Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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L’Atlantide
[Queen of Atlantis]
(1921)
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Jacques Feyder directed this fantasy film of the not-so-mythical Atlantis, starring Jean Angelo, Stacia Napierkowska and Georges Melchior.
Of note is the cinematography of Victor Morin, Amédée Morrin and Georges Specht. Some shots rely on natural light from a logical source, eschewing fill lighting, leaving some actors pensively in silhouette to convey the sadness of the scene. Yet in another shot, one character is chosen for fill lighting while another is intentionally left dark. Saint-Avit’s convalescence in Paris and his memories of Africa as well as the story told by Bou-Djema are conveyed in an unusual overlapping of iris and fade transitions. Prior to the death of Capitaine Aymard, a vision of horror is executed in an impressive triple exposure. Whether shot in experimentation or by nessessity of situation, the cinematography is impressive in its expression.
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 Home Vision Entertainment
2006 DVD edition
Rediscover Jacques Feyder, French Film Master (1921-1925), color-tinted black & white, color-toned black & white and color-tinted and color-toned black & white, 163 minutes, not rated, including Queen of Atlantis [L’Atlantide] (1921), color-tinted black & white and color-toned black & white, 163 minutes, not rated.
Home Vision Entertainment, distributed by Image Entertainment, HVE3520DVD, UPC 0-14381-35202-3.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc (three DVDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at 6.2 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; 16 chapter stops; double-wide three-disc DVD keepcase; $49.99.
Release date: 24 October 2006.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 7 / audio: 7 / additional content: 7 / overall: 7.
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This DVD edition, produced by Lobster Films, Paris, with its full-frame, natural-speed video transfer from very-good 35mm print materials, is generally pleasing viewing on high-definition television systems capable of upscaling the picture. The source print has a significant amount of dust and speckling, schmutz, frame jitters, emulsion chipping and scrapes, mild exposure fluctuations, and other print flaws.
The film is accompanied by a music score composed by Éric Le Guen performed on piano and synthesizers. The music feels improvisational rather than composed but still conveys an appropriate atmosphere to the film’s presentation.
We enthusiastically recommend this home video edition of the film.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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 Cine Club
2006 DVD edition
L’Atlantide (1921), black & white, ? minutes, not rated, with L’Atlantide (1932), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Cine Club / Aventi,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD disc (two DVDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles; chapter stops; two-disc DVD keepcase in cardboard slipcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 26 October 2006.
Country of origin: France
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We have not viewed this PAL edition from France.
We also do not know if this edition competes against or is a reissue of the MK2 edition noted below.
North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.
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This Region 2 PAL DVD edition is . . .
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 MK2
2004 DVD edition
L’Atlantide (1921), black & white, ? minutes, not rated, with L’Atlantide (1932), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
MK2, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD disc (two DVDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 12 May 2004.
Country of origin: France
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We have not viewed this PAL DVD edition from France.
North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.
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This Region 2 PAL DVD edition is . . .
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Other silent era JACQUES FEYDER films available on home video.
Other FRENCH FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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