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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (February 2020): Kino have transferred the 1943 German version of Münchhausen (aka "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen") to Blu-ray. We are informed via a text screen before the presentation "Two separate versions of Munchhausen were created for its initial release, each assembled from original camera negatives, which sometimes differed greatly in terms of content and composition. The original negative of the German distribution version has not survived. The original sound masters are also lost. The Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung has preserved color separations made from a negative that had been edited by a postwar distributor. These color separations were the basis of a 2016 4K digital restoration. The missing sections were sourced from an Agfacolor print preserved by Gosfilmofond, Russia, its colors having significantly faded to magenta. For the purposes of color-grading, reference was provided by the export negative and a postwar print, both from the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv." The image remains imperfect (see damage sample below) with scratches but these instances seem to be limited - mostly frame specific and on the surface. I thought the 1080P presentation was very watchable with certain sequences seeming bleached (almost sepia) and others where colors (notable reds and greens) were rich and vibrant. Texture is fine and appealing. This is on a dual-[layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate.

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono track (24-bit) in the original German language. The audio was sourced from a postwar print from the Cinematheque Suisse, which was derived from the original sound master. There are plenty of effects and they come through flat but having subtle depth creep in. The classical-based score is by Georg Haentzschel (The Man Who Sold Himself), sounding very regal and uplifting supporting the fantasy elements. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offer an audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan who does a great job - she discusses 'rubble films' (Trümmerfilm) - dour expressions where the style was characterized by its use of location exteriors among the "rubble" of bombed-down cities to bring the gritty, depressing reality of the lives of the civilian survivors in those early years. She discusses where Münchhausen fits in a historical context, her initial exposure (and mine) via the 1989 Terry Gilliam film The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen, some of the film's more subversive elements, the character of the Baron Munchausen, Nazi cinema, the culture of Europe at the time, the lack of propaganda themes in Münchhausen and much much more. It's very informative. Samm does an excellent job. I enjoy more of her work , the more I indulge. There is also a lengthy theatrical trailer and an 18-minute 'introduction' documentary on the production and restoration, a 1944 animated short by Hans Held and 5-minutes of samples of the Agfacolor restoration first using Diplomaten (Women Are Better Diplomats). It was produced between 1939 and 1941, and was the first German full-length color film. The original negative does not survive. For the restoration of the film, all surviving prints were inspected and the best were digitized. The image was stabilized, film dirt was removed, as were scratches and other visible damage (most of which originated in the negative). The first clip (from the Bundesarchiv Filmarchiv's 35mm print), exhibits printed-in dirt and scratches. Because these originate in the negative, they appear white. There is also discoloration of the emulsion. You can easily see the improvement when the restored clip is immediately shown after.

Munchausen has many of the fantasy elements that we love in the character's stories. It isn't the same wonderful expression of Karel Zeman 's 1963 gem, "Baron Prášil" (The Fabulous Baron Munchausen) but it's a film I am very happy to own on Blu-ray as an early companion piece to the Baron's adventures. Now I can do a triple feature with this, Zeman's and Gilliam's versions - all on Blu-ray. If you are a fan of this type of fantasy entertainment - its absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze