The Great Sacrifice Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Great Sacrifice Blu-ray Movie Review

The Great Sacrifice is an engaging and heartfelt romantic-drama with some surprises in store for viewers. The film is based on the novel by Rudolf G. Binding. Produced by Veit Harlan, The Great Sacrifice is highlighted by performances by Kristina Soderbaum, Carl Raddatz, and Irene von Meyendorff. Fans of classic cinema will appreciate the exceptional filmmaking on display with The Great Sacrifice. An underrated gem.

Albrecht Froben (Carl Raddatz) is overcome with emotions when he falls for the breathtakingly beautiful woman, Als Flodeen (Kristina Soderbaum). Yet Albrecht is a married man and the relationship seems as though it is doomed to fail. Despite already being married to the beautiful Octavia Froben (Irene von Meyendorff), Albrecht can’t take his eyes off of Als. The two can’t be apart for long. What is in store between these would-be lovers in the future?

The performances are key to the success of The Great Sacrifice. Kristina Soderbaum is such an impeccable beauty and with such a strong sense of screen presence that she makes a great film star with her role in the film. Soderbaum has outstanding charisma and one can’t keep their eyes off of her. Irene von Meyendorff delivers a strong performance as well (as the wife who is tossed in to the romantic entanglement).

The score composed by Hans-Otto Borgmann (The Big Shadow, Dangerous Crossing) is excellent and provides some outstanding compositions for the production. The music is grand in scale and the sweeping music elements make the experience more compelling to watch unfold. A great score composed by Borgmann.

The cinematography by Bruno Mondi (The Barber of Seville, Trouble Backstairs) is sublime as well. The production certainly benefits from Mondi’s keen visual eye and attention for detail in the filmmaking. The film has a beautiful use of Agfacolor. The results are impressive.

Edited by Friedrich Karl von Puttkamer (Immensee, The Golden City), The Great Sacrifice is a film that doesn’t seem to miss a single moment. A large part of this success is the editing, which is first-rate: providing viewers with a rewarding and well-cut experience. A great effort from Puttkamer.

The art direction by Karl Machus (Othello, Passion) and Erich Zander (Bismarck, Two Friends) manages to make an impression as well. The production merits are certainly ambitious and large in scale for what is otherwise an intimate film. Machus and Zander certainly seem to understand the needs of the film and the results are outstanding.

Featuring a screenplay by Veit Harlan, Alfred Braun (Burning Hearts, The Golden City), and Hans Radtkem, The Great Sacrifice is a compelling drama. The script certainly remembers to balance characters with the romantic elements. The romance at the core of the film is unique. This is a complicated storyline and one that takes viewers on a surprising journey. The characters were certainly well developed and with quality dialogue by Harlan, Braun, and Radtkem.

Directed by Veit Harlan (Immensee, Covered Tracks), The Great Sacrifice is an example of great classic filmmaking. Harlan is an impeccable filmmaker with a keen visual sensibility. Harlan offers viewers an ambitious cinematic experience and one that never forgets the power of film as a visual medium or the significance of having a strong cast. The Great Sacrifice is expertly directed and viewers will be drawn in to the world of the film with ease.

The Great Sacrifice Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Great Sacrifice is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 widescreen. The presentation is quite impressive in high definition. The film was produced using Agfacolor. Restored by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung, The Great Sacrifice restoration was sourced from the original camera negative and a duplicate sound negative. These combined elements were used in order to create the 2015 restoration.

Though the restoration happened a while ago, the print quality looks exceptional and this is still a great presentation (showing few signs of wear on the print). The print is crisp and free of serious print damage – such as excessive dirt, debris, and scratches. There is one scene with slightly inferior elements used for the restoration. This scene is of a missing scene where the footage was culled from another print of the primary cut of the film (and not the original negative). Lab work was completed on the restoration by ARRI Media.

The Great Sacrifice Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in German uncompressed PCM 2.0 mono (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality sounds excellent. The sound quality is surprisingly exceptional. Dialogue is clear and is easy to understand. The score is well integrated in to the soundstage. The track has little in the way of hiss or background noise and the track is easy to listen to. A nice audio restoration.

The Great Sacrifice Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson

The Great Sacrifice Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Great Sacrifice is an enormously engaging drama. The film takes some unexpected turns and makes the most of its cast. Featuring stars Kristina Soderbaum and Carl Raddatz, the performances help make The Great Sacrifice all the more engaging an experience. The Blu-ray release features an exceptional restoration completed in 2015 by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Stiftung. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray has a wonderful encode of that restoration. Fans of classic cinema should consider The Great Sacrifice well worth checking out. Highly recommended.