Germany Year Zero Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Germany Year Zero Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 23, 2017

Roberto Rossellini's "Germany, Year Zero" a.k.a. "Germania anno zero" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival introduction to the film by Roberto Rossellini; archival video interview with Italian critic and film historian Adriano Apra; documentary film directed by Carlo Lizzani; archival interview with directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani; illustrated essay by German film scholar Thomas Meder; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring essays by critics James Quandt, Irene Bignardi, Colin McCabe, and Jonathan Rosenbaum. In German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

After the war

Note: Germany, Year Zero is part of Criterion's upcoming Roberto Rossellini's War Trilogy three-disc Blu-ray box set.

The third and final installment in Roberto Rosselini’s War Trilogy, Germany, Year Zero, is set in the ruins of Berlin. It is a raw and very grim film, one that is absolutely impossible to forget.

Edmund Köhler (Edmund Meschke) lives with his family in a building full of survivors. Because his father is seriously ill and cannot work, his sister, Eva (Ingetraud Hinzf), has become a prostitute to help the family make ends meet. The money she brings home, however, isn’t enough to pay for food and electricity.

The young boy also tries to help. He trades family items for canned food on the black market and collects the potatoes that fall off the supply trucks. During slow days, he spends his time amongst the ruins, hoping to find something of value that later on he might be able to sell.

In the heart of Berlin, Edmund meets his former school teacher, Mr. Henning (Eric Guehne), a pedophile who is convinced that the better side has lost the war. Mr. Henning blames people like Edmund’s father for the failure and encourages the boy to confront him. Later on, when the misery overwhelms Edmund, he follows his advice.

Eventually, Edmund rejects his family and seeks peace amidst the ruins. The eerie silence has a profound impact on him and he suddenly realizes the consequences of his actions.

The visuals from the city are nothing short of extraordinary. As the camera slowly moves from one location to another, it becomes clear that the devastation is of truly epic proportions. Occasionally, the city shows signs of normalcy, but more often than not it looks like someone has opened the gates of Hell.

Hundreds of non-professional actors -- actors actually isn’t a term that accurately describes these people as they most certainly do not attempt to act in front of the camera -- were used during the shooting of the film and at times their movement can be somewhat chaotic, but who can blame them? They were weak and desperate, certain that their lives were hanging by a thread.

Moeshke never appeared in another film, but if he did, he would not have been able to match the brilliance of his performance in Germany, Year Zero. Some of the most powerful sequences in the entire film are the ones in which the camera simply moves closer and observes his face.

Rosselini shot the film after the tragic death of his young son, Romano, in 1946. He was assisted by French cinematographer Robert Juillard, who years later also collaborated with Rene Clement on the equally powerful Jeux interdits a.k.a. Forbidden Games.

Germany Year Zero Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Roberto Rossellini's Germany, Year Zero arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new high-definition restoration of Germany, Year Zero was created from the 35mm fine-grain positive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI Film's DRS, while Digital Vision's Phonex was used for jitter, flicker, small dirt, grain, and noise management. The monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm original soundtrack. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX."

There are some minor but perhaps obvious discrepancies between this upcoming release and the Region-B release we reviewed in 2015. Here the film appears slightly darker and with an overall better dynamic range, though this is almost certainly because the Region-B release was encoded with different gamma levels. However, there are also some minor density fluctuations between the two releases. I think that they are too insignificant, especially considering how time has left its mark all over the surviving elements and there are various far bigger source limitations, but they are certainly there. I find the overall quality of the restoration to be enormously pleasing because all previous DVD releases of Germany, Year Zero have been problematic. In other words, there are substantial improvements in every single key area we scrutinize -- from depth and clarity to fluidity and overall image stability -- that actually make it quite easy to appreciate Rossellini's artistic vision. Obviously, various limitations remain. Grain exposure can fluctuate, contrast levels can appear unstable, and there are select areas where traces of fading and other wear remain. But these are the type of inherited limitations that can not be addressed even with modern digital tools. All in all, the end result is indeed very convincing and with the proper organic qualities one should rightfully expect to be retained. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Germany Year Zero Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: German LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The original audio also has a fair share of inherited limitations, such as shaky high-frequencies, some sporadic thinning and partial distortions, and minor dynamic fluctuations. Unfortunately, these are the type of limitations that even modern digital tools cannot fully eliminate because there is plenty of irreversible damage. The important thing is that the restored lossless track still makes it very easy to view and enjoy the film.

Germany Year Zero Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - presented here is an archival introduction by Roberto Rossellini which was filmed for Roberto Rossellini Presents, a 1963 French television series introducing his films. It was directed by Jean-Marie Coldefy. In French, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 1080p).

• Italian Credits and Prologue - the Italian theatrical release of Germany, Year Zero opened with Italian-language credits and a voice-over prologue. Both are presented here. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• Roberto Rosselini - presented here is an archival documentary film that takes a closer look at Roberto Rossellini's extraordinary life and legacy. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with Ingrid Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Martin Scorsese, Federico Fellini, Marcella De Marchis Rossellini, and Sergio Amidei, amongst others. The documentary was produced by Carlo Lizzani (Wake Up and Kill). In English, Italian and French, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (66 min, 1080i).
  
  1. An auteur and a realist
  2. Short films to war films
  3. Germany Year Zero/Amore
  4. Hollywood and Ingrid
  5. Langlois and a new home
  6. From India to television
  7. The history of man

• Letters from the Front: Carlo Lizzani on "Germany, Year Zero" - Carlo Lizzani was the only Italian hired to work on Roberto Rossellini's international crew for Germany, Year Zero. In this podium discussion from the Tutto Rossellini conference in Pesaro, Italy, in June 1987, the Carlo Lizzani discusses his role as assistant director on the film. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (24 min, 1080i).

• Adriano Apra - presented here is an archival video interview with renowned Italian film historian, teacher, and critic Adriano Apra in which he discusses Roberto Rossellini's Germany, Year Zero and the socio-political environment in which the film was produced. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2009. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (13 min, 1080i).

• Paolo and Vittorio Taviani - presented here is an archival interview with directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (The Night of the Shooting Stars, Kaos) in which they discuss the enormous impact the films (with specific comments about Paisan) of Roberto Rosselini had on them and their work. The interview was conducted in 2009. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (8 min, 1080i).

• Roberto and Roswitha - in this 2009 illustrated essay, German film scholar Thomas Meder, author of a book on Roberto Rssellini's Paisan and writer Klaus Mann, presents evidence that Germany, Year Zero was a labor of love and came about partly as a result of Roberto Rossellini's relationship with Roswitha Schmidt, hi mistress from 1942 to 1946. With text and images (1080p).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring essays by critics James Quandt, Irene Bignardi, Colin McCabe, and Jonathan Rosenbaum.

Germany Year Zero Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is nothing that I can say about Roberto Rossellini's Germany, Year Zero that has not already been said better by someone else, so I am only going to repeat that it is indeed one of Italian cinema's greatest masterpieces and that I believe that people will keep revisiting it for as long as films are screened theatrically and sold on the home video market. Recently restored, Germany, Year Zero is included in Criterion's upcoming Roberto Rossellini's War Trilogy Blu-ray box set together with Rome, Open City and Paisan. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.