There are three films, each of which I probably saw twenty times in my cinema classes at NYU.
Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal, and Michelangelo Antonioni's L'avventura.
Always in 16mm in occasionally worn, but quality Janus prints, I was led to wonder what was just on the other side of the rainbow. What would these films have looked like in pristine 35mm black & white, properly graded with rich grays, full blacks and constantly readable sub-titles?
If there had been Blu-rays four decades ago I would have be able to find out. Today's cinema classes that take advantage of quality digital projection will be one of the beneficiaries of Criterion's newest incarnation of Mr. Bergman's classic, The Seventh Seal. And they will see the film as I would have liked to have seen it in 35mm, but even cleaner and better.
Make no mistake. The Seventh Seal is not only brilliant filmmaking, but having attained a well deserved stature over the past half century, is very near the top of any knowledgeable cineaste's list as one of the greatest films ever created.
There are no half measures here in referring to The Seventh Seal. And none have been taken in the creation of this new Blu-ray.
In normal Criterion fashion, there are a multitude of extras, inclusive (and this surprised me, as Criterion has just given it its own release), Marie Nyrerod's 2006, 83 minute documentary, Bergman's Island.
It's quite obvious that it is Criterion's intent that their Blu-ray of The Seventh Seal be available to everyone, even students, and the proof is in the pricing. Currently the documentary is $15 on Amazon. For $25 ($10 more) you receive The Seventh Seal in all its glory along the full Criterion treatment.
The Seventh Seal is a gorgeous Blu-ray in every detail both visually and sonically, with an audio track the likes of which I have never heard before synchronized to this film. Kudos to everyone behind this project!
The Seventh Seal is a must own.
Very Highly Recommended.
RAH
Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal, and Michelangelo Antonioni's L'avventura.
Always in 16mm in occasionally worn, but quality Janus prints, I was led to wonder what was just on the other side of the rainbow. What would these films have looked like in pristine 35mm black & white, properly graded with rich grays, full blacks and constantly readable sub-titles?
If there had been Blu-rays four decades ago I would have be able to find out. Today's cinema classes that take advantage of quality digital projection will be one of the beneficiaries of Criterion's newest incarnation of Mr. Bergman's classic, The Seventh Seal. And they will see the film as I would have liked to have seen it in 35mm, but even cleaner and better.
Make no mistake. The Seventh Seal is not only brilliant filmmaking, but having attained a well deserved stature over the past half century, is very near the top of any knowledgeable cineaste's list as one of the greatest films ever created.
There are no half measures here in referring to The Seventh Seal. And none have been taken in the creation of this new Blu-ray.
In normal Criterion fashion, there are a multitude of extras, inclusive (and this surprised me, as Criterion has just given it its own release), Marie Nyrerod's 2006, 83 minute documentary, Bergman's Island.
It's quite obvious that it is Criterion's intent that their Blu-ray of The Seventh Seal be available to everyone, even students, and the proof is in the pricing. Currently the documentary is $15 on Amazon. For $25 ($10 more) you receive The Seventh Seal in all its glory along the full Criterion treatment.
The Seventh Seal is a gorgeous Blu-ray in every detail both visually and sonically, with an audio track the likes of which I have never heard before synchronized to this film. Kudos to everyone behind this project!
The Seventh Seal is a must own.
Very Highly Recommended.
RAH
) did a comparison, and there conclusions were that the Criterion appears sharper and had fewer compression artifacts than the Tartan release.
