German Filmmuseum Edition

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shirobamba · #51 Post by **shirobamba** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:49 pm

Forget Second Run, this label, next to MoC and Criterion, is producing the most exciting stuff!

Ah, Denti, that's unjust towards SR. As much as I share your enthusiasm about the Kluge releases (way overdue! The man just celebrated his 75th birthday) and the EFM program at large, I think that SR is doing a mighty fine job and do have a great catalogue. Where else can you get editions of East-European new wave classics of such quality?

Ad Kluge: IMHO he's the most important and influential German writer/scholar/mediapolitian/director, after WWII (though not as pominent as Wenders, Fassbinder et al.), whose major achievement was something like a German new wave essay film, which sometimes resembles what Godard has tried to do in his last shortfilms, and has strong reminiscences to Marker's essay films as well. His films and TV programs have been very innovative at the time of their release and still hold up very well today, though they require repeated viewings (and perhaps a bit of reading) and are not easy to digest. That is to say not everyone's cup of tea, and definitely nothing for people, who explain, that thinema has nothing to do with cinking.

accatone · #52 Post by **accatone** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:17 pm

Too bad there are (probably) no subbed versions of his TV works available ... (for those who don't speak/understand German). His way of making history transparent through interviews where actors play roles like - for example Napoleon - is unique in "educational and essay like TV"!

Gofter · #53 Post by **Gofter** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:17 am

Tommaso wrote:I'm looking very much forward to their next offerings... as they have announced some Eisenstein, can we dream of a definitive "Potemkin" from them?

Battleship Potemkin (Panzerkreuzer Potemkin)

Release date: 16.07.2007: Amazon - JPC - BOL

Diese neue Fassung kann als die an die russische Premierenfassung von 1925 nahekommende gelten. Die Originalmusik von Edmund Meise! (geschrieben 1926 für die deutsche Fassung) wurde von Helmut Imig adaptiert und mit dem Deutschen Filmorchester Babelsberg eingespielt. Diese restaurierte und ungekürzte Version wurde auf der 55. Berlinale aufgeführt. Sie enthält unter anderem eine längere Fassung des Massakers auf den Treppen von Odessa, überarbeitete Zwischentitel und eine Einführung von Leo Trotzki, die der Zensur zum Opfer fiel.

Doku "Dem Panzerkreuzer Potemkin auf der Spur" von Artem Demenok (BRD2007, ca. 40 Min.), Fotogalerie mit bisher unveröffentlichtem Bildmaterial, umfangreiches Booklet über die Geschichte des Films.

In short:

- As close as it gets to the premier version from 1925
- Original music from Edmund Meise (written for the german version in 1926) adapted from Helmut Imig and played by the Movie Orchestra Babelsberg
- This version was premiered at the 55. Berlinale
- It will include a longer version from the Odessa Stairs Massacre
- Revised intertitles
- An introduction from Leo Trotzki that was cut for censorship
- A documentary from Artem Demenok about the different versions with Enno Patalas, Naum Kleeman and Helmut Imig (40 min.)
- A picture gallery with never before released footage
- Booklet

But it looks like there are no Englisch subtitles on this DVD.
Maybe MOC or Criterion will release this also.

Tommaso · #54 Post by **Tommaso** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:32 am

Oh man, this makes me speechless! It seems to be a release from Transit Classics (at least that's what BOL writes), not Edition Filmmuseum, but who cares.... fabulous extras, and the reconstructed version alone would be worth buying it. What a year of glorious releases so far, and we're not even halfway through....

Gofter wrote:Maybe MOC or Criterion will release this also.

Unlikely. There will be a new 3-disc set out in the UK from Tartan, which at least will have the Meisel score, but I have no idea whether it's the reconstructed version. And - weep all ye faithful - the US version of this will come from Kino.....

peerpee · #55 Post by **peerpee** » Tue May 01, 2007 9:31 am

Tartan's POTEMKIN is sourced from Ruscico. I believe the BFI will be releasing the German POTEMKIN.

Kino's POTEMKIN is sourced from the Germans.

HerrSchreck · #56 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed May 02, 2007 11:51 am

Hmmm... the only thing I'm curious about is the German premiere music-- apparently unique to that premeire only and unconnected to the Sviet version-- why was the decision made to include this and not the original release score when it premeired in USSR a year earlier? Or am I missing something? I used to know the scoring history of this film offhand, but I dont have it in my head right now-- wasnt there a score for the russian audience?

vogler · #57 Post by **vogler** » Wed May 02, 2007 12:04 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:Hmmm... the only thing I'm curious about is the German premiere music-- apparently unique to that premeire only and unconnected to the Sviet version-- why was the decision made to include this and not the original release score when it premeired in USSR a year earlier? Or am I missing something? I used to know the scoring history of this film offhand, but I dont have it in my head right now-- wasnt there a score for the russian audience?

