Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

U.S. Version:

DTS Audio English 768 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit

DVD included

Bitrate:

 

 

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 

The Film:

When American audiences were permitted to see German filmmaker E.A. Dupont's Silent masterpiece Variety, it was the story of a carnival concessionaire (Emil Jannings), his alluring wife (Lya de Putti), and the handsome acrobat (Warwick Ward) who comes between them. Feeling doubly impotent because he himself had been a famous aerialist before suffering a crippling accident, Jannings fantasizes about killing his rival -- and, finally, does so. After serving a long prison term, Jannings is released by a compassionate warden, who feels as though the poor cuckold has suffered enough. This, again, is what Americans saw. In the original European version of Variety, which ran nearly twice as long as the U.S. print, Jannings deserts his wife (Maly Delschaft) when de Putti enters the scene. Moreover, he never marries de Putti, meaning that his only hold over her when Ward steals her away is an emotional one. Dupont had fashioned an ironic tale of a man suffering betrayal after having himself betrayed. The American censors wouldn't swallow that, nor would they pass the charming domestic scene wherein Jannings helps de Putti disrobe, unless the prologue involving Delschaft was chopped out and de Putti was transformed from mistress to wife. Though this sort of bowdlerization might seem like an artistic outrage, the American version of Variety is in fact superior to the original, especially in terms of pace; what seemed interminable in the German version zips along at an entertaining clip in the revised print.

Excerpt fromTimeOut located HERE

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

Varieté looks to have had an extensive restoration and is offered on Blu-ray from The Masters of Cinema group in the UK. It offers both version on the lone Blu-ray. The presentation starts with some German translated text screens that state "The film was restored in 2014/2015 by the Frederich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, in Wiesbaden, Germany, in co-operation with Filmarchiv Austria in Vienna. The source material was an abridged nitrate copy for the US market, provided by the Library of Congress, Washington, DC. The German Intertitles and missing scenes stem from a nitrate copy from Filmarchiv Austria. Some shots were added from a duplicate copy from the Filmmuseum Munich and a duplicate negative from the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Missing title cards were reconstructed on the basis of the censorship card and the typography of the Viennese copy's intertitles. They are marked by the abbreviation FWMS. The digital restoration in 2K definition was carried out by the Filmarchiv Austria." So, the image quality is a direct function of the available restored materials. Of course, there is damage and inconsistencies but I thought it looked quite remarkable and I don't think there is a significant drop in quality for the pink-tinted U.S. version - that is transferred with a lesser bitrate. I was quite pleased with the appearance - evidenced by the many screen captures below.

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

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Masters of Cinema (European) Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP Masters of Cinema (U.S.) Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The audio is transferred via a linear PCM 2.0 channel track at 2304 kbps (24-bit) for the three optional scores; Stephen Horne (piano), Tiger Lilies (has lyrics), Johannes Contag (mostly piano). There are optional English (SDH) subtitles for the German intertitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked. NOTE: the U.S. version only has a lossy, DTS, track with extensive organ and some circus sounds - I'm unsure of the composer.

Extras :

Masters of Cinema's Blu-ray disc is filled with the addition of the complete American version of the film, but the package has a booklet featuring new writing on the film and archival images and, being dual-format, it includes a second disc DVD.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Varieté is excellent. There is certainly a subtle element of fetishism and overwhelming physical desire packed into a wonderful moralistic expression - extremely risqué for its time. This gives Varieté a timeless, and universal, quality. Magnificent. It's a fabulous choice for MoC to release on Blu-ray. The addition of the U.S. version adds further value as does the enclosed booklet. Silent Era fans shouldn't hesitate. This is very strongly recommended! 

Gary Tooze

January 24th, 2017