7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Aging circus performer Albert angers his mistress when he visits his estranged wife, triggering a roundelay of sexual betrayal and emotional anguish.
Starring: Harriet Andersson, Åke Grönberg, Hasse Ekman, Anders Ek (I), Gunnar BjörnstrandForeign | 100% |
Drama | 83% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Swedish: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Ingmar Bergman's "Sawdust and Tinsel" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival film introduction by the director and audio commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an appreciation by filmmaker Catherine Breillat and technical credits. In Swedish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Intrigued
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ingmar Bergman's Sawdust and Tinsel arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:
"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a Scanity film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm optical soundtrack print. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX.
Picture restoration: Swedish Film Institute, Stockholm.
Sound restoration: Criterion Post, New York."
The very first high-definition release of Sawdust and Tinsel that we reviewed on the site was included in British label Artificial Eye's Classic Bergman Collection box set, which arrived on the market in 2012. Unfortunately, the technical presentation that the film received was the most problematic in the box set, which is why I rushed to see how this upcoming release will look. Fans of the film will be happy to hear that there is a pretty dramatic difference between the two because the new release effectively eliminates the elevated sharpness that made the previous presentation look quite harsh. The improvements are visible throughout the entire film, but on a large screen during well-lit close-ups the difference becomes quite striking. So, the electronic noise/sharpening effects are completely gone and as a result the visuals have a very solid organic appearance (see the difference in screencaptures #13 and 16). Furthermore, the grading supports different nuances. Blacks and grays are better balanced and some crushing that is visible on the previous release is avoided. Image stability is excellent. There are no distracting age-related imperfections to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you need to have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Swedish LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
It would appear that some additional cleanup work was done because the audio is very healthy now and background hiss is not an issue. Balance is good as well, but overall the the dialog and the music can be a bit thin at times. However, my guess is that this is simply an native limitation, and that the current track reproduces it with a range of other organic fluctuations.
Sawdust and Tinsel was not always considered one of Ingmar Bergman's best films. Many moons ago, it was actually dismissed with some of the most unhinged and vile reviews that you would find in archives that catalog 'professional' film criticism. (The one vintage review that Peter Cowie quotes toward the end of his audio commentary truly is the creation of a lunatic). So when you eventually sit down to view this release, take a few moments to ponder just how fortunate we all are that Bergman ignored the loud 'voices of reason' and they failed to reshape his genius. Sawdust and Tinsel will be part of Criterion's massive Ingmar Bergman's Cinema thirty-disc box set, but this individual release will also be available for purchase at the end of the year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Skepp till Indialand / A Ship Bound for India
1947
Kvinnodröm
1955
Nära livet
1958
Riten / The Ritual
1969
En passion
1969
En lektion i kärlek
1954
Efter repetitionen
1984
Hamnstad
1948
Till glädje
1950
Törst
1949
Kvinnors väntan / Secrets of Women
1952
Kris
1946
Aus dem Leben der Marionetten
1980
2003
Skammen
1968
Tystnaden
1963
Djävulens öga
1960
Nattvardsgästerna
1963
Såsom i en spegel
1961
Scener ur ett äktenskap
1973