Immensee - Ein deutsches Volkslied Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Immensee - Ein deutsches Volkslied Blu-ray Movie Review

Immensee is a romantic-drama based on the original novel by Theodor Storm. The film is produced by Veit Harlan and Erich Holder. Featuring an incredible all-star cast including Kristina Soderbaum, Carl Raddatz, and Paul Klinger, Immensee is a classic well worth seeing.

Elisabeth Uhl (Kristina Soderbaum) is a beautiful and charming young woman who falls in love with the composer Reinhart Torsten (Carl Raddatz). As the two lovebirds fall for one another, things become complex in their relationship. Yet Elisabeth finds herself marrying Erich (Paul Klinger) instead.

As Reinhart provides a sense of excitement for his musical genius, Erich provides more stability. A complicated whirlwind of emotions unfolds. Later in her life, Elisabeth is once again given the opportunity to be with her one true love: Reiinhart. Can the romance find a happy destination?

The performances are one of the greatest elements of the film. Kristina Soderbaum is stunningly beautiful. Kristina Soderbaum radiates beauty and grace and was one of the most popular star actresses when the film was released in Germany. Not only was Soderbaum beautiful looking, Soderbaum had incredible skill as an actress. The performance is charming, captivating, and compelling. Her role was reason enough to see the film. Acting opposite Kristina Soderbaum, Carl Raddatz deivers a strong performance as well as the artistic composer. The on-screen chemistry between the two stars is impressive.

The score composed by Wolfgang Zeller (Vampyr, Goal in the Clouds) is essential to the success of the film. The score sounds remarkably bold and invigorating. The music provides ample depth to these characters and helps the storyline to unfold. Composer Zeller was a gifted artist and this is a great score from the composer. The music enhances the experience a great deal.

The cinematography by Bruno Mondi (The Barber of Seville, Trouble Backstairs) is one of the greatest strengths of the production. The cinematography by Mondi utilizes the Agfacolor filming. The color is exceptional and the lighting is superb. These elements are highlighted well by the cinematographer.

Edited by Friedrich Karl von Puttkamer (The Great Sacrifice, The Golden City), Immensee is a drama with an excellent pace. The filmmaking unfolds with ample rhythm and there is plenty to appreciate about the production. The editing is spot on and doesn’t leave viewers with a film that feels over-long or undercooked. A great effort from Puttkamer.

The production design by Karl Machus (Burning Hearts, Cat Walk) and Erich Zander (The Blue Swords, Renata in the Quartet) impresses in spades as well. Immensee is a gorgeous looking film with great production merits. The design attributes help to enhance the storytelling and make it all the more engaging.

Another exceptional element: the costumes by Gertrud Steckler (Request Concert, Secrets of a Soul). The film has top-notch costumes and the gowns worn by Kristina Soderbaum are stunning and help to show her radiant beauty. Steckler did an outstanding job with the costuming and the characters are all the more compelling as a result.

Written by Veit Harlan and Alfred Braun (The Great Sacrifice, The Golden City), Immensee is a charming romantic-drama and there is a lot to appreciate about the solid craftsmanship of the screenplay. The screenplay has excellent dialogue and there are a lot of great moments between these characters. Romantic elements play well and are at the forefront of the film and its success. Great craft.

Directed by Veit Harlan (Circus Girl, Bewildered Youth), Immensee is well worth seeking out. The film has beautiful production merits and wonderful visuals. Harlan did an exceptional job in the director’s chair, imbuing the film with plenty of creative energy and vitality while helping to bring forth exceptional performances from the cast. Immensee is such a charming romance and it is something that is quite beautiful to watch unfold.

Immensee - Ein deutsches Volkslied Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Immensee is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 widescreen. The restoration was completed in 2015 and still looks excellent to this day. The restoration was assembled from the original camera negatives. Using an Agfacolor print, the restoration featured lab work completed by ARRI Media. Immensee was filmed using Afgacolor and restored by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung. Showcasing wonderful color reproduction and fine detail, Immensee looks beautiful in high definition and the restoration work done for the release is terrific. Fine film grain is intact and the film looks remarkably sharp and without over-processing or excessive print issues (as this is a clean print without dirt, debris, and scratches getting in the way of an enjoyable presentation).

Immensee - Ein deutsches Volkslied Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in German uncompressed PCM 2.0 mono (with English subtitles). The audio track sounds remarkably crisp and clear. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. There are no issues with egregious hiss, crackle, pop, clicks, and other audio-based anomalies. The results are excellent and the score is well integrated in to the sound design. A solid audio presentation.

Immensee - Ein deutsches Volkslied Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Olaf Moller

Immensee - Ein deutsches Volkslied Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Immensee is a wonderful film. The performances were the main attraction: Kristina Soderbaum and Carl Raddatz were utterly compelling. Soderbaum is exceptionally beautiful and her talents as an actress were readily apparent. Raddatz delivers an equally strong performance with plenty of enthusiasm. Restored by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung, the Kino Lorber Blu-ray release features a fantastic print from the original camera negative. The release has excellent video and audio. Highly recommended.