This is what I wrote on the subject in the DVD Releases in Spain thread (and why the fuck did I write it there?).

The Meisel score was the original score commissioned for the film when it became a success in Germany and this is the first dvd release to restore this music. It was composed with a certain amount of collaboration with Eisenstein and is a very effective score. Apparently in Russia the film had only previously been shown with bland organ accompaniment.

I must have got my information from this article that I just found on google.

HerrSchreck · #58 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Wed May 02, 2007 12:27 pm

Grazie. I figured there had to be a reason beyond "we're Germans so we're using the german score."

Now I'm totally fucking excited. But the question remains--

how did this land on Kino's lap after CC had already announced this? I havent checked Kinos site but it sounds like they're doing the R1 in this from what folks are saying.

LionelHutz · #59 Post by **LionelHutz** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:22 pm

Ornette wrote:Forthcoming releases: The Unknown Orson Welles (1965-1985) and Ludwig der Zweite (Wilhelm Dieterle, 1930) among many others.

I check their website regularly just to see if there are any upgrades about the Welles collection.
Since it starts from 65' I think we're not going to get "The Fountain of Youth",which is a real pity.
Still,I'd love to see Vienna,London,The merchant of venice and maybe the Deep (one can dream).
Between this,and the (slim) chance to have "The other side of the wind" finally out,the future might look good after all!

Gofter · #60 Post by **Gofter** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:17 pm

Gofter wrote:Battleship Potemkin (Panzerkreuzer Potemkin)

Release date: 16.07.2007: Amazon - JPC - BOL

Eureka and Films Sans Frontieres vs Transit

Eureka and Films Sans Frontieres are heavily cropped!

Tommaso · #61 Post by **Tommaso** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:33 am

Indeed, what a difference! Otherwise little difference in sharpness between FsF and Transit, but the absence of cropping should be a reason to buy it even if you don't care for the Meisel score. I'm also very interested in that bonus documentary.

I have just seen at the Filmmuseum site that Svend Gade's "Hamlet" will be No.36 in the edition, and is one of the next dvds they will release. No exact date yet, but I assume sometime at the end of this year. I hope they can speed up a little with the rest of those 'forthcoming' releases; so many true and much desired gems among them...

For those who live in Germany or France or can get it via satellite, arte tv will be showing "Hamlet" this Friday, July 20, shortly after midnight (so actually it's Saturday very early in the morning). I'm absolutely curious about this version, with Asta Nielsen playing the title role (not Ophelia). Also a good chance to have a first look at that new resto.

#62 Post by **zedz** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:03 pm

Gade's Hamlet is pretty good (as is Neilsen, who plays the eccentric conceit completely straight). More Asta on DVD is a fine thing.

Tommaso · #63 Post by **Tommaso** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:46 am

Yes, I watched the arte transmission yesterday, and I was completely blown away. This is one of the most free adaptations of that play (comparable to what Kurosawa did to "Macbeth"), but even the idea of Hamlet being a woman in disguise I found worked in the context. It opened up all sorts of subtexts which one might only guess at in the play: Hamlet being in love with Horatio rather than with Ophelia, the affair with the latter getting on lesbian overtones etc. And the film itself is a marvel, too: magnificent shots (despite of a thoroughly static camera), highly atmospheric interiors, a dark and erotic atmosphere throughout (Asta Nielsen is f'king unbelievable in her bisexual appearance).

The new resto is fantastic, too. The film is battered in places, with some nitrate decomposition occasionally, but overall looks more than watchable, with good detail and contrast, and marvellous tintings that enhance the atmosphere in a great way, as do the very germanic looking intertitles (either original or faithfully recreated). The new soundtrack is by Michael Riessler, at the same time sounding very medieval and archaic but also avantgardistic (which could be said about the film as well) and to me is totally convincing.

For me, this was one of the greatest silent films I've never seen before since Stiller's "Sir Arne" and perhaps Oxilia's "Rapsodia satanica". If that finally comes out on dvd, it's an absolute must have (Schrecko, are you listening?!). Hope that filmmuseum provides some nice background info in the booklet or otherwise.

#64 Post by **zedz** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:15 pm

Tommaso wrote:Yes, I watched the arte transmission yesterday, and I was completely blown away. This is one of the most free adaptations of that play (comparable to what Kurosawa did to "Macbeth"), but even the idea of Hamlet being a woman in disguise I found worked in the context. It opened up all sorts of subtexts which one might only guess at in the play: Hamlet being in love with Horatio rather than with Ophelia, the affair with the latter getting on lesbian overtones etc.

Believe it or not, this interpretation is actually based on serious (at the time) scholarship. It's a supposedly 'plausible' reason for the failure of apocryphal Danes to follow good British laws of succession.

The late 19th / early 20th century was the golden age of dingbat Shakespeare theories (all those cryptographers!) If you think literary criticism has taken a dive in the last few decades, you should check out some of this opiated drivel.

