"The Barbarian Invasions" Buena Vista / Miramax - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2

(aka "The Barbarian Invasions" or "Barbarian Invasion")

directed by Denys Arcand
Canada / France 2003

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 21, 2003 (Cannes Film Festival)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

Buena Vista / Miramax - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Paul Whitelock and Henrik Sylow for the Screen Caps!

(Buena Vista / Miramax - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
	NOTE: Purchases through DVDBeaver's links to Amazon help keep us afloat and advertisement free!
Distribution	Buena Vista / Miramax Region 1 - NTSC	Artificial Eye Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:38:45	1:35:00 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.43 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.29:1 Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.82 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate: Buena Vista / Miramax .
Bitrate: Artificial Eye
Audio	2.0 Dolby Digital French, 5.1 Dolby Digital French	2.0 Dolby Digital French, 5.1 Dolby Digital French
Subtitles	English (Yellow), English Closed Caption (White), None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Buena Vista / Miramax Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Inside the Barbarian Invasions (50:48, 6.1 Mb/sec bit rate) • Sneak Peaks: • My Voyage to Italy • Paper Clips • Shall We Dance? • People I know • Miramax 25th Anniversary DVD Release Date: July 13, 2004 Keep case Chapters 14	Release Information: Studio: Artificial Eye Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 2.29:1 Edition Details: • Barbarian Invasion trailer (1.78:1 - 2:04) • Decline of the American empire trailer (1.33:1 - 2:14) • Two deleted scenes (1:43 and 3:13) • Audio interviews (in English) • by Francis Stock for Film Row BBC Radio 4 (6:04) • by BFI at LIFF 2003 (15:12) • Filmographies for Denys Arcand, Rémy Girard, Stéphane Rousseau, Marie-Josée Croze and Dorothée Berr DVD Release Date: June 28, 2004 Keep Case Chapters 12
Comments	The Region 1 has an incredible amount of unnecessary space on the bottom of the image that is not visible on the Region 2 Artificial Eye. The Miramax edition is far superior in sharpness. The AE has a greenish tinge to it. We are still investigating about the aspect ratio. I suspect the AE is correct and the Miramax looks similar to being pan and scanned to 1.78 from an Open Matte version of the film's super35. The same differences also is on the Terminator 2 full screen DVD. And I am being told, that it is the same with “Once Upon in Mexico”. Theatrically 2.35:1, DVD 1.78:1, also Super35. Bottom line with the Miramax you are not seeing what people saw theatrically. As Paul states below - don't believe the Miramax packaging which say 2.35. It's a lie. Gary W. Tooze The film was shot in Super35, which is an non-anamorphic 35mm format, with two aspect ratios 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Both compositions are done at the same time by lines on the monitor. The OAR is 2.35:1, but is heavily cropped in respect to the 1.78:1 image which appears almost like an Open Matte. *- Henrik Sylow* On the Miramax: A very good film with a very good (Region 1) transfer, but it does have a major flaw. The original aspect ratio of the film is 2.35:1 and while the back cover of the DVD states that the transfer is "Widescreen (2.35:1)," the DVD aspect ratio is in fact 16:9 (1.78:1). While fortunately there does not appear to be any major cropping problems, Miramax should have transferred the film at its original aspect ratio or at the least clearly stated that the film is not presented in its original aspect ratio. The DVD also includes a television documentary titled "Inside the Barbarian Invasions." The documentary gathers together the cast of the film (but not the director) and records the conversation as the cast enjoys a meal together. This is actually a lot more interesting than it might sound, though they spend more time discussing life than the film. It's a very nice addition to the DVD. Paul Whitelock

Recommended Reading in French Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


The Films in My Life by Francois Truffaut, Leonard Mayhew	French Cinema: A Student's Guide by Philip Powrie, Keith Reader	Agnes Varda by Alison Smith	Godard on Godard : Critical Writings by Jean-Luc Godard	Notes on the Cinematographer by Robert Bresson	Robert Bresson (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 2) by James Quandt	The Art of Cinema by Jean Cocteau	French New Wave by Jean Douchet, Robert Bonnono, Cedric Anger, Robert Bononno	French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present by Remi Fournier Lanzoni	Truffaut: A Biography by Antoine do Baecque and Serge Toubiana