A truly marvelous rediscovery courtesy of the National Film Institute (NFI) in Hungary, director Ákos D. Hamza’s SIRIUS is an intensely romantic time-travel film with overtones of the Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour-starring SOMEWHERE IN TIME and BACK TO THE FUTURE. In the 1940s, a brash Hungarian playboy (László Szilassy) travels back two hundred years with a mad scientist to the mid-18th century world of wigs and pompadours, where he falls in love with a penniless opera singer (Katalin Karády) and makes enemies of all the aristocratic fools he encounters (including his own great-grandfather). But can he make it back to the present before dawn with his new love – or will he lose her forever? One of the first great divas in Hungarian film and music, lead actress Katalin Karády was brutally tortured by the Nazis during WW2 and saved the lives of a number of Hungarian Jewish children who were set to be executed by the Danube River, for which she was posthumously honored by the Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to victims of the Holocaust. Beautifully restored from the original 35mm B&W nitrate negative by the NFI, and released for the first time on Blu-ray in the U.S. by Deaf Crocodile. In Hungarian with English subtitles.

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Video Quality

Sirius debuts on Blu-Ray domestically in its original 1.37:1 theatrical aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a new restoration of the 35mm Nitrate Negative conducted by the National Film Institute in Hungary. We love when Deaf Crocodile restores a movie from the raw scan up, but there is no denying that the NFI knocked this one out of the park with a stunning restoration befitting the material. The new master preserves the natural film grain with nothing ever appearing clumpy or swarming around the screen. The utmost care has been taken to ensure this picture is as authentic to the source as possible, thankfully sidestepping any ghastly digital manipulation.

The contrast of the black-and-white footage is carefully balanced to achieve the intended aesthetic of the feature. Black levels are deep with no semblance of crush or compression artifacts. The highlights are dialed in to avoid blooming, and there is essentially no print damage to be found thanks to the careful restoration efforts. The fetching restoration is put over the top by a first-rate encoding effort. The photography captures the whimsical production design that thrives in high definition with natural grain intact and nicely resolved. There is a standout amount of detail present with exceptional textures on the period costumes and within the set design. The new transfer reveals a great amount of depth and enhanced detail that helps sell the incredible journey. Deaf Crocodile has once again welcomed another gem into the spotlight.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray arrives with a delightful DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original Hungarian with optional English subtitles. The transfixing score from Tibor Polgar comes through well in relation to the competing sounds without much in the way of distortion or overall weakness. Dialogue comes through clearly without the sound effects or the music distracting from important details. The film employs some fantastical sound effects that are given the appropriate personality within the mix. The journey undertaken by our protagonist is filled with unique sonic characteristics that stand out in the speakers. This track stands tall with ideal fidelity and no serious damage or other unwanted issues. Deaf Crocodile has treated the audio presentation with great care.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of Sirius arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page, bound book featuring writing by film critic Walter Chaw and film historian Rolf Giesen. This provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Hall of Fame comics artist, film historian, and author Stephen R. Bissette provides a new commentary track in which he explores how this fits into Hungarian cinema, cultural references of the times, the background of the creative figures, important set design elements, and more.

Interview with György Ráduly: A 19-minute conversation with the director of the National Film Institute (NFI) – Film Archive, conducted by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile, in which he speaks about the restoration process of Sirius, the history of the film, the amazing background of Katalin Karády, and more.

Vissza a jövöbe – Hungary at a Tipping Point: A 20-minute visual essay by journalist and physical media expert Ryan Verrill and film professor Dr. Will Dodson of Someone’s Favorite Productions, in which they delve into Hungarian cinema, the impact of World War II, and much more that is a fascinating historical exploration.

SIRIUS Werkfilm: A very rare three-minute behind-the-scenes piece shot during the production of Sirius.

Trailer (2:48)

Final Thoughts

Sirius is a delightful blend of classic sci-fi storytelling with yearning romance, which makes this stand out as one of the most earnest features released by this label yet. The care put into crafting this ambitious narrative is undeniable. Audiences can easily lose themselves in the observance of the inventive production design or the period flourishes conjured to represent the past. It is a movie that is easy to fall in love with, so we are excited that it was able to get a second life on physical media. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports a virtually flawless A/V presentation and a stellar assortment of special features in lovely packaging. Recommended

Sirius is 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.