MichaelB · #65 Post by **MichaelB** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:47 pm

Have you ever seen Celestino Coronado's 1976 version? Hamlet is played by identical twins (Anthony and David Meyer), while Gertrude and Ophelia are played by the same actress (Helen Mirren), thus emphasising both Hamlet's split personality and his Oedipal relationship with his mother. The result is completely incomprehensible if you're unfamiliar with the play, but fascinating if you know it well.

Kinsayder · #66 Post by **Kinsayder** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:51 pm

Surprisingly, Asta Nielsen was not even the first female Hamlet on film.

#67 Post by **zedz** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:51 pm

No, but I've seen his Midsummer Night's Dream - also incomprehensible and unforgettable - and can well imagine.

Tommaso · #68 Post by **Tommaso** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:30 am

Borzage's "The River" will be out on Filmmuseum in December. Info here,
Looks like another very careful edition, including a 'filmic essay' on the parallel production of this film and Murnau's "Four Devils".

Tommaso · #69 Post by **Tommaso** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:48 am

I've never seen the film, but only a brief look at cover of the new edition made me suppose that it must be an unusually erotic film for the time. I'm already sold by this still alone...

MichaelB · #70 Post by **MichaelB** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:07 am

A quick recommendation for Filmmuseum's double-disc set of Straub/Huillet's Class Relations (Klassenverhältnisse), which is most unlikely to disappoint anyone.

For starters, the picture is absolutely gobsmacking - transferred directly from the original camera negative under Danièle Huillet's supervision (presumably one of the last things she did before she died last year), it's absolutely flawless in every way, and one of the best black-and-white images I've encountered on a DVD.

Secondly, the video extras are English-subtitled throughout, and include Harun Farocki's 65-minute study of the Straubs rehearsing and shooting a couple of scenes, Matthias Blank's 42-minute interview with the Straubs (largely on the subject of this film though they mention their earlier work in passing), and a 20-minute scene analysis making use of alternative takes.

I had just two quibbles: firstly, the extensive DVD-ROM content (including the script in both initial handwritten and final shooting drafts) is for German speakers only - and secondly, the subtitles on the main feature are occasionally intermittent. This is doubly curious, since Huillet apparently supervised those as well (and in some detail, according to the booklet), so I can only assume that the decision to leave several lines in untranslated German was deliberate.

But these are minor issues: for the transfer alone, this has got to be the best Straub-Huillet DVD yet.

fred · #71 Post by **fred** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 3:18 pm

MichaelB wrote:I had just two quibbles: firstly, the extensive DVD-ROM content (including the script in both initial handwritten and final shooting drafts) is for German speakers only - and secondly, the subtitles on the main feature are occasionally intermittent. This is doubly curious, since Huillet apparently supervised those as well (and in some detail, according to the booklet), so I can only assume that the decision to leave several lines in untranslated German was deliberate.

The subtitling is definitely deliberate. It's part of their overall philosophy that where subtitles are necessary they should be as unobtrusive as possible. So where the sense of one line is implied in another it is unnecessary to translate both. This is taken to a further extreme in the Cézanne films where they refused to allow titles to be placed over the work of other artists, which is why there are no subtitled prints of those films anywhere. Their concession there was that on dvd the subtitles could be turned off, which made it permissable to include subtitles, as the image could still be viewed without them.

MichaelB · #72 Post by **MichaelB** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 3:49 pm

fred wrote:The subtitling is definitely deliberate. It's part of their overall philosophy that where subtitles are necessary they should be as unobtrusive as possible.

...which presumably also explains why they're tiny and very low in the frame (practically at the bottom of my set's overscan area).

Thanks for that - I guessed this had to be deliberate. Given that Huillet apparently adjusted individual words it's inconceivable that she'd have failed to spot some pretty major omissions.

Doug Cummings · #73 Post by **Doug Cummings** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:48 am

Thanks for the explanation, fred, although strangely enough, I don't recall intermittent subs when I saw the film projected last spring.

But I heartily second Michael's recommendation; it's a fantastic release.

Tommaso · #74 Post by **Tommaso** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:38 am

Just announced as being among the next releases, though no release date yet:

"39 - Berlin, die Sinfonie der GroÃŸstadt & Melodie der Welt

Walter Ruttmann, 1925-1929"

GREAT! Especially to see they release both films together. I'm sure this will outdo the Divisa disc (not to speak of the apparently horrible Image). Hope they have the original music or at least not these abominable electronic sounds as on the divisa. And "Melodie" is unseen, anyway.

markhax · #75 Post by **markhax** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:10 am

"Berlin, Sinfonie der GroÃŸstadt" is being screened at Zankell Hall (in the basement of Carnegie Hall) this Saturday, November 3, at 5 and 7:30 PM with the original music by Edmund Meisel arranged for two pianos and percussion by Helmut Imig, who reconstructed the Meisel score for the new Potemkin release.