411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

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skuhn8
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 4:46 pm
Location: Chico, CA

Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#376 Post by skuhn8 » Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:42 am

Is the soundtrack contained on one of the 7 discs in the box set, so I can listen to it by itself?
No, it isn't. You can find features found on all Criterion Collection DVDs/Blu-rays at the CC website easily enough: For you 411

tubelord
Joined: Sun May 02, 2010 9:52 am

Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#377 Post by tubelord » Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:35 pm

Does anyone know the name of Peer Raben's long piece in Episode 5 with the piano and synth? It plays out when Reinhold approaches Franz and asks him if he's gotten rid of Franze yet. Then it continues on when Franz kicks her out after the coffee/dishwater incident. It plays again once more in the very end when Franz quarrels with Cilly.

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Minkin
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#378 Post by Minkin » Sun Jan 09, 2011 6:38 am

Taking a break from link posting..

I recently watched Jutzi's version of Berlin Alexanderplatz and I have rather mixed feelings about the film.

Sure, Fassbinder took sixteen hours to tell the story of Franz Biberkopf and Phil Jutzi gave the story one hour and thirty minutes. As you could expect Phil Jutzi’s film doesn’t have as much depth, story or character development. Despite Alfred Döblin writing the script, the film is terribly different than the book and the Fassbinder film. It isn’t completely awful, but so much is missing from this adaptation that one wonders how Döblin had anything to do with it (unless Jutzi gutted the script).

One of the most apparent differences is that any mention to Jews or even the Nazis is completely absent. In the book Franz is released from prison and meets a Jewish man who tells him a long story that causes Franz to come to his senses and accept his new life and to become a good person. That entire sequence is absent. As is any mention of Franz’s job selling Nazi propaganda papers- which upsets his Jewish friends and creates enemies out of some socialists. Franz assumes the ideas of the National Socialists briefly but all of this is completely absent. Sure, two years after the book was written (the book was written in 1929) the Nazis were more of a fear than the joke they once were. Apparently Jutzi became a Nazi supporter right after finishing this film. Perhaps that might explain the change.

Also strange is that Franz is not portrayed as a likable character in this film. There isn’t very much time for character development in this adaptation but the story is changed dramatically. In the book Franz abandons his pledge to “do only right” because of a great betrayal, but here Franz simply wants to earn more money to support his girlfriend and lavish gifts upon her. As a result, the story isn’t tragic-- especially after the ease of which Franz simply forgets his troubles and returns to street vending (in rather lame transitions that happen twice he proclaims he is going to do good and make money using…. his kisser and so the camera zooms out from his mouth as he speaks to a crowd, adorned in a top-hat as he sells his wares ). The film certainly seems easier to digest and perhaps Jutzi was aiming for a larger German crowd.

Where the film does succeed:

Döblin’s book was praised, among other reasons, for its use of montage. Despite the short runtime of the film, Jutzi inserts a lot of excellent montage scenes which make the film worthwhile on their own. Jutzi follows in the footsteps of Berlin: Symphony of a City and interjects many shots of Berlin. There are many instances of dramatic camera tilts up tall buildings which adds a certain claustrophobia and oppressiveness to the location. When he resumes the story, Jutzi shows what appears to be another section of a montage but it turns out to be the characters. For example there is a montage of workers at rest: horses waiting, laborers eating or lying and then a similar shot of someone lying on the floor– but then the camera pans and the person is revealed to be Franz. It is a very clever sequence and the usage of montage is tremendous and rivals Ruttmann’s work (on a smaller scale).

The other instance of excellent camerawork is at the grand ball scene (which takes up at least 10-15 minutes of this short film). While Franz bursts out in song, the camera rises up (similar to the buildings) this very tall structure– passing the orchestra, some bored party guests and eventually to the top of the tower inside the building– all while the sounds of the party and song continue below. Like the oppressive skyscrapers, here the rich party-goers are the enemy. At the base and leading the song is Franz, who has forgotten his pledge and become immersed in a hedonistic lifestyle (pouring champagne into glasses belonging to several young ladies). Here I can see Döblin at work for once, as the social commentary is terrific. Too bad the rest of Franz’s story can’t be quite as impressive.

So I ask if any further detail is known about the film and Döblin's contribution?

The film is well worth a watch- even for those who don't own the set or plan to see the Fassbinder version.

Edit-

I finally watched the Jelavich interview (after having finished the film a few days ago) and I now see that Döblin had very little to do with the film and that the screenwriter essentially butchered everything. What then was the point of making the film? Was the book just that popular?

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manicsounds
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#379 Post by manicsounds » Sat Dec 29, 2012 11:38 pm


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BigBlackSunn
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#380 Post by BigBlackSunn » Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:57 am

So if I want the "correct" version, I should probably go with either the German or Second Sight DVD?

