

 - Brian Montgomery

CLICK to order from:

Cinema Guild (Project X)

Region 1 - NTSC