Adoption Blu-ray - Katalin Berek

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Adoption")

Directed by Márta Mészáros
Hungary 1975

Marta Meszaros is without doubt one of the most significant female directors from Central Europe, with the majority of her outspoken work dealing frankly with issues of gender, politics and society. Adoption, one of her best-known works, is a story about the hushed rebellion of two strong women, one in her forties and one in her teens. 43-year-old Kata longs to have a child of her own. Rejected by her married lover, Kata looks into adoption, and befriends orphaned teenager Anna, herself determined to start a new life for herself. Winner of the prestigious Golden Bear at the 1975 Berlin Film Festival, Marta Meszaros became the first woman filmmaker ever to receive the award.

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Single factory worker Kata, 43, wants to have a child with her long-time secret lover, a married man called Joska. He doesn't like the idea. Kata befriends teenage schoolgirl Anna, abandoned by her parents at the age of six. Anna runs away from the local children's home and moves in with Kata so that she can keep on seeing her boyfriend Sanyi. Kata goes to see Anna's parents and persuades them to give the young lovers their permission to marry. Through Anna, Kata becomes interested in neglected children and decides to adopt a baby from the children's home.

Posters

Theatrical Release: July 7th, 1975 (Berlin International Film Festival)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

COMPARISON:

Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover
	Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray	Criterion Spine #1115 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:27:35.875	1:27:55.687
Video	1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,507,527,010 bytes Feature: 20,513,808,384 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.96 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,259,411,638 bytes Feature: 26,150,221,824 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.54 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Second Run Blu-ray:
Bitrate Criterion Blu-ray:
Audio	LPCM Audio Hungarian 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit	LPCM Audio Hungarian 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English, None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Second Run 1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,507,527,010 bytes Feature: 20,513,808,384 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.96 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • 2121 Introduction by Marta Meszaros (4:06) • A Conversation with Marta Meszaros (2009): an archival filmed interview with the director (19:34) • Trailer (1:52) • Booklet with new writing on the film by Carmen Gray Blu-ray Release Date: July 12th, 2020 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,259,411,638 bytes Feature: 26,150,221,824 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.54 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • New video essay by scholar Catherine Portuges (19:58) • Interview with Mészáros from 2019 (9:08) • Blow-Ball, a 1964 short film by Mészáros (21:14) • Márta Mészáros: Portrait of the Hungarian Filmmaker, a 1979 documentary by Katja Raganelli featuring on-set interviews with the director and creative collaborators (57:01) • Trailer (1:54) PLUS: An essay by film scholar Elena Gorfinkel Blu-ray Release Date: March 8th, 2020 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 13

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (February 2022): Criterion have also transferred Márta Mészáros' Adoption to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New 4K digital restoration undertaken by the National Film Institute Hungary – Film Archive, supervised by cinematographer Lajos Koltai and approved by director Márta Mészáros".

Bottom line is that it is a more robust video and audio transfer and the 1080P image comes across slightly darker than the Second Run with a minor tweak in contrast - this gives the impression of tightening the image somewhat. Depending on your system the darker image may obscure Criterion also bump the audio with a 24-bit linear PCM mono track, also in the original Hungarian. The Criterion wins in both audio and video - although for many they would be considered minor upgrades.

Criterion have strong extras. There is a new, 20-minute, video essay by scholar Catherine Portuges, created for the Criterion Collection in 2021. It offers a close read of director Marta Mészáros' aesthetic sensibility and thematic preoccupations. There is also a 9-minute interview with Mészáros from 2019. Adoption was the first film by a woman to win the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Director Marta Mészáros reflects on the experience and the film's production, in this interview shot by the National Film Institute Hungary in Berlin. Included the documentary Márta Mészáros: Portrait of the Hungarian Filmmaker. In 1978, German filmmaker Katja Raganelli set out for Budapest to capture Marta Mészáros at work on the set of her ninth feature, On the Move. The result is an intimate portrait of Mészáros' life and approach to her craft, featuring interviews with the director as well as close collaborators. Lastly, Blow-Ball, is a 1964 short film by Mészáros that runs 21-minutes and the package has liner notes with an essay by film scholar Elena Gorfinkel.

So, Criterion add some wonderful supplements and along with their improved a/v they make the definitive edition of Márta Mészáros' Adoption on Blu-ray. I really like this film and, as we always say, it's nice to have options on which to indulge in. In this case they both have very strong positives. Don't miss this one!

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ADDITION: Second Run Blu-ray (July 2021): Second Run have transferred Márta Mészáros' Adoption to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "presented from an HD transfer of the new restoration by the Hungarian National Digital Archive and Film Institute." It is on a single-layered disc with a high bitrate. The 1080P exports a pleasing smoky gray "sfumato"-like monochrome appearance with unique angled cinematography by Lajos Koltai and director Mészáros. I loved the heavy film-like appearance that has texture and adept contrast layering. The overall image quality is very rich and tactile. There little depth, gloss nor waxiness. It looked impressive in-motion on my system with a few (not many) instances of speckles or frame-specific marks. There are frequent, intimate, close-ups that are supported well by the HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 30 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Second Run use a linear PCM dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original Hungarian language. There are no demonstrative effects and the dialogue is clean and consistent with a score by György Kovács (his first feature - later to work in the sound department for Bela Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies), and it gently supports Adoption adding to the story. Second Run offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Second Run Blu-ray offers a new 4-minute introduction by director / writer Marta Meszaros plus a 20-minute conversation with her from 2009 in India where she gives her view of film and her style. Lastly, is a trailer and the package has a 16-page liner notes booklet with new writing on the film by Carmen Gray.

Fabulous job by Second Run to bring Márta Mészáros' Adoption to Blu-ray adding to their catalogue of desirable East European film transfers to region FREE 1080P disc. The character-centric film is driven by themes of loneliness, sexual identity, strength via a thought-provoking feminist resilient bonding. It is through a lens of dour 70s Hungarian economic hardship. I really enjoyed it. Adoption won a number of awards including the Golden Berlin Bear for Mészáros. Absolutely recommended!