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manicsounds
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#381 Post by manicsounds » Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:05 pm

By correct you mean running speed, then yes. The PAL discs.

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BigBlackSunn
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#382 Post by BigBlackSunn » Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:04 am

Where would be the best place to get the PAL discs? Order from another Amazon?

JonasEB
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#383 Post by JonasEB » Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:32 am

Don't know why anything has been made out of the Criterion BA NTSC 4% slowdown - it's just the opposite of 4% PAL speedup. I assume most of us have lots of PAL discs that run quicker and don't give a single thought to it.

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repeat
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#384 Post by repeat » Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:32 am

JonasEB wrote:I assume most of us have lots of PAL discs that run quicker and don't give a single thought to it.
Yes - and that's sad, because if more people would have given thought to it over the years, maybe the whole speedup issue would've been fixed by the industry by now :roll:

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RossyG
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#385 Post by RossyG » Tue Jul 23, 2013 9:21 am

BigBlackSunn wrote:Where would be the best place to get the PAL discs? Order from another Amazon?
They've got it at MovieMail for £41.99. If you're in the USA the postage and packing with be £6.75. http://www.moviemail.com/film/dvd/Berli ... 2bbaed16ef#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a pound cheaper at Amazon UK, but I'm not sure what their postage rates are.

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Moe Dickstein
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#386 Post by Moe Dickstein » Tue Jul 23, 2013 6:48 pm

repeat wrote:
JonasEB wrote:I assume most of us have lots of PAL discs that run quicker and don't give a single thought to it.
Yes - and that's sad, because if more people would have given thought to it over the years, maybe the whole speedup issue would've been fixed by the industry by now :roll:
They have, it's called HD. PAL/NTSC framerates aren't a problem anymore except on older formats like DVD

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manicsounds
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#387 Post by manicsounds » Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:00 am

RossyG wrote:
BigBlackSunn wrote:Where would be the best place to get the PAL discs? Order from another Amazon?
They've got it at MovieMail for £41.99. If you're in the USA the postage and packing with be £6.75. http://www.moviemail.com/film/dvd/Berli ... 2bbaed16ef#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a pound cheaper at Amazon UK, but I'm not sure what their postage rates are.
You missed out on it being under £30 at Amazon a few months ago...

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BigBlackSunn
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#388 Post by BigBlackSunn » Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:26 pm

Has anyone bit the bullet and bought the Japan BD?

George Drooly
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#389 Post by George Drooly » Sat Nov 14, 2015 2:25 am

This is the brownest film I've ever seen

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feihong
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:20 pm

Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#390 Post by feihong » Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:14 am

To answer BigBlackSunn's question from 2 years ago, I just ordered the set. I will post something on what it is like when it arrives.

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feihong
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#391 Post by feihong » Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:24 pm

Sooooo my impression of the Japanese blu-ray set is that it's an upconvert from a standard-definition source. The box claims the discs are 1080p, but actor movement and camera movement ghosts precipitously in every direction. There is huge pictorial variation, with brightly-lit shots appearing much, much sharper, medium-lit and dark shots appearing flat and murky. Close-ups demonstrate some of the 16mm film grain, but long shots look both soft and flat. There are no English subtitles, though there are Japanese subs.

The only advantages to this set are the LPCM Stereo audio track, which is sounds hugely expansive, and the exceptional box art, with a lovely cardboard cover and debossed titling, and a design that successfully replicates the feel of the the images snaking in and out of one another during the opening credits.

A disappointment, to be sure. Looking at the snaking, elegant long shots in the film, it's wonderful to imagine them with the depth and clarity HD could bring to them.

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domino harvey
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#392 Post by domino harvey » Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:05 pm

Blu-ray coming in February

kekid
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#393 Post by kekid » Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:51 pm

Is this the only item to be released in February?

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domino harvey
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#394 Post by domino harvey » Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:52 pm

They haven't made the official announcements yet, but unlikely

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swo17
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#395 Post by swo17 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:55 pm

If this is the only February release, I'll buy everyone on the forum a copy

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Adam X
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:04 am

Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#396 Post by Adam X » Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:12 pm

Deal

Glowingwabbit
Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 1:27 pm

Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#397 Post by Glowingwabbit » Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:13 pm

Since it's already in the coming soon section I wouldn't be surprised if it's the only blu upgrade (not including reissues).

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movielocke
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#398 Post by movielocke » Thu Nov 15, 2018 5:53 pm

Blu-ray is four discs and a list price of ONLY 99.95!

That’s a big improvement over the 7 disc $125 of the DVD edition

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denti alligator
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Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#399 Post by denti alligator » Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:04 pm

Will this be the right speed?

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senseabove
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 3:07 am

Re: 411 Berlin Alexanderplatz

#400 Post by senseabove » Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:12 pm

denti alligator wrote:
Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:04 pm
Will this be the right speed?
Nope, you'll have to get the Second Sight UK set to get it at 25fps.

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