Woyzeck Blu-ray - Klaus Kinski

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Werner Herzog's Woyzeck")

directed by Werner Herzog
Germany 1979

Controversial German director Werner Herzog helmed this cinematization of +Woyzeck, playwright Georg Büchner's anti-military tale of depersonalization run amok. Utilizing the more grotesque elements of German expressionism, combined with his own sense of the outrageous, Herzog plunges us directly into the middle of his story of a soldier (Klaus Kinski) who is conditioned to be an unthinking killing machine through lab experimentation. His one vestige of humanity is his love for the beautiful Marie (Eva Mattes), but even this is corrupted when he is goaded into murdering the girl. An earlier film version of +Woyzeck, filmed in 1947, was released in the U.S. in 1981.

Poster

Theatrical Release: August 24th, 1979 - USA

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Comparison:

Anchor Bay (UK) - Region 0 - PAL vs. Anchor Bay (US)- Region 0 - NTSC vs BFI (Werner Herzog Collection - 8-Disc Blu-ray Box Set) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Big thanks Pavel Borodin for all the screen captures!

1) Anchor Bay UK - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT

2) Anchor Bay US - Region 0 - NTSC MIDDLE
3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	Anchor Bay Region 0 - PAL	Anchor Bay Region 0 - NTSC	BFI Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:17:18 (4% PAL speedup)	1:20:33	1:19:45.666
Video	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.95 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.77 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,559,442,238 bytes Feature: 23,373,801,024 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: PAL
Bitrate: NTSC
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	LPCM Audio German 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English, and none	English, and none	English, and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.66:1 DVD5 Edition Details: • Trailer • Film notes • Talent bios • Photo gallery DVD Release Date: 2 September, 2002 Keep Case Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.66:1 DVD5 Edition Details: • Trailer • Talent bios • Color, Widescreen • Widescreen anamorphic format DVD Release Date: August 15, 2000 Keep Case Chapters 23 *This DVD can be purchased individually or in the 6 disc Kinski/Herzog Boxset found at Amazon HERE	Release Information: Studio: BFI 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,559,442,238 bytes Feature: 23,373,801,024 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Handicapped Future (43:43) • The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Stein (45:41) • Huie's Sermon (41:48) • Theatrical Trailer (3:16) • Stills Gallery (2:29) Blu-ray Release Date: August 25th, 2014 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters: 12

Comments:

NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (August 14'): This is a very substantial improvement from the old SDs. The screen captures below easily indicate the superiority of the 1080P image. Flesh tones become more natural, colors tighten, detail rises, depth is apparent, it ha a max'ed out bitrate... It also shows more information in the frame. We may get the US "Herzog: The Collection" version from Shout! Factory to compare, but as it stands this particular release is an impressive upgrade.

Audio is lossless - a linear PCM in original German mono. There is no real score but dialogue is clean and audible and there are optional English subtitles.

Extras are fabulous and include three Herzog documentaries - each running about 45-minutes. Handicapped Future was made in 1971 at the request of a disabled friend of Herzog's, specifically in order to raise awareness for the cause of the disabled in West Germany. The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Stein is a study of the psychology of a champion ski-jumper, whose full-time occupation is carpentry, and Huie's Sermon is a 1981 documentary film made for television by Werner Herzog. It consists almost entirely of a sermon delivered by Huie Rogers of the Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Brooklyn. There is also a theatrical trailer and stills gallery.

We will continue to cover more of these new Herzog Blu-rays in the BFI package. Stay tuned!

***

ON THE DVDs: Pretty easy choice - as with our Fitzcarraldo comparison HERE its easy to see the Region 1 is much sharper. Colors are the same on both and both look a little saturated to me. The Region 2 has a Photo Gallery addition in the Extras that the Region 1 doesn't (why would Anchor Bay remove it ? - perhaps to fit on on DVD5? - but both are DVD5). Anyway, pick up the Region 1 - alone or in the Boxset.

- Gary W. Tooze

Menus

(Anchor Bay UK - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Anchor Bay US - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Screen Captures

1) Anchor Bay UK - Region 0 - PAL - TOP