115 / BD 5 My Twentieth Century

[antnield]

Ildikó Enyedi’s magical film spins a tale of twin girls, Dóra and Lili, who are born in 1880 Budapest on the same moment Thomas Edison unveils his electric lightbulb to an excited public in New York. The sisters are soon orphaned and separated in childhood, and follow different paths: one grows up to be a naïvely idealistic, bomb-toting anarchist, the other a pampered, hedonistic courtesan whose paths cross once again on the Orient Express on New Year’s Eve 1899…

Moving at a dizzy pace between Budapest, Hamburg, New York, Burma, Austria, Paris and Siberia, this is a film of dazzling beauty and acumen. It is a modernist fable, a fantasmagoria of scientific, political and sexual revolution and radicalism, the birth of cinema, and the joy of life. Shot in luminous monochrome by cinematographer Tibor Máthé, the multi-award-winning My Twentieth Century attempts to claim back from the century of genocide the wonder of existence in a constantly changing world.

"My Twentieth Century is a number of wondrous things... a bracing combination of wit, invention, common sense and lunacy. Superb” Vincent Canby, New York Times

"Abundant with originality. A beautifully assembled collection of black and white images, it bounds along with unhampered, lively confidence" The Washington Post

BLU-RAY AND DVD SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• Presented from a brand new 2K restoration of the film by the Hungarian Digital Archive and Film Institute, supervised by the filmmakers
• A new filmed interview with director Ildikó Enyedi, shot exclusively for this release by filmmaker Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio; The Duke of Burgundy)
• Booklet featuring a new essay on the film by Jonathan Owen
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• World premiere on Blu-ray

[What A Disgrace]

Never heard of it. Completely sold on it, though. When is it to be released?

[Ribs]

It's yet another of the Budapest 12 list of the greatest Hungarian films, which are now half released by Second Run (I was trying to figure out where I'd heard of this before and realized quickly it was by being on this list)

[TMDaines]

I have the Hungarian DVD, but not watched it yet. Is this expected to be an improved transfer from a better source?

[Ribs]

It's listed on the Second Run site as releasing in March, incidentally.

[antnield]

When is it to be released?

March 27th.

[bearcuborg]

This is a very good movie, if memory serves. I first became aware of it as it was in the trailer section of The Icicle Thief (one of my favorite comedies of the 80s) VHS.

I haven't seen the movie since the early 90's...but I look forward to seeing it again. It was also pretty sexy too.

[swo17]

It's a beautifully shot film, glad it's getting a Blu-ray.

[MichaelB]

I have the Hungarian DVD, but not watched it yet. Is this expected to be an improved transfer from a better source?

Since it's a Blu-ray, I'd hope that that's a given!

[swo17]

I have the Hungarian DVD, but not watched it yet. Is this expected to be an improved transfer from a better source?

The Hungarian DVD includes the short film Első szerelem so might still be worth holding onto.

[TMDaines]

Oh shit! It's a Blu-ray! Fantastic.

[zedz]

A visual stunner. If this is a good transfer it could be one of the best looking BluRays of the year.

[swo17]

I have the Hungarian DVD, but not watched it yet. Is this expected to be an improved transfer from a better source?

The Hungarian DVD includes the short film Első szerelem so might still be worth holding onto.

I just watched this on my DVD and while it looks interesting (a girl goes on a date with an alien) I should note that it is presented with no subtitles.

[jsteffe]

Agreed, this is a gorgeously photographed black-and-white film. It made a big impression on me during its initial release. It's the kind of film that specifically benefits from the Blu-ray format. It also didn't hurt that both the lead actors (Dorota Segda and Oleg Yankovsky) are gorgeous and we get to enjoy their presence onscreen.

Now can I please beg for a Blu-ray of the new restoration of THE ROUND-UP?

[What A Disgrace]

I am a bit confused as to why this film is getting the BD treatment, and not Three Wishes for Cinderella.

[MichaelB]

I am a bit confused as to why this film is getting the BD treatment, and not Three Wishes for Cinderella.

Because there's more of a proven market in the UK for Hungarian arthouse films than there is for Czechoslovak/East German fairytales, I'm guessing.

[swo17]

When you see this you will understand why it merits a Blu-ray, if only aesthetically. I would have thought "Czech fairy tale" to be a fairly marketable description though. Hasn't Valerie done well for them?

[What A Disgrace]

When you see this you will understand why it merits a Blu-ray, if only aesthetically. I would have thought "Czech fairy tale" to be a fairly marketable description though. Hasn't Valerie done well for them?

That's what I was thinking. Far be it from me to put this film down; I haven't seen it but I'm well over the moon for anything Hungarian that SR puts out, Blu-ray or no, but I'd have thought the prospect of something like Cinderella (which I loved) would have been a sure success, and something like this a less certain one.

[tenia]

I'm also unsure about how much bigger the UK BD market is for Hungarian arthouse films compared to Czechoslovak/East German fairytales.
Or maybe they simply deemed the Twentieth Century HD master better than the Cinderella one.

[zedz]

When you see this you will understand why it merits a Blu-ray, if only aesthetically.

This is absolutely the point, and the only reason Second Run needs. It's a visually ravishing film that will look sensational in HD (if well transferred). Here are a couple of shots I took (with my phone, off the TV screen) when I watched the DVD way back when.


The whole film is filled with striking images like this.

[Ribs]

Now available to order from the Arrow store, who list it a week earlier than reported above for a 20th March release

[Bikey]

Great news from the Berlin Film Festival - Ildikó Enyedi's new film ON BODY AND SOUL has just scooped TWO prizes:
The FIPRESCI Award for the 'Best Berlinale Competition film', and Readers’ Juries Berliner Morgenpost Award.

[Bikey]

...make that THREE prizes - just announced: it's also won the Ecumenical Jury Prize!

[MichaelB]

...and, as a trivial footnote to the above, the Golden Bear.

[TMDaines]

The Berlinale seems to have had far less coverage than normal this year. The Guardian has nothing on its film site on it.