Edvard Munch: Special Edition 2-DVD Set (DVD)

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Watkins matches Munch´s relentless experimentation with his own free-form innovations in this mesmerizing film. Though it is difficult to describe exactly how this movie looks, sounds and feels, I can easily describe its effect on me. I was riveted from start to finish, and found myself consistently surprised at every turn. "Edvard Munch" creates its own cinematic language and there is no way to anticipate which shot will follow from the previous one. What could have been a dry, predictable biopic is instead a dazzling panorama of not just a life but a world of ideas and emotions. It is also a deeply moving film that accumulates power with each scene. By the end I found myself in tears, not from sorrow, but rather because I felt overwhelmed by the blunt force of the film.

"Edvard Munch" is the best film about an artist and the artistic process that I have ever seen. Unlike most art films, it does not manufacture any cheap epiphanies when the artist is miraculously inspired by happenstance (Jackson Pollack watches a toppled paint can drip onto the floor and, in one quick cut, he is a genius!) Instead, we see that Munch achieved his most significant breakthroughs by three primary methods: work, work, and more work (much the same way Watkins made this movie). The film is every bit as much about the joy Munch took in the process of creation as it is about the anguish he suffered, and it produces an intoxicating viewing experience.

Video

The film is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. "Edvard Munch" was originally shot on 16 mm film and was digitally remastered to high definition digital video for this DVD release. As a result, the picture is very grainy but this is unavoidable. The transfer is interlaced, so you will see some combing. The image quality is a bit muddy, but that doesn´t detract in the slightest from the beauty of this film. I didn´t notice any difference in quality between the transfer from the 2006 DVD and this transfer with the additional 46 minutes of footage.

Audio

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English and French subtitles support the audio which is predominantly in Norwegian though parts are in German and Watkins´ narration (not subtitled) is in English.

Extras

Now we get to talk about the good and the bad of this special edition.

THE GOOD: The extra 46 minutes. Let me be frank. I watched the first 174 minute version of "Edvard Munch" more than a year and a half ago, and did not have the chance to re-watch it before writing this review. I don´t have a list of which scenes are new, which ones have been expanded, and so on. I can tell you, however, that this full version is every bit as stunning as the shorter cut, and does not lag for even one second. The film is so seamless, it´s hard to believe even a minute of this new version could be cut even though I was already awestruck by the shorter cut. I would happily sit and watch a 440 minute cut of "Edvard Munch" if it was available. The film really is that special.

Also on the good side of the ledger (though less so) are three short films about Edvard Munch: "Moments in the Life of Edvard Munch" (11 min, 1957), "From Ekely, the City and the Artists" (12 min, 1953), and "The Munch Museum in Oslo" (10 min, 1963). "Moments" and "Museum" are just short informational films that don´t add much to the experience of the film. "Ekely" is the best-made of the three, and provides a romanticized portrait of the artists´ community in the suburbs of Oslo. It was filmed only seven years after Munch´s death, and before the construction of the Munch museum.

A fourth short feature (6 min.) cuts together some of Munch´s own silent film recordings. They were shot on a 9.5 mm. Baby-Pathé and are basically just blurry recordings around the city. They are of interest only because they were recorded by Munch.

THE (NOT SO) BAD: The 220 minute film is broken up over 2 discs, 110 minutes on each disk. In fact, all of the extras are on Disc 1: Disc Two only includes the second half of the film. I suppose it´s not a big deal. A 220 minute film would likely be shown in a theater with an intermission, and not many home viewers are going to watch the whole movie without a bathroom break or two. Still, I´d vastly prefer to see the movie on a single disc.

A 56-page insert booklet more than doubles the 24-page booklet from the 2006 DVD release. The booklet includes the same self-interview by Watkins, but now also features a full chapter from Joseph Gomez´s book "Peter Watkins." And it´s definitely worth a read. The book is currently out-of-print, and I hope the successful release of Peter Watkins´ films on DVD over the past few years will help to rectify that situation.

Film Value

I have long felt that a critic should review a film at least twice: once on his or her initial viewing, and once again at least a year later. Critics seldom have the time to do so: too many movies, too little time. Andrew Sarris did a famous about face on "2001: A Space Odyssey" when he returned for a second viewing while suitably under the influence, but most critics are "stuck" with their first pass at a film.

A year and a half ago, I was deeply moved by my first encounter with this film that resembles few others I have ever seen. Now, seeing it in its complete version, I find myself every bit as floored as I was the first time. I recently submitted a "top films" list to another site, and I included "Edvard Munch" among my Top Ten films of all-time. Now I wonder if I´m under-rating it.

Is the special edition worth buying if you already own the 2006 DVD? It wouldn´t be worth it for the extras, nor is there any noticeable difference in the transfer. However, it is more than worth it solely for the additional 46 minutes of footage. In fact, I think that both releases are must-owns for anyone who cares about Peter Watkins´ singular vision of cinema. For that reason alone, I consider the Special Edition of "Edvard Munch" to be one of the top DVD releases of 2007.

I´ll end my review the same way I ended my review of the 2006 DVD:

Why am I a film critic?

Because sometimes I get to write about films like "Edvard Munch."

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