Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential.
What do Patrons receive, that you don't?
1)
Our
weekly
Newsletter
sent to your Inbox every
Monday morning!
Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you very much. |
Search DVDBeaver |
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. *** 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-rayDisc Size: 24,507,527,010 bytesFeature: 20,513,808,384 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.96 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1.85 :1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 47,259,411,638 bytesFeature: 26,150,221,824 bytesVideo Bitrate: 35.54 MbpsCodec: 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-rayDisc Size: 24,507,527,010 bytesFeature: 20,513,808,384 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.96 MbpsCodec: 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
Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion
1.85 :1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 47,259,411,638 bytesFeature: 26,150,221,824 bytesVideo Bitrate: 35.54 MbpsCodec: 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
Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 1 3 |
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!
***
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
Fabulous job by Second Run to bring Márta Mészáros'
|
Menus / Extras
Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Criterion Spine #1115 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1) Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP2) Criterion Spine #1115 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Second Run Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
Box Cover |
|
|
Bonus Captures: |
|
|
Distribution | Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray | Criterion Spine #1115 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |