Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

The Miraculous Virgin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 4, 2018

Stefan Uher's "The Miraculous Virgin" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Second Run. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new documentary on the making of the film; the short film "Marked by Darkness"; and more. The release also arrives with a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring new essay on the film by Michal Michalovi as well as technical credits. In Slovak, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Different sensation

The young woman (Jolanta Umecka) first emerges at a busy train station where a distant relative can barely wait to meet her. But he does not know what she looks like and after repeatedly calling her name, Anabella, eventually hands a large bouquet to a complete stranger. Though it is not immediately clear, right here there is a subtle shift that gently merges two completely different worlds -- the dull and gloomy reality of the relative and some very fluid foreign place that Anabella has left behind.

As Anabella enters the city a group of talented artists begin to feel her presence. The sensation quickly becomes so overwhelming that they struggle to stay focused on their work and quickly abandon it. However, instead of feeling frustrated with the block they discover a new passion for life that flattens the boundaries of their imagination and presents their minds with endless creative opportunities. Shortly after, Tristan (Ladislav Mrkvicka), a young bohemian painter, uses the large mirror on his wall to step into a dream place that for years he has suspected is real and begins searching for Anabella. Another artist (Otakar Janda) also transitions to his dream place but after he figures out how to use the tiny body of a talking raven. Even an aging psychoanalyst breaks free from the repressive cage in which he has spent the bulk of his life and when Anabella eventually appears before him his mind dares to dream impossible dreams.

But the tiny cracks that make the getaways possible in parts of the city that Anabelle has visited begin to close and an invisible force slowly restores the old and familiar order of things. At first most of the people that have taken advantage of them are not bothered by the ‘repairs’, but then a few realize that they are in fact permanent.

This little seen gem from Slovak director Stefan Uher engages the mind in much the same way that Alain Resnais’ classic romantic thriller Last Year in Marienbad does. It just chooses a different, larger playground -- a recovering city in communist Czechoslovakia -- and begins bending reality with a greater flexibility.

The entire narrative is built upon the merger that is described above, which is carefully used to produce numerous subtle and not so subtle contrasts that capture the essence of existence in a communist state. So after the frustration that the artists experience their lives become so surreal that they are left with no other option but to permanently search for happiness in an imaginary place. The irony of it all is that once Anabella starts her journey through the city it quickly becomes quite clear that those who have not been fortunate to discover the cracks and tricks that would allow them to step into the other side are already in an equally bizarre place where they are expected to settle down for another phony type of happiness.

The elegant and often strikingly original cinematography by Stanislav Szomolányi is yet another effective reminder that talent and vision are always a lot more important than big budgets and fancy equipment. Indeed, given the restrictive conditions in which the film was undoubtedly conceived and its impressive production qualities, it is not an exaggeration to describe the end result as a triumph of Slovak cinema.

The Miraculous Virgin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Stefan Uher's The Miraculous Virgin arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Run.

The release is sourced from a recent 2K remaster that was prepared by the Slovak Film Institute. The entire film very fresh, clean, and healthy. There are a few segments where density levels and sharpness could have been even better, but the rest of the presentation is indeed enormously pleasing. Depth is always good and even during the darker footage nuances are preserved quite well. Fluidity is also solid and when projected on a very large screen the backgrounds never down or become blocky. Grain could have been exposed a little better, but there are no troubling anomalies to report. The grading is convincing. Finally, there are no distracting cuts, damage marks, debris, or torn frames. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Miraculous Virgin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Slovak LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is stable and clean. The orchestral score that enhances the surreal atmosphere also easily breathes throughout the entire film. There is a surprisingly good range of nuanced dynamics, which is somewhat surprising because the film was almost certainly shot with limited funds and mixed in a state-controlled studio.

The Miraculous Virgin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - remastered vintage trailer for The Miraculous Viring. In Slovak, with optional English subtitles. (3 min).

• Looking for Anabella - this short video piece chronicles the casting of Anabella (Jolanta Umecka). In Slovak, with optional English subtitles. (3 min).

• The Story of The Miraculous Virgin - produced by the Slovak Film Institute, this new documentary explores the production history of The Miraculous Virgin. Included in it are clips from new interviews with director (and student of Stefan Uher) Martin Sulik, film historian Vaclav Macek, script editor Albert Marencin, and costume designer Juraj Mojzis, amongst others. In Slovak, with optional English subtitles. (25 min).

• Marked by Darkness (1959) - the subject of this early short film by Stefan Uher is blindness and the manner in which it forces blind people to adjust their lives. Newly remastered. In Slovak, with optional English subtitles. (17 min).

• Booklet - 14-page illustrated booklet featuring new essay on the film by Michal Michalovi as well as technical credits.

The Miraculous Virgin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The massive state censorship that existed in the countries from the former Soviet Bloc was a blessing in disguise because it forced many directors that were allowed to work to be remarkably creative. I am not trying to imply that there was a shortage of bad films there -- on the contrary, the overwhelming majority of the films that were produced were awful propaganda projects that only promoted the flawed politics of the state officials that funded them; also, remember that the majority of the directors and actors that made the bulk of the films were actually political activists and state agents that monitored and controlled the evolution of the film industry from within -- but occasionally the restrictive working conditions actually had the exact opposite effect and gems like The Miraculous Virgin quietly materialized. I sat down to view this film a couple of nights ago and I was absolutely floored by its vivid imagination and wide range of thought-provoking contrasts. Indeed, it goes down the same path where you will encounter classic mind-benders like Last Year in Marienbad and The Bed Sitting Room, but the journey is very unique. Second Run's new release of The Miraculous Virgin is sourced from a lovely recent 2K remaster that was prepared by the Slovak Film Institute, and is Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.