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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Nostalghia" or "Nostalghiya" or "Nostalgia" or "Nostalgiya" )

 

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/tarkovsky.htm
Italy 1983

 

A Russian academic (Jankovsky) visits Italy as part of his research on the life and work of a composer who has committed suicide. He engages in an estranged relationship with his translator (Giordano), and eventually shares his existential agonies with a solitary person (Josephson) labeled as mad by the community.

Tarkovsky follows here the Bergmanesque line of psychodrama as his main character, profoundly influenced by these two encounters, is led towards the ultimate struggle for individual catharsis.

The dark, permanently wet setting, reminiscent of Stalker and The Mirror, supplants the typical Tarkovsky reticence with some unique metaphysical allusions. The slow-moving camerawork may rend some scenes infuriating but the mystic beauty which emanates from the film - sequences like the one where the madman is burned in a square under the sounds of Beethoven's ninth symphony - gives Nostalgia an awe-inspiring, even disturbing vision of man's struggle for true faith.

Excerpt of Spiros Gangas' review at the Edinburgh Film Society located HERE

Posters etc.

Theatrical Release: May 1983 (Cannes Film Festival)

Reviews                                                                              More Reviews                                                                   DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC vs. Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT

 

Box Covers

 

 

 

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

 

 

 

  

Distribution

Fox / Lorber

Region 0  - NTSC

Enter One

Region 3  - NTSC

Kino Classics
Region 'A' -Blu-ray

Artificial Eye (UK)

Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Runtime 2:05:28 2:00:28 2:05:40.115 2:05:48.083
Video

1.61:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.59 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.73:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.1 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.66:1 - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 40,076,860,921 bytes

Feature:38,801,9889,632 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1.66:1 - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 36,648,540,871 bytes

Feature: 36,281,444,352 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:

Fox

 

Bitrate: Enter One

 

 

Bitrate: Kino Blu-ray

 

 

 

Bitrate: Artificial Eye Blu-ray

 

 

 

Audio Italian/Russian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby) 

Italian/Russian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby) 

LPCM Audio Italian 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles English, and none English, Korean, and none English, and none English, and none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Fox / Lorber

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterbox - 1.61:1

Edition Details:
• Theatrical trailer
• Production Credit etc. text screens

DVD Release Date: January 13, 2004
Keep Case

Chapters 9

Release Information:
Studio: Enter One

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.73:1

Edition Details:

• 20-page thick liner notes booklet with photos (text in Korean)

DVD Release Date: August 5th, 2005

Transparent Keep Case
Chapters: 11

Release Information:
Studio:
Kino Classics
 

1.66:1 - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 40,076,860,921 bytes

Feature:38,801,9889,632 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
• Trailer (3:02)

Blu-ray Release Date: January 21st, 2014
Standard
Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 10

Release Information:
Studio: Artificial Eye
 

1.66:1 - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 36,648,540,871 bytes

Feature: 36,281,444,352 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Mary Wild Introduction (2:35)

• Selected scene commentary with Film Psychoanalyst Mary Wild (16:39 - Part 6 - Melancholia and Nostalgia)
•  Interview with screenwriter Tonino Guerra (7:53)

•  Interview with Marina Tarkovsky (2:10)

36 page booklet

 

Blu-ray Release Date: September 19th, 2016
Standard
Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 12

 

 

 

Comments

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

ADDITION: Artificial Eye - Region 'B' Blu-ray - September 2016: Curzon / Artificial Eye provide another two-Blu-ray package for one of their new Tarkovsky film-to-1080P releases. Unfortunately, there is some obvious digitization present on this release. The visuals appear overly bright and waxy. It is devoid of texture. It is accurately in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio.

The UK Blu-ray also uses a linear PCM track but it is less robust than the Kino at 1536 kbps and only 16-bit. The traditional Russian folk song, Kumushki, heard over the opening credits doesn't export the depth noted on the Kino - also absent on the Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. It is clean and clear with optional English subtitles on the region 'B'-locked Blu-ray disc.

AE include a second Blu-ray of extras with Film Psychoanalyst Mary Wild's Introduction and her visual essay 'Andrei Tarkovsky's metaphysical dream zone' - Part 6;The Melancholia and Nostalgia running 16.5 minutes. There are also interviews with screenwriter Tonino Guerra and a brief, already seen piece with Marina Tarkovsky. There is also a booklet in the package - that I have not been privy to, yet.

While Kino's Blu-ray was not ideal - Artificial Eye's image quality would be considered a disappointment. The supplements remain interesting but those discerning in regards to DNR should steer clear.

***

ADDITION: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (January 2014): Kino's new Blu-ray of Tarkovsky's Nostaghia shows itself very favorably as compared to the weaker SD releases. Colors are exported more realistically, detail and contrast improve (very notable in the black and white sequences), there are more film textures and we get a smidgeon of additional information within the, very specific, 1.66:1 frame. There are still some rough patches and speckles but Nostaghia is certainly a film that demonstratively benefits from a 1080P transfer - the film is filled with so many beautiful shots.

Kino offer a decent linear 2.0 channel PCM in the original Italian. Nostalghia features wonderful music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Giuseppe Verdi (Requiem), as well as Russian folk songs. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is featured prominently and all of this advances under the lossless rendering. It really brings the imagery together beautifully. There are optional English subtitles on the region 'A'-locked disc.

Unfortunately, the only extra is a trailer but I have to admit seeing the film in the improved video and substantially improved audio was close to seeing it for the very first time. Magnificent. Tarkovsky fans should snap this Blu-ray up and let's keep our fingers crossed for more of the director's work in 1080P. Please.

 - Gary W. Tooze

 

***

 

ON THE DVDs: Unless you are looking closely you might not even consider this to be the same film. Drastic brightness, color, and aspect ratio variances as well as subtitle translations leave a real dent in this films comparative appearance. Neither issue is recommended at this point. The Enter One looks strangely like the Artificial Eye - PAL release compared HERE (in fact, I'll bet it is a direct PAL port with Korean subs, menus added - note the 5 minute time difference). Both releases are dark, but the edge enhanced Fox/Lorber makes certain characters almost invisible while the anamorphic Enter One is significantly brighter it is also considerably hazier. The Enter One is cropped on all 4 edges and like the Fox/Lorber leaves a black border around the frame limiting horizontal resolution. Audio is quite poor on both but distractingly so on the Enter One. We may pick-up the Ruscico edition although I'm not expecting it to be much better. Let's be patient and wait for a superior release.

 

If you are forced to get a DVD copy to view the film, then we apprehensively recommend the Artificial Eye PAL release HERE since the 2nd disc supplements also include -   Tarkovsky's own documentary "Tempo di viaggio" (1983) and the feature-length documentary by Italian director Donatella Baglivo.

 - Henrik Sylow

 


Menus

(Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - RIGHT)


 

Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

Artificial Eye - Disc 1 - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

 

Artificial Eye - Disc 2 - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 


 

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

 

Subtitle Samples

 

1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM



Screen Captures

1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Fox-Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Enter One- Region 3 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Kino Classics - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - THIRD

4) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

 

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Box Covers

 

 

 

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

 

 

 

  

Distribution

Fox / Lorber

Region 0  - NTSC

Enter One

Region 3  - NTSC

Kino Classics
Region 'A' -Blu-ray

Artificial Eye (UK)

Region 'B' - Blu-ray


Hit Counter


Report Card:

 

Image:

Kino Blu-ray

Sound:

Kino Blu-ray

Extras: Artificial Eye Blu-ray





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gary Tooze

Many Thanks...