kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:20 pm Post subject: Die Nibelungen (1924) [Blu-ray] |
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Another reference disc!
Die Nibelungen: Kino Classics Deluxe Remastered Edition [Blu-ray] (1924)
(Hover over link for price, click to purchase and support our forum at no extra cost to you)
| Quote: | From legendary filmmaker Fritz Lang, 'Die Nibelungen' is a masterpiece full of grandeur and splendor with magnificent production design and a tragic tale of love, honor, treachery and vengeance. Nearly ninety years since its creation, the nearly five-hour epic continues to mesmerize with its beauty and Lang's masterful skill behind the camera. Restored from the best available elements and featuring a new rendition of Gottfried Huppertz's original score by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, this Blu-ray release arrives with a stunning picture quality and a demo-worthy audio presentation. Although pretty light on the supplements, they make excellent additions nonetheless to a worthwhile and recommended package.
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
According to a disclaimer at the start, this 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode was mastered from an incomplete camera negative. Best available dupes and distribution prints were used to fill in missing segments. The full restoration was done by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, and considering the film's age and extensive damage, the results are remarkable.
Scratches, tears, and dirt still make an appearance in several spots, but for the most part, the presentation is fairly clean and consistent. The picture has a warm golden-amber tint to it with a nice thin layer of grain throughout, giving it a welcomed cinematic quality. Contrast is well-balanced and bright though a few scenes are noticeably of lower resolution than others. Black levels are surprisingly rich and true with deep, dark shadows that allow for good visibility of the minor background details. Although the first movie is comparably stronger than the second, both films show excellent definition and clarity, giving modern audiences the opportunity to really appreciate the amazing that went into the set design. Close-ups, in particular, astound, as they sometimes reveal pores and the thick layers of make-up on the cast.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
The Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra performs Gottfried Huppertz's original score for this Blu-ray release, and it's an absolutely marvelous, breathtaking rendition. Fans can enjoy the music in either DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound or in uncompressed PCM stereo, and in both cases, the results are magnificent. The string and brass sections fill the entire soundstage with extraordinary clarity and distinction. Each note and movement is crystal-clear and precise with sharp acoustical detailing. Bass is robust and hearty, providing a great deal of depth and complexity to the score. The music spreads evenly into the rear speakers without calling too much attention to their placement, generating a wonderfully immersive soundfield that keeps viewers thoroughly engaged. |
Kal
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