Screenwriter and director Miklós Jancsó was the creator of a unique film language centered around his mastery of the tracking shot. The first internationally recognized representative of modern Hungarian filmmaking, his extraordinary works examined oppressive authority and the mechanics of power. Kino Lorber is proud to present six of his classic features restored in 4K from their original camera negatives by the National Film Institute Hungary – Film Archive. The Round-Up (1966) depicts a prison camp in the aftermath of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution. A true classic of world cinema. The Red and the White (1967) is a haunting, powerful film about the absurdity and evil of war set in Central Russia during the Civil War of 1918. The Confrontation (1968) is a story of protest and rebellion set in 1947 Hungary, when the Communist Party has just taken power. Winter Wind (1969) consists of twelve fluid long takes that capture a mid-1930s group of Croatian anarchists. Red Psalm (1971) follows a group of farm workers who go on strike in 1890s Hungary, for which Jancsó won the best director prize at Cannes. Electra, My Love (1974) is a richly inventive adaptation of the Greek myth that consists of 12 single take, intricately choreographed set pieces.
For initial thoughts on The Miklós Jancsó Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
For additional thoughts on The Miklós Jancsó Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The six films in the The Miklós Jancsó Collection are packaged together on Blu-Ray by Kino Classics with 1080p masters in their original aspect ratios and have been restored from their original camera negatives with a 4K scan by the National Film Institute Hungary – Film Archive. By and large these releases are very similar to one another and will be discussed as a group with any meaningful differences pointed out.
As always, Kino Classics goes out of their way to treat their films with the utmost respect. The stunning and technically precise photography from Tamas Somlo and Janos Kende captures the various distinct locations and environments which impress in high definition with natural grain intact and nicely resolved with only sporadic moments looking a touch coarse. There is a terrific amount of detail present with immediate textures on the clothing and within the outdoor environments. There are moments when the camera is traveling around and picking up little moments that appear quite striking in their clarity.
These films rely a lot on long tracking shots that take in a lot of information all around the screen, and clarity rarely falters during this time. Black levels are nice and deep with no significant of black crush or compression artifacts. The first two films in this set are in black-and-white, and the greyscale is practically perfect, while the remaining color films also offer a treat with their vibrant depictions of nature and clothing. The contrast is stable throughout, and there is virtually no print damage to be found outside a few stray moments. Kino Classics has done a tremendous job with all of these transfers in a way that should make anyone who decides to pick this set up pleased as punch.
Audio Quality
All six films in this set have been given restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono tracks in the original Hungarian with optional English subtitles. Every single one of these tracks represents these stories in a pretty fetching way sonically. The dialogue typically comes through very clearly without being overshadowed by the competing sound effects or score. There are moments of violence that add some texture without becoming a muddled mess in the rhythmic movement. All of the unique sounds in the mix seem precisely rendered so that nothing ever feels off. These are not films that rely on a score by and large, but what is present maintains a nice consistency. Everything is presented with an excellent fidelity with only the occasional instance of sound presenting as a bit thin or boxy. The tracks get more impressive as the films get more modern, but there is not a sour note in the bunch. These presentations are mostly free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Kino Classics knocks it out of the park!
Special Features
The Blu-Ray of The Miklós Jancsó Collection comes with a 10-page booklet featuring an introduction for Martin Scorsese and a brief paragraph about each film included in the set along with technical details. The on-disc special features are as follows:
The Round-Up
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Michael Brooke delivers an informative commentary track in which he discusses the career of Miklós Jancsó, how this film fit into the political climate of the time in which it was released, the background of the performers, the set design, the plot and themes of the film and more that adds a lot of great context to this work.
- Short Films By Miklós Jancsó
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- Indian Story (1961): A 12-minute short film which gives you an overview of how Native Americans were pushed off of their land by white settlers, only through an outside perspective which makes it more intriguing.
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- Presence (1965): An eight-minute film which explores the Jewish faith and ritual in a way that resembles some of his feature film work on display in this set.
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- Second Presence (1978): A ten-minute short film which switches to color and builds upon the first installment over a decade earlier by surveying some of the same locations and engaging in more faith-based ritual.
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- Third Presence (1986): Another 14-minute short which engages in many of the same themes through recollection almost another decade in the future.
- Repertory Trailer: A minute-and-a-half trailer for the films of Miklós Jancsó courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The Red and The White
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Jonathan Owen delivers a lovely commentary track in which he discusses the work of Miklós Jancsó, how this film fits into that output, the political excavation of the film, the development of his signature camera movement, the background of certain figures, the plot and themes of the film, the general reception of the picture and more that adds a lot of great context to this work.
- Short Films By Miklós Jancsó
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- Autumn In Badacsony (1954): An 18-minute short film which gives you an overview of the titular subject as you get entertaining narration over some interesting nature footage and other details about the area.
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- Harvest In Orosháza (1953): Another 18-minute short film which gives you an overview of the titular time and location as you get entertaining narration over some interesting nature footage and more populated areas than the previous short.
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- With A Camera In Kostroma (1967): A 13-minute short film which doubles as a behind the scenes piece of The Red and The White as you get to see Jancsó working with his performers as well as some other moments from the production.
- Repertory Trailer: A minute-and-a-half trailer for the films of Miklós Jancsó courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The Confrontation/Winter Wind
- The Confrontation Audio Commentary: Film Historian Kat Ellinger provides a great commentary track which begins with a discussion about the protest that erupted at the 1968 film festival led by Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut which prevented this film from being screened and given the opportunity to get the international breakthrough it could have secured. The track goes on to discuss the political environment of the time, the structure and themes of the film, the collaborators of Jancsó and more.
- Winter Wind Audio Commentary: Film Historian Samm Deighan provides a terrific commentary track in which she discusses the work of Jancsó, the lack of dialogue and overall exposition, why he is one of the most important Hungarian directors, the exploration of the abuses of power, the nationalism in Hungary and more.
- Repertory Trailer: A minute-and-a-half trailer for the films of Miklós Jancsó courtesy of Kino Lorber.
Red Psalm/Electra, My Love:
- Red Psalm Audio Commentary: Film Historian Kat Ellinger provides a commentary track in which she discusses her own relationship with Jancsó, how his career parallels certain creative figures, how this fits into the output of the director, the rejection of realism, and more that helps you contextualize the film.
- Electra, My Love Audio Commentary: Film Historian Samm Deighan provides a commentary track in which she discusses how this marks a transition for Jancsó, the ties Greek mythology, how Jancsó makes the text his own, the focus on movement and more that is very insightful.
- Repertory Trailer: A minute-and-a-half trailer for the films of Miklós Jancsó courtesy of Kino Lorber.
Final Thoughts
The six films in the Miklós Jancsó Collection offer a well-rounded look at the director as you get to witness how this auteur weaves in political dissonance with an often abstract narrative that lulls you into a trance with its rhythmic tones. On a technical level alone, it is easy to admire the long tracking shots he is able to nail without seeming like a distracting gimmick. No one performance stands out in this collection of films, as characters so freely come and go in service of a larger thematic directive. These films will not be for everyone, but those who appreciate world cinema should be sure to not overlook his contributions simply because his name is not as buzzy as some other filmmakers. Kino Classics has provided a set with a terrific A/V presentation and a strong number of supplemental features. Highly Recommended
The Miklós Jancsó Collection is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
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 set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.