Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The City Without Jews Blu-ray Movie Review

One of the most sought after silent era films arrives in a newly restored edition.

The City Without Jews is a long-lost silent era production that is considered one of the most sought after films of its time-period. The film was critical of Nazism and the growing hatred of Jews. As a result, the film was thought to no longer survive, with so few elements available for many years (and no complete prints found). The restoration of the film was not able to be completed until the missing footage was miraculously discovered attached to a nitrate print which was found at a flea market in 2015.

A horrific foreshadowing of World War II and the evil of Nazi's, The City Without Jews is set in the fictional town of Utopia. The Jewish community comes under attack by the National Assembly of Utopia when a horrific antisemitic law is passed which bans all Jews from living in the town. An exploration of the ban, Utopia seeks economic growth, and ends up instead causing a series of economic and cultural declines due to banning Jews. Will the Jew's be invited back?

Based on the novel by Hugo Bettauer, the story of The City Without Jews is an important one. A production that was part satire and part social-commentary, the film discussed an issue which demanded the attention of the time. The story focuses on how mankind should come together – providing unity (and not hate). The message is just as important today as it was at the time the production was completed. The screenplay penned by Ida Jenbach (Opera Ball, The Priest from Kirchfeld) and H.K. Breslauer (Verklungene Zeiten, Am Rande des Abgrundes) drives these points home.

The author of The City Without Jews, novelist Hugo Bettauer, was shot and killed by a Nazi shortly after the film was released. The Nazi was put on trial for the murder of Hugo Bettauer and was ultimately found guilty of murder. The sentence? Around one year in an asylum. An injustice.

A long lost treasure newly restored.

The City Without Jews features memorable cinematography by Hugo Eywo (Napoleon in Schonbrunn, Die Huronen) and Eduard von Borsody (Request Concert, Kongo-Express). There are a lot of visuals which are quite depressing throughout the film. The film shows Jews being forced out of Utopia – a separation of family. The efforts are commendable at showing the horrors of the antisemetic ban.

The production design by Julius von Borsody (Vanished Melody, Immortal Waltz) is surprisingly effective and ambitious for a silent film. There are many expansive shots of the town of Utopia throughout. The efforts of Borsody are effective at helping to tell the story. An excellent effort.

As with most silent films, the score plays a big role. The score provided by Flicker Alley for the new restoration includes compositions by pianist Donald Sosin and Klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals. The music adds to the experience.

Directed by H.K. Breslauer (Das Haus Molitor, Verklungene Zeiten), The City Without Jews should be considered an important work. The film is difficult to watch – the story is a harrowing foreshadowing of what would later come during the holocaust. Yet the themes of unity – of accepting others for their cultural differences – are just as important and timely as always. The restoration of this long-lost film should be considered as nothing less than miraculous.

The City Without Jews Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Flicker Alley, The City Without Jews is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition. The high-def presentation is in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full frame). The release is a major accomplishment from the get-go: the film was long thought lost (becoming a long sought after relic from time). There were no known surviving complete prints and only fragments survived.

In 2015, at a flea market (of all places), the remaining missing footage was discovered with a nitrate print. The new restoration has been assembled from multiple print sources. The restoration effort was undertaken by Filmarchiv Austria and the results are outstanding. The City Without Jews is at long last available in its complete form for the first time on home media. Now the film can withstand the test of time as an important work of art.

The scan itself has received numerous improvements and as much restorative repair as possible. As an early silent-era production, the film still shows considerable wear at times, but the entire film is still remarkably crisp and surprisingly detailed. To call the scan anything less than miraculous – given everything involved in assembling the film – would be unfair. Countless hours were invested in the laborious (and expensive) restoration.

The City Without Jews Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The lossless audio presentation is enormously impressive and manages to help the experience. The high- resolution music sounds terrific and is a worthwhile accompaniment to the visuals. As a silent feature, The City Without Jews has no dialogue, but the original music recordings are excellent.

Subtitles are provided in English. The subtitles can be turned on/off from the menu. Though the film is silent, the intertitles translations are impressive and are free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors.

The City Without Jews Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The set comes as a Blu-ray + DVD combo pack edition. The release features inside art-work with a significant image from the feature- film.

The release comes with a booklet featuring essays about The City Without Jews by Cynthia Walk, Armin Loacker, and Ernst Kieninger. The included essays discuss the historical significance of the film and the process of its restoration efforts. The booklet also includes an introduction to the bonus features by Margrit Frolich.

Victims of Hatred (Opfer des Hasses) (1923) (HD, 46:13) has been restored by Filmarchiv Austria. The presentation includes music composed by Donald Sosin.

Conversation with Dr. Nikolaus Wostry, Filmarchiv Austria (2019) (HD, 33:42) features a discussion about The City Without Jews.

Saving Die Stadt Juden (2016) (HD, 3:48) is a archival promotional video completed by Filmarchiv Austria for the crowdfunding restoration effort on The City Without Jews. The restorers speak about the process of assembling the footage and painstakingly restoring the film (as well as the details of the rare film footage which was discovered at a flea market).

The City without.... Jews, Muslims, Refugees, Foreigners (2018) is a 16 picture click-through presentation featuring images from a 2018 special exhibition which was held at the METRO Kinokulturhaus.

The City Without Jews Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The City Without Jews is an important work of cinematic art which was long thought to be lost. The film foreshadows the horrors of WWII. The themes of the film are well worth exploring with modern context.

Flicker Alley has provided The City Without Jews with a stunning restoration. After countless years of being thought lost forever, The City Without Jews is at last presented in a definitive version. An important tale from a Jewish author, the restored Blu-ray is a quality release.