(aka 'Saragossa Manuscript' or 'Rękopis znaleziony w Saragossie)
directed by
Wojciech Has
Wow - what a find ! The miracle of DVD does it again. In the Napoleonic wars, an
officer finds an old book that relates his grandfather, Alfons van Worden, a
captain in the Walloon guard. Each successful venture through Spain it seems to
relate to the previous in a wild ride of interest, intrigue, bawdy fun and
historical significances. In a Buñuelian time-circle we are really witnessing
the imagination of one buffoonish character - our hero. Folks, this is as
adventurous, romantic and downright fun film as I have seen in a long time.
Based on a novel by Count Jan Potocki we are privy to cultural veins flowing
deep with Islamic princesses, priests who are really sheiks in disguise and then
the Spanish Inquisition! A lengthy film that you wish would never stop or just
be the pilot for a long running TV series. Unfortunately the director Wojciech
Has died in October 2000, but this film is part of his legacy and its quite
cinematically significant. 
out of
Posters
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Theatrical Release: February 9th, 1965
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DVD Review: Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC
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| Distribution | Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC | |
| Runtime | 3:01:54 | |
| Video | 1.92:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.29 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | Polish (Dolby Digital 1.0) | |
| Subtitles | English, None | |
| Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Biographies |
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| Comments: |
Great film, but kind of a sloppy DVD. It is labeled the 'restored widescreen' edition and 'director's cut'. There is a large black border around the image detracting from the horizontal resolution. The film is quite contrasted so the use of the ultra-bright yellow subtitles, although an unfortunate decision, works for normal viewing purposes. I found only a few instances of combing and suspect that the transfer is not progressive. Perhaps I am being to picky - we thank Image Entertainment for bringing this film to light for many. The liner notes are very good and the isolated score is a decent touch. I highly doubt we will ever see this in any better form, so we still recommend the DVD, more so on the strength of the film than the technical qualities of the disc. NOTE: I must point out that the Image DVD of "The Saragossa Manuscript" is actually cropped from 2.35:1 Dyaliscope to, as you accurately list, 1.92:1. Quite disappointing, really. Francis Ford Coppola was involved in the restoration and as he (and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro) seem to favour the 2:1 ratio, the prints may have been made at that ratio; either that, or Coppola supervised the transfer. Strangely, the film - it any other Has films - are available in Poland and no other DVDs of Has' films are available, which is very frustrating. (Thanks Gordon!) |
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| Distribution | Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC | |
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