National Film Archive / Blu-ray

Reviewed by dvdfreak

Last modified on Thursday 19th March 2020, 11:04:57 PM

Česká verze / Return to index

  
Label:  National Film Archive (Czech Republic)

Region:  A, B & C (?)
RCE protection:  n/a
Copyright protection system:  AACS

Disc type:  BD50 & DVD9 (the data occupy 39.71 & 7.29 GB)

Playback time (hh:mm:ss.frames):  1:26:38.18

Video:  MPEG-4 AVC, 1080p24
Aspect ratio:  Varies from 1.38 to 1.30:1


Bitrate (min / avg / max):  0.55 / 30.59 / 62.59 Mbps

Bitrate (min / avg / max)

Audio:
 

Musical score by Jan Burian in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 / 924 kbps

Subtitles: None

Menus available in: Czech & English


Special features:
 

  • Commentaries (in Czech*)
    • "Kříženecký's Films in the Context of Industrial Exhibitions" by Kateřina Svatoňová (12:47)
    • "The Cinematograph and Its Predecessors" by Petr Kliment (6:35)
    • "The Presentation of Kříženecký's Cinematograph" by Petr Kliment & Jeanne Pommeau (5:08)
    • "The Digitisation of Kříženecký's Films" by Jeanne Pommeau (11:38)
  • Bonus films
    • "Slavnost odhalení pomníku 1. července 1912"
      ("Unveiling Ceremony of the Monument - July 1, 1912," 1912, 4:31, silent with Czech intertitles*)
    • "Svatojánské proudy" ("St John's Rapids," 1912, 2:59, Czech intertitles*)
    • "Stará Praha" ("Old Prague," 1912, 9:22, music only)
    • "Pět smyslů člověka" ("Man's Five Senses," 1913)
      • black-and-white version (4:47, silent)
      • tinted version (3:48, silent with Czech intertitles*)
    • "Živé mrtvoly" ("The Living Corpses," 1921, 10:11, Czech intertitles*)
    • "Jak vzniká film" ("How Film Is Made," 1926, 5:52, silent with Czech intertitles*)
    • Trailer (2018, 1:01, in Czech*)
  • Photographs and documents (with captions in Czech & English)
    • Photographs of Prague taken by Kříženecký
      • Original photographs (20 pages)
      • Past and present (17 pages)
    • "Exhibition of Architecture and Engineering 1898" (15 pages)
    • Photographs of Kříženecký and his immediate family (11 pages)
    • Kříženecký's correspondence (10 pages)
    • Kříženecký's cinematograph (8 pages)

(All extras are MPEG-4 AVC, 1080p24, DTS-HD MA 2.0.)

  • 52-page booklet (in Czech & English)

Notes: 
This is a dual-format edition, including both DVD & Blu-ray discs in one package.

This collection comprises all the surviving films of Jan Kříženecký, the first films in the history of Czech cinema, divided into five sections based primarily on two criteria - the year of their production and thematic affinity:

  • "Výjevy z pražského života" ("Scenes from Prague Life," 1898)
    • "Svatojanská pouť v českoslovanské vesnici"
      ("Midsummer Pilgrimage in a Czechoslavic Village")
      • vintage print (0:46)
      • original negative (0:49)
    • "Defilování vojska o Božím těle na Královských Hradčanech"
      ("March Past During Corpus Christi Feast in Hradčany," vintage print, 0:23)
    • "Polední výstřel na Mariánských hradbách"
      ("Noon Cannon Firing on the Marian Walls," vintage print, 0:41)
    • "Přenesení kolébky Františka Palackého z Hodslavic na Výstaviště"
      ("Escorting the Cradle of František Palacký from Hodslavice to the Prague Exhibition Grounds," new print struck from the original negative held at the Centre national du cinéma, 0:57)
    • "Cyklisté" ("Cyclists," vintage print, 0:38)
    • "Staroměstští hasiči" ("Old Town Firemen")
      • vintage print (0:47)
      • original negative (0:41)
    • "Žofínská plovárna" ("Žofín Swimming Bath")
      • vintage print (0:46)
      • original negative (0:49)
  • "Výjevy z pražského života" ("Scenes from Prague Life," 1901–1910)
    • "Slavnostní vysvěcení mostu císaře Františka I."
      ("Grand Consecration of the Emperor Franz I Bridge," 1901, vintage print, 0:46)
    • "Slavnost otevření nového Čechova mostu"
      ("Opening Ceremony of the Čech Bridge," 1908, original negative, 1:48)
    • "První den jarních dostihů pražských"
      ("The First Day of the Spring Races of Prague," 1908, original negative, 4:52)
    • "Jízda Prahou otevřenou tramvají"
      ("A Ride through Prague in an Open Tram," 1908, original negative, 1:57)
    • "Jubilejní výstava Obchodní a živnostenské komory 1908 v Praze"
      ("Anniversary Exhibition of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce in 1908 in Prague," 1908, newly assembled footage, 14:50)
    • "Kočárová doprava" ("Coach Transport," 1908, vintage print, 1:00)
    • "Svěcení základního kamene jubilejního kostela sv. Antonína v Praze VII."
      ("Consecration of the Foundation Stone of the Jubilee Church of St Anthony in Prague VII," 1908, original negative, 2:51)
    • "Oslava uspořádaná na počest 550letého c. k. privilegovaného sboru městských ostrostřelců"
      ("Celebrating the 550 Years of the I. R. Privileged Corps of Municipal Sharp-Shooters," 1910, original negative, 6:40)
  • "Hrané filmy" ("Feature Films")
    • "Dostaveníčko ve mlýnici" ("An Assignation in the Mill," 1898)
      • vintage print (0:57)
      • original negative (0:45)
    • "Výstavní párkař a lepič plakátů" ("Exhibition Sausage Seller and Bill-Poster," 1898)
      • take A, vintage print (1:03)
      • take A, original negative (1:06)
      • take B, vintage print (1:01)
    • "Smích a pláč" ("Laughter and Tears," 1898, vintage print, 0:32)
    • "Satanova jízda po železnici" ("Satan's Railway Ride," 1906, original negative, 0:47)
  • "Sokolská cvičení" ("Sokol Exercises")
    • "Cvičení s kužely Sokolů malostranských"
      ("Exercises with Indian Clubs by the Sokol of Malá Strana," 1898)
      • vintage print (0:50)
      • original negative (0:45)
    • "Voltýžování jízdního odboru Sokola pražského"
      ("Vaulting of the Prague Sokol Equestrian Section," 1898, vintage print, 0:47)
    • "Pátý všesokolský slet v Praze"
      ("Fifth All-Sokol Rally in Prague," 1907, newly assembled footage, 11:40)
    • "Slet sokolstva v Prostějově"
      ("Sokol Rally in Prostějov," 1908, newly assembled footage, 22:14)
  • "Pomník Františka Palackého" ("František Palacký Monument")
    • "Slavnost zakládání pomníku Františka Palackého"
      ("Foundation Ceremony of the František Palacký Monument," 1898, vintage print, 0:47)
    • "Pomník Františka Palackého před dokončením"
      ("František Palacký Monument Prior to Its Completion," 1911, original negative, 1:20)

A word on the picture quality:


And since a picture is worth a thousand words, here's 2,000 words' worth of the more exciting kind of visual wear and tear that wouldn't be out of place in a modern art gallery:


To see the screenshots in glorious Full HD 1080, click here.

*with optional English subtitles

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