Customer Reviews

The Ingmar Bergman Special Edition DVD Collection (Persona / Shame / Hour of the Wolf / The Passion of Anna / The Serpent's Egg)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I had originally given this collection 5 stars, but then did some investigating. It turns out that although they've fixed the aspect ratios on a couple of the films, they are still wrong on Shame, Persona, and Hour of the Wolf. This effectively chops out about 12% of the films, destroying Bergman's original compositions. I didn't believe it at first until I went through scene-by-scene and realized the horrible truth.

After much confusion, the long-awaited Bergman set has finally come out. You can disregard all the negative comments you may have read about faked aspect ratios, etc. Yes, MGM tried to pull a fast one on a couple of the titles in this box, but after being caught out, they did the right thing by pulling the box and waiting to issue an excellent set with transfers that easily match those of Criterion, Kino, etc. (Let's hear it for consumer power!) All the titles are now in their proper aspect ratio. The black and white transfers (Persona, Hour of the Wolf and Shame) are truly beautiful. These films have probably not looked this good since they first came out. The digital transfers for the two colour titles offer equally fine video and clear original audio. The disc of bonus materials is fascinating, with rare interviews with Bergman himself from 1970 and 2002. The bonus disc and the five individual titles also offer interviews with key Bergman players, including Erland Josephson, Bibi Anderson and the ever-insightful Liv Ullmann.
As for the films, they speak for themselves. If you still haven't seen the four sixties films in this box (the summit of Bergman's art in the opinion of many critics), here's a chance to get acquainted with some truly great late-20th century art. Forget about the bad press. MGM got it right this time.

MGM (USA) have made an appalling series of errors with their new Bergman boxset. Two films in the set have been heavily cropped from their original 1.37:1 aspect ratio to a very noticeable 1.66:1; and Persona is missing roughly 11.5% of screen information despite being 1.33:1. This is a faux pas the like of which has not been seen for a long time in DVD land. There is no precedent for Hour of the Wolf and Shame being 1.66:1 yet MGM seem to think that these films were shown theatrically at this ratio. With characters' heads chopped in half, Bergman and Nykvist's careful framing is ruined at 1.66:1 (the transfers are non-anamorphic too). R1 Bergman fans should strongly consider holding off this boxset.

DVDBeaver's enlightening examination is clear for all to see. Either MGM will withdraw the set or suffer very poor sales. Maybe Greg Carson, the set's producer, can provide a statement on the matter?

from Mastersofcinema.com
go to DVDBEAVER.com

It's disappointing, because I have wanted these discs for so long. I would rate this a 5 for the content, and a 1 for the flub. This rating could change depending on how MGM handles the exchange.

For those who have received the set and are wondering about the exchange, the following is from hometheaterforum.com:

Statement from MGM Home Entertainment regarding the recall of the INGMAR BERGMAN COLLECTION...

"It has come to our attention that the transfers utilized for the release of Ingmar Bergman's "Hour of the Wolf" Special Edition DVD and "Shame" Special Edition DVD are not representative of the intended theatrical presentation.

"In order to provide customers with the best quality product available, we are recalling the product at retail and will be releasing both films in a 1:37:1 aspect ratio on April 20, 2004.

"The Ingmar Bergman DVD Collection will also be available on that date. MGM Home Entertainment always strives to provide the highest standard of product and customer care. For additional information or comments, please contact our customer service at 877/646-4968."

Calling the number gives a recorded message that an email should be sent to 4you@mgm.com, subject line Ingmar Bergman, text of email should have name address and contact phone & MGM will contact you about exchanging the disc.

MGM (USA) have made an appalling series of errors with their new Bergman boxset. Two films in the set have been heavily cropped from their original 1.37:1 aspect ratio to a very noticeable 1.66:1; and Persona is missing roughly 11.5% of screen information despite being 1.33:1. This is a faux pas the like of which has not been seen for a long time in DVD land. There is no precedent for Hour of the Wolf and Shame being 1.66:1 yet MGM seems to think that these films were shown theatrically at this ratio. With characters' heads chopped in half, Bergman and Nykvist's careful framing is ruined at 1.66:1 (the transfers are non-anamorphic too). R1 Bergman fans should strongly consider holding off on this boxset.

