One of the great pioneers of the early Czech film industry, director and writer Jan S. Kolár (1896-1973) worked in a number of genres: supernatural fantasy, medieval epics, romantic melodrama, sci-fi and more. Deaf Crocodile is thrilled to collaborate with the Národní filmový archív, Prague and Comeback Company on this first-ever Blu-ray release of two of Kolár’s finest Silent features and a number of rare shorts.
THE ARRIVAL FROM THE DARKNESS (PŘÍCHOZÍ Z TEMNOT) – 1921, NFA, 62 min., dir. Jan S. Kolár. Much wilder-than-you-think-it-will-be occult story about a book collector (Theodor Pištěk) who uses an ancient manuscript to revive his long-dormant 16th century ancestor (Karel Lamač) – who then tries to steal the collector’s wife (Anny Ondra), thinking she’s his long-lost love Alena. Mad esoteric shenanigans involving ruined castles, alchemists, time travel, the Elixir of Life, the Black Plague and Black Magic rituals make this one of the most surprising genre treats of the Silent era. With an experimental musical score by the Silent film trio Neuvěřitelno.
WENCESLAS (SVATÝ VÁCLAV) – 1929, NFA, 103 min., Kolár’s sweeping medieval epic set in 10th century Bohemia about the struggle between paganism and Christianity, centered around the prince (and later saint) Wenceslas (Zdeněk Štěpánek), who became the model for “the righteous king.” Lavish and highly entertaining mixture of ALEXANDER NEVSKY and ILYA MUROMETS, filled with knights in armor, murders, betrayals between brothers, between mothers and sons, between daughters and mothers-in-law — betrayals everywhere you look. The most expensive Czech film made up to that point, filmed during the Silent era but only released after the transition to sound. With a new score for this release by Silent film composer Ben Model.
For thoughts on The Arrival From the Darkness + St. Wenceslas, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
The Arrival From the Darkness and St. Wenceslas arrive on Blu-Ray courtesy of restorations completed by the Národní filmový archív. The Arrival From the Darkness was reconstructed and restored from a combination of an unassembled original negative, a duplicate negative, the original nitrate distribution print, and two acetate prints. According to censorship records, part of the film has not survived over the years. St. Wenceslas is based on a nitrate duplicate negative with acetate intertitles and further duplicate prints.
Each film has been allocated its own disc, which allows them to properly breathe at a high bitrate even with all of the corresponding supplemental features. There are no issues with compression artifacts or anything of that nature. These two restorations eliminate many issues that typically plague films of this era, but there are still understandable limitations to the source that hold them back from perfection. Of the two movies, The Arrival From the Darkness showcases the most wear and tear of the pair, but it still looks quite good for a film of this era. St. Wenceslas especially looks well-preserved and free from major damage, even if a sheen of smaller specks is a consistent presence.
The contrast is capably defined with little in the way of flicker or unacceptable damage to the print. Black levels present with some agreeable depth with no major occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. Each film retains its natural grain well with no serious fluctuations in quality. This lends a level of texture to the clothing and within the setting that makes you grateful silent-era cinema is afforded HD quality releases. Deaf Crocodile has continued to make a grand impression in the silent film space.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray set presents these films with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that revitalizes these efforts for a new audience. The Arrival From the Darkness comes with a score from Neuvěřitelno, and St. Wenceslas has its score provided by Ben Model. Each presentation is bold and provides a unique complement to the material. The music is the only element to contend with in these tracks, and it comes through with ideal fidelity and no signs of damage or age-related anomalies. Silent film fans will appreciate the sound quality of the tracks, as you could not ask for better! Optional English subtitles are provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentaries: Film historian Peter Hames and Czech film expert Irena Kovarova of Comeback Company provide a commentary track for each film, which provides great context for Czech cinema of the time, the inspirations for the narrative, the production of the film, and much more. This is a well-rounded and informative listen for fans.
- Short Films
- Polykarp’s Winter Adventure (Polykarpovo zimní dobrodružství ) – 1917 (10:53)
- The Oriental Languages’ Teacher (Učitel orientálních jazyků) – 1918 (35:59)
- The Lady With The Small Foot (Dáma s malou nožkou) – 1919 (32:09)
- The Torn Photograph (Roztržené foto) – 1921 (28:11)
- The Wedding Shirt (Svatební košile) – 1925 (4:14)
- How We Used To Make Movies (1954): A 24-minute archival piece that gives a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Czech silent films were created. This is a fascinating piece of film history that we are lucky to have.
- Face of Centuries – Jan S. Kolar and the Afterlives of History: An 18-minute visual essay from film scholar Stephen Broomer that takes a look at the career and innovation of Jan S. Kolar, how these films stand out, and more.
- Booklet: The release includes a 48-page booklet featuring new essays by film historian Jan-Christopher Horak and film critic Walter Chaw. Both provide great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style.
Final Thoughts
The Arrival From the Darkness and St. Wenceslas are two compelling silent-era features that show the inventiveness of Jan S. Kolár. While some films from the era can lean a bit stuffy, these two outings will grab your attention early and keep you invested until the end. There is so much variety to be found in the silent era, and we appreciate that releases such as this one help bring this truth to new audiences. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray set which sports a fetching A/V presentation and a terrific assortment of special features. Recommended
The Arrival From the Darkness + St. Wenceslas are currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile 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.
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
