Der blaue Engel / The Blue Angel (1930) 2 x DVD9 and Blu-Ray Eureka – Masters of Cinema, download for free

Jan12

Der blaue Engel / The Blue Angel (1930) 2 x DVD9 and Blu-Ray Eureka – Masters of Cinema

by movieworld on January 12th, 2017 at 15:24

The Blue Angel was based on a Heinrich Mann novel and, at its core, is the story of a prudish school teacher, Prof. Immanuel Rath (Jannings) who, during the course of seeking to catch his students in the act of sneaking out to a bawdy cabaret known as “The Blue Angel”, becomes enraptured with that establishment’s star attraction, Lola Lola (Marlene Dietrich). An almost whimsical, one-sided, and manipulative seduction ensues on the part of Lola, and Rath ends up like putty in her hands. His involvement with Lola begins a downward spiral of misfortune for Rath.

On the surface the story is a simple one — about the ruin and degradation of a respected high school professor by an erotic but disreputable cabaret singer, Lola Lola, but there is more: Subsequent history has shown The Blue Angel to be a fascinating documentary of the decadence of the fast-evaporating post-WWI Weimar Republic that would come crashing down with the advent of Adolph Hitler in 1933. Professor Rath (Emil Jannings) represents the staid German tradition while decadent Lola Lola represents the perilous forces that will bring Germany to her knees in the not-too-distant future.

The Blue Angel was shot simultaneously in German and English (and both versions of the film are included on this release).

Director: Josef von Sternberg
Cast: Emil Jannings, Marlene Dietrich, Kurt Gerron, Hans Albers, Rosa Valetti, Roland Varno, Wilhelm Diegelmann
Country: Germany
Genre: Drama

BD50 + 2xDVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:47:13 + 01:44:27 | 44.4 Gb + 13.7 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Deutsch, English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Commentary - critic and scholar Tony Rayns discusses the German-language version of The Blue Angel. As usual, Mr. Rayns offers a much broader commentary that addresses not only Josef von Sternberg's famous film, but the socio-political climate in Europe at the time when the film was made. Mr. Rayns also analyses many of the film's key scenes and discusses its characters' strengths and weaknesses.

• "Who am I?" - in this video essay, which was filmed exclusively for Eureka Entertainment in November 2012, critic and film scholar Tag Gallagher discusses Josef von Sternberg's life and legacy, as well as The Blue Angel's unique themes and characters. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• 1929 Screen Test - short screen test featuring Marlene Dietrich. In German, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).

• 1971 Interview Clip - short clip from an interview with Marlene Dietrich, who quickly explains why she was not the star in The Blue Angel, at least not at the time when the film was completed. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Dietrich in Concert - three clips featuring "Falling in Love Again" (4 min) from a 1963 Stockholm concert, and "Lola" (3 min) and "You're the Cream in My Coffee" (4 min) from the 1972 "I Wish You Love" performance in London.

• Theatrical Trailer - original theatrical trailer for The Blue Angel. In German, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).

• Re-Release Trailer - in German, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).