The five feature films that make up this special edition are probably well known to anyone who's thinking about buying it, so I'll limit my remarks to the sixth disk, the "Ingmar Bergman Collection" of special features. (Besides, I've reviewed each of the five feature films individually.)

The disk features a few photographic essays and an unopenable (at least for me) issue of "American Cinematographer" which presumably is devoted to Bergmaniana. The photographs are unremarkable, and the unopenable AC file is, of course, a disappointment. But three items in the supplemental disk make up for it.

The disk contains a 1970 interview with Bergman that most Bergman fans will have seen at some time. The gem is a 2002 interview, "Intermezzo," in which Bergman's conversation is both fascinating and revealing. He says, for example, that for a major period in his life, he thought film could be a refuge against his personal demons, someplace where he could find peace. The implication of his remarks is that his demons were still present at the end of his life. He worries that young directors are technically good but don't have anything to say. And he talks about his lifelong intimacy with Strindberg, beginning when he was a teenager. Fascinating stuff.

The second great item is a short documentary on Faro Island, with an emphasis on how its bleak landscape suited Bergman's temperament. For those of us (like myself) who have longed to see the two documentaries Bergman made about Faro, this short film is especially interesting.

Finally, there's a documentary on Sven Nyqvist's cinematography, which is very good indeed.

I saw both "Shame" and "Passion of Anna" in theater, on video and on TV, but I never saw them in widescreen. Why? Because that's not supposed how it should be!!! Unfortunately, I got this box very early and imagine my surprise when I anxiously put the first disc into player. It's simply unwatchable!!! I want this fixed or I'll try and get my money back. After all, when I read the back side of the discs, it clearly says that films are in the original AR 1:1.66, and that's a LIE!

But I just don't understand why they did this, when it's obvious they put so much time and effort in the set (look at the extras!).

The sad thing is, if MGM won't do something about it, we'll be without these masterpieces for who knows how long...

I don't understand why you keep quoting the same paragraph in all your customer reviews of this box set. Surely there are some opinions which don't all express or lift the same paragraph from whoever. The fact that MGM has tinkered with the aspect ratio of Bergman's and cut off some of the heads of the actors is outrageous. Why Amazon is still selling this box set is amazing....without any comment from the distributor who committed this faux pas. I have bought thousands of dollars of worth of dvds from you guys...here's a review that doesn't quote that same paragraph. Save your money folks until the set is fixed. Surely, Amazon[.com] can protect us (your customers) from such disasters.

Because of the uproar over their criminal butchery of these films, MGM has announced a recall tonight (February 7th) of the Box Set (http://www.mastersofcinema.com). Presumably, the films will be restored to their proper ratios. The real mystery is why they would do what they did, and how on earth they expected to get away with it.

One hopes that these films, which many of us have been waiting eons to see on DVD in the US, will be given a just treatment (although one would feel a lot more secure if Criterion had their hands on them). The transfers, aside from the cropping, look excellent, and far superior to the muddy VHS versions. Four of these films are from the same period (PERSONA, HOUR OF THE WOLF, SHAME, and PASSION OF ANNA) and are variously lumped into trilogies by grouping fanatics. Despite some thematic similarities, and the presence of Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman in the lead roles, these films stand on their own. The last film, THE SERPENT'S EGG, was completed some ten years later than the rest.

All of them mark a change in Bergman's direction, from the simplistic, bare style and metaphysical obsessions of his "chamber" period, into a more introspective, psychological approach, accompanied by a more "art house" style. Both approaches were effective (or, perhaps they were just both conductive to Bergman's genius), but these films seem to display a formalistically experimental quality thats not evident in such a degree in his earlier work. In any case, can't wait to see how this set turns out in the end.

I'd hold out a bit longer for more news before pressing that "pre-order" button, nevertheless.

Persona, Shame, and Hour of the Wolf were all filmed in a standard aspect ratio of 1.33:1, but MGM has apparently created fake widescreen versions at 1.66:1 by cropping the top and bottom of the images. See http://www.mastersofcinema.com/ and http://207.136.67.23/film/DVDCompare2/criminal.htm for details and screenshots that show the correct, full frames compared to the cropped frames from the MGM set.