6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Footage shot in and around the Sahara Desert, accompanied only by a spoken creation myth and the songs of Leonard Cohen.
Starring: Wolfgang von Ungern-SternbergForeign | 100% |
Drama | 97% |
Documentary | 24% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This title is currently available as part of Herzog: The Collection.
Has there ever been a more fascinating figure in film than Werner Herzog? This much debated individual, one who elicits
both hyperbolic accolades and equally exaggerated derision, has been a seeming force of nature in film for decades,
helping to define the New German Cinema (a somewhat later analog to the French New Wave). Herzog’s filmography is
rather breathtakingly diverse, traversing both traditional fiction, quasi-biographies, and a large number of
documentaries.
Through it all, Herzog himself has become the subject of considerable controversy, at times seeming to be as
obsessively
motivated as some of his film subjects. The auteur’s off kilter blend of nihilism and often black humor has given
him and his films a decidedly unique place in contemporary media, to the point that a supposed note Herzog jotted off to his
cleaning lady became an internet sensation (it’s actually a brilliantly written parody by Dale Shaw). Shout! Factory, a
label
which repeatedly stubbed its corporate toe on its last big deluxe boxed set built around the talents of one person (Bruce Lee: The Legacy
Collection, the only time in my reviewing career I have had to start over from scratch due to a complete recall
and reissue) may seem to be throwing caution to the wind by upping the ante with this release. Here there are no
fewer than 16 films by Herzog, housed in a handsome hardback booklike case that also features a wealth of text and
information about each of the films. Fifteen of the films are new to Blu-ray (Shout's horror imprint Scream Factory
released Herzog's Nosferatu the
Vampyre as a standalone a few months ago), and the offerings here cover both iconic films in Herzog's
oeuvre as well as some oddities. The extremely handsome packaging offers a 7.5" x 7.5" x 1.5" hardback book
exterior casing which houses heavy cardstock pocket holders that contain the discs. Also included are The Werner
Herzog Condition by Stephen J. Smith, an appreciation of the director's work with essays about each of the films.
The films get even more text in write-ups by Chris Wahl and Brad Prager. Each of the pocket holder pages details the
film (or in some cases, films) on each disc, with audio options and special features listed.
Fata Morgana features an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. This transfer shows some of the same anomalies, though not in the same degree, that hobbled the recent release of Nosferatu the Vampyre, with a widely variant amount of grain that runs the gamut from almost none to relatively natural looking to swarming fields that tip into noise territory. This aspect is compounded by some minor but noticeable compression artifacts which crop up, especially in the desert footage. All of this said, Fata Morgana is on the whole a more satisfyingly organic viewing experience than Nosferatu was. Colors are beautifully reproduced and contrast is generally very strong. The many outdoor scenes offer exceptional depth of field. The image is not "sharp" by contemporary standards, but within the bounds of issues described above, offers a reasonably filmic experience with above average levels of detail. Elements are in excellent condition, with no major issues to report.
Fata Morgana features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mixes in both German and English (it should be noted that the English track is simply the German track with an English translator speaking over the original soundtrack). Both tracks offer good fidelity, if obviously narrow range. Both the spoken elements and the source cues sound fine, with no attendant damage or other issues to report.
Fata Morgana may be better appreciated as a concept than as an actual viewing experience. That said, it's still fascinating in a typically Herzogian fashion, combining completely odd elements in an unusual and at times rather provocative way. Alternately hypnotic, disturbing (lots of images of dead carcasses littering the desert) and funny, Fata Morgana is another completely unique film from this always unpredictable auteur. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1979
1977
Wo die grünen Ameisen träumen
1984
Herz aus Glas
1976
Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle
1974
1987
1997
Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen
1970
Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit
1971
Ballade vom kleinen Soldaten
1984
Lektionen in Finsternis
1992
Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski
1999
1981
1981
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes
1972
1982
1976
1974
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
1979
1999