If ever there was a reason to own a region-free DVD player....

I haven't watched the three discs all the way through but have done some extensive sampling to reach these conclusions.

While I can appreciate Facets giving a decent attempt at a 'package' here - they are still miserable failures on the digital transfer front. The second disc is single-layered and overall the image is much darker. In short the Artificial Eye set - also imperfect - is far in advance of this Facets representation of Tarr's masterpice film. Depending on the system it can be a humungous difference - like night and day. Facets have even cheaply duplicated the exact same static menus screen for all three feature discs.

NOTE: The term 'director approved' seems to get thrown around a lot these past few years. What is can mean is the director endorses the print that the digital transfer is made from. It, very infrequently, means he/she approves the final encode - where anything can happen - from cropping to incorrect standard conversion. The fact that this Facet's package is labeled as 'director approved' is fairly meaningless. 

I didn't give a thorough test to the audio but it too seems, like the image transfer, at the weaker end of the scale.

Facets have tried with a fourth disc inclusion (single-layered). It includes Tarr's TV version of Macbeth (1982 - 63 minutes 4:3 interlaced), Journey on the Plain (1995, 34 minutes - color), Prologue (2004, 5 minutes, 4:3 letterboxed - interlaced) and 5 minutes on the restoration which states Facts as initiating the removal of 500,000 pieces of dirt and debris, scratch repair etc. from the print. There is also a 24-page linter notes booklet which includes the text of "A Symposium at Facets" with Susan Doll in conversation with Jonathan Rosenbaum. The latter may be the best part of this set.

In an age where DVD production companies are producing high-definition digital transfers on Blu-ray disc - I'm afraid Facets appears as a techno-dinosaur with their work only really acceptably viewable on old tube TVs (the smaller the better). They have some amazing licensed works in their stable of films but need a strong influx of cash to support them to modern standards. This is almost as bad as Fox/Lorber's stuff from more than a decade ago. The extras are a positive attempt although they too lack any type of impressive representation. So despite this we really have no alternative but to continue to recommend the Artificial Eye package (currently half the price of the Facets) - which we strongly encourage to those both uninitiated to the film or post-appreciating it.  

ON THE ARTIFICIAL EYE: Despite the presence of macro-blocking and visible blocks of difference shades of grey pixels, when zooming in, the transfer looks great. Strong blacks, no visible artefacts while viewing, strong details.