Criterion Collection - Spine # 198

Region 1  - NTSC

1:37:1.00 Original Aspect ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.85 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.35
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

Disc Size: 48,331,051,730 bytes

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

Criterion

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E-M-S

Blu-ray

German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), DUB: DD2.0 (mono) Italian

Release Information:
Studio: Home Vision Entertainment

Aspect Ratio

1:37:1

• New high-definition digital transfer 
• Video introduction by director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine, Safe) (22:44)
• Interviews with actress Brigitte Mira and editor Thea Eymèsz (24:57)
• Short film Angst isst Seele auf(2002) (12:32)
• Signs of Vigourous Life: New German Cinema, a 1976 BBC television program (32:17)
• Excerpt from The American Soldier starring Margarethe von Trotta  (2:43)
• Original theatrical trailer (3:03)
• New and improved English subtitle translation 
• Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition 

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2003
Double Keep Case
Chapters: 21

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect ratio - 1.33:1

2-DVD edition (both are DVD-9)

Edition Details:

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Jürgen Jürges, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• Introduction from 2003 by filmmaker Todd Haynes (22:47)
• Interviews from 2003 with actor Brigitte Mira (25:01) and editor Thea Eymèsz (22:28)
• Shahbaz Noshir’s 2002 short Angst isst Seele auf, which reunites Mira, Eymèsz, and Jürges to tell the story, based on real events, of an attack by neo-Nazis on a foreign actor while on his way to a stage performance of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s screenplay (12:34)
• Signs of Vigorous Life: New German Cinema, a 1976 BBC program about the film movement of which Fassbinder was a part (32:21)
• Scene from Fassbinder’s 1970 film The American Soldier that inspired Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (2:45)
• Trailer (3:05)
• PLUS: An essay by critic Chris Fujiwara

Blu-ray Release Date: September 30th, 2014
Transparent Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 20

ADDITION: (September 2014) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray: Criterion's new 4K transfer of Fassbinder's Ali: Fear Eats the Soul looks marvelous. I had not seen the film for years and the 1080P resolution, authenticating colors and raising detail, was like viewing the film for the first time. The visuals seem a shade darker than the SDs but overall contrast takes a giant stride forward. Film grain textures are evident and this definitely feels like 'film' as opposed to 'video'. I was very impressed with the HD presentation cited as 'supervised by director of photography Jürgen Jürges'.

Audio remains faithfully flat with a linear PCM monaural soundtrack, in original German. The uncompressed sound was clean with some depth, and all dialogue easily audible. There are optional English subtitles on the region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

Supplements duplicate Criterion's, stacked, 2002, 2-disc DVD with the 23-minute introduction by filmmaker Todd Haynes, interviews (also from 2003) with actor Brigitte Mira (25:01) and editor Thea Eymèsz (22:28) - Shahbaz Noshir’s 2002, 12.5 minute, short Angst isst Seele auf, which reunites Mira, Eymèsz, and Jürges to tell the story, based on real events, of an attack by neo-Nazis on a foreign actor while on his way to a stage performance of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s screenplay. There is the 1/2 hour Signs of Vigorous Life: New German Cinema, 1976 BBC program about the film movement of which Fassbinder was a part and a 3-minute scene from Fassbinder’s 1970 film The American Soldier that inspired Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. Lastly we have a trailer and the package contains a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic Chris Fujiwara.

An absolute must-own film for cinephiles the world over and Criterion have given us the definitive Blu-ray package that gets our highest recommendation! 

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