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Madame DuBarry [Blu-ray]
(Ernst Lubitsch, 1919)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Projektions-AG Union (PAGU) Video: Eureka - Masters of Cinema - Spine #92
Disc: Region: 'B'-locked (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:54:13.888 Disc Size: 47,504,662,578 bytes Feature Size: 35,750,882,688 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.55 Mbps Chapters: 17 Case: Transparent Blu-ray case Release date: September 22nd, 2014
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: LPCM Audio Score 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras: • Als Ich Tot War (37:46)
DVD of the feature and extra
Bitrate:
Description:
Before Ernst Lubitsch created his eminently sophisticated
Hollywood sex comedies, he was at work in Germany perfecting
his earliest entries into the genre, alongside sweeping
ironic dramas based on historical events and often set in
exotic locales. One of his earliest successes merged
elements of both modes: Madame DuBarry.
The Film: It is also as a cinematician that Mr. Lubitch and whoever may have been responsible with him have won distinction. The settings seem truly of the Paris of the latter eighteenth century, and the costuming and habits of the people portrayed are harmonious with them. And few spectacles, if any, have surpassed the scenes of the street crowds and revolutionary mobs, which increase in number and importance as the story hurries to its final scene—du Barry at the guillotine. The French Revolution has never been so vividly pictured, probably, as in this photoplay. "What is was, as ugly as it was, and as human, is forcefully presented, which means dramatically. Excerpt from the NY Times located HERE
In 1919, before Ernst Lubitsch was known for his famous "touch," the
master director made something like nine films--a perfect opportunity
for an artist to really practice his craft. Even he had to start
somewhere. Excerpt from Combustible Celluiloid located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. I was very anxious to see the restoration by FW-Murnau-Stiftung for Madame DuBarry - and looking at this Blu-ray from The Masters of Cinema it's hit the ball out of the park. Wow. The image quality is extremely impressive - the tints are bright - bordering on vibrant. The contrast and detail are beyond my expectations and it is simply wonderful in-motion with only some predictable scratches scattered throughout. This Blu-ray provides a fabulous 1080P presentation. Visually this gets high marks as the screen captures below should indicate.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Masters of Cinema use a linear PCM 2.0 channel at 2304 kbps which is fairly robust for a Silent film. But I found William Axt's intense score does wonders for the viewing experience. It sounded magnificent - rich and supportive of the 'French Revolution' aura. There are optional English subtitles for the original combined French + German intertitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.
Extras : Extras include the, once thought lost, Ernst Lubitsch’s earliest surviving film, a 1916 comedy, Als Ich Tot War running almost 38-minutes, being a dual-format editions - a DVD of the feature and extra, and MoC have one of their impressive booklets (36-page full-color) containing new essays on each of the films by critic and filmmaker David Cairns, and rare archival imagery.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze September 4th, 2014
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. 60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD
Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD
Player APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V Gary W. Tooze
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