Four Acclaimed Masterworks of German Silent Cinema The Great Leap (1927) starring Leni Riefenstahl, Paul Wegener's The Golem (1920), G.W. Pabst's The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927), and F.W. Murnau's Tartuffe (1925) Presented in Restorations by the F.W. Murnau-Stiftung |
Kino Classics is proud to announce the Blu-ray and DVD releases of four German classics of the silent era, presented in restorations by the F.W. Murnau-Stiftung: The Great Leap (1927), directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Leni Riefenstahl, Paul Wegener's The Golem (1920), G.W. Pabst's The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927), and F.W. Murnau's Tartuffe (1925), starring Emil Jannings. The Great Leap, released on April 7th, features audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan. The Golem, released April 14, contains both a 4K restoration of the German release version with three musical scores (music scores by Stephen Horne, Admir Shkurtaj, and Lukasz "Wudec" Poleszak), and the U.S. release version (with music by Cordula Heth), along with a comparison between the German and U.S. versions, and audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas. The Love of Jeanne Ney, available April 21st, presents both the restored German release version with music arranged and orchestrated by Bernd Thewes, and the U.S. release version with music by Andrew Earle Simpson, and includes audio commentary by film historian Eddy von Mueller. Tartuffe will be released on April 28th, and includes both the German release version with a new score by Robert Israel, and the U.S. release version with music by Giuseppe Becce, adapted by Javier Perez de Azpeita.  THE GREAT LEAP (1927) Director: Arnold Fanck Starring Leni Riefenstahl and Luis Trenker Germany | B&W | 111 mins. | Not Rated | 1920x1080p (1.33:1) | German intertitles with optional English subtitles Special Features: - Audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan  THE GOLEM (1920) Written, Directed by and Starring Paul Wegener Germany | Color-Tinted | 76 mins. | Not Rated | 1080p HD (1.33:1) | German intertitles with optional English subtitles Special Features: - 4K restoration of German release version - Music by Stephen Horne - Music by Admir Shkurtai - Music by Lukasz "Wudec" Poleszak - Audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas - Comparison of German and U.S. release versions - U.S. release version, with music by Cordula Heth  THE LOVE OF JEANNE NEY (1927) An epic of the Weimar cinema, The Love of Jeanne Ney follows a young French woman's struggle for happiness amid the political turbulence and corruption of post-World War I Europe. A tour-de-force for director G.W. Pabst (Diary of a Lost Girl, Pandora's Box), the film blends a variety of cinematic approaches as it weaves its complex narrative of moral chaos and political upheaval: the "American Style," evocative of the Hollywood studio blockbuster; the avant-garde techniques of Soviet montage; as well as the eerie moving camerawork and shadowy perspectives typical of German Expressionism. The result is a stunning cinematic experiment that never fails to surprise the viewer as it races towards its exhilarating conclusion. Director: G.W. Pabst Starring Edith Jehanne, Fritz Rasp, Brigitte Helm, Uno Henning Germany | B&W | 106 mins. | Not Rated | 1080p HD (1.33:1) | German intertitles with optional English subtitles Special Features: - Audio commentary by film historian Eddy von Mueller - Restored German release version with music adapted and orchestrated by Bernd Thewes - U.S. release version with music by Andrew Earle Simpson  TARTUFFE (1925) The most gifted visual storyteller of the German silent era, F. W. Murnau crafted works of great subtlety and emotional complexity through his absolute command of the cinematic medium. Known for such dazzling films as Nosferatu (1922), The Last Laugh (1924), Faust (1926), and Sunrise (1927), Murnau was also drawn to more intimate dramas exploring the dark corners of the human mind. In Tartuffe, he revisits Moliére's fable of religious hypocrisy, in which a faithful wife (Lil Dagover) tries to convince her husband (Werner Krauss) that their morally superior guest, Tartuffe (Emil Jannings), is in fact a lecherous hypocrite with a taste for the grape. To endow the story with contemporary relevance, Murnau frames Moliére's tale with a modern-day plot concerning a housekeeper's stealthy efforts to poison her elderly master and take control of his estate. Director: F.W. Murnau Starring Emil Jannings Germany | Color Tinted | Not Rated | 1080p HD(1.33:1) | German intertitles with optional English subtitles German release version: 70 min. U.S. release version: 64 min. Special Features: - Audio commentary by film historian Troy Howarth - Restored German release version with orchestral score by Robert Israel - U.S. release version with music by Giuseppe Becce, adapted by Javier Perez De Azpeitia |