In a return to the realistic “Street films” of the German silent era, Robert Siodmak (Criss Cross) directed this comedy drama of intersecting lives within the rooms of a working-class boarding house. Aribert Mog (Ecstasy) and Brigitte Horney (Munchausen) star as Peter and Hella, a young couple waiting for the opportunity to be married. When Peter receives a job opportunity in Dresden, he intends to surprise Hella with the news. But when word spreads among the other lodgers, it creates a series of misunderstandings that could jeopardize the couple’s happiness.

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Video Quality

Farewell makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a pretty strong transfer in collaboration with the Murnau Stiftung Foundation. For a film that is over 90 years old, it is difficult to ask for much better. The black-and-white photography shines in high definition with natural grain intact and resolved well. Black levels present with a bit of depth with no overwhelming occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is fairly well defined, but the transfer admittedly experiences a distinct amount of flicker and specks of damage to the print. There are also more than a few stray, faint vertical lines that make a quick appearance without ruining the overall aesthetic of the film. There is a decent amount of detail present with fine textures on the clothing and within the production design. The new transfer shows off a pleasing amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Kino Classics has done an admirable job with this title within its limitations.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a solid LPCM 2.0 Master Audio track in the original German that serves this movie well considering its place in early sound recording. The music from Erwin Bootz never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in harmony with all competing elements so that everything comes through clearly. This track does present a small amount of age related wear and tear including some hissing and crackles that more than likely date back to the source elements. There are optional English subtitles included for the feature film. Kino Classics has provided the most stable track possible for this one.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Anthony Slide provides an informative commentary track in which he explores the place of this film in cinema history as well as the careers of the artists involved. This also helps contextualize the legacy of this film that is helpful when viewing the film. Well worth a listen!

Alternate “Happy” Ending: This is not included as a separate supplemental feature, but after the film ends properly, there is an additional five minutes that are contextualized as an ending added by the studio without Siodmak’s participation.

Final Thoughts

Farewell is another tonally ambitious work from the great Robert Siodmak which lifts you up and breaks your heart in equal measure. The snappy dialogue and quick pace gives this work an energy that rarely lets up, but when things skew more dramatic, the moments are given the emotional heft they deserve. Some characters are a bit exaggerated for maximum audience reaction, but everyone blends together in a satisfying way for the narrative as a whole. Kino Classics has rescued this one with a new Blu-Ray sporting a fetching A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. Those who appreciate the subtle balance between comedy and melodrama will enjoy what this one delivers. Recommended

Farewell is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.