BERLIN: SYMPHONY OF A GREAT CITY (BERLIN, DIE SINFONIE DER GROßSTADT) & MELODY OF THE WORLD (MELODIE DER WELT)
BEST SPECIAL FEATURES ON DVD (BONUS)
Walther Ruttmann is a pioneer of modern multimaedia art. His first short films are unique experiments with forms, colors, and rhythm, his innovative commercials connected abstract animation art with concrete messages. The symphonic documentary BERLIN, DIE SINFONIE DER GROßSTADT is one of the most famous silent classics, the travelogue MELODIE DER WELT became the first German sound feature film. With the radio play Weekend Ruttmann created the first "sound film without images" while his short IN DER NACHT transforms music to images and is a prototype of modern music videos. The 2-disc DVD combines for the first time all surviving works by Walther Ruttmann from 1920-1931 in newly restored and reconstructed versions, often with original scores. It also includes lobby cards, posters, programs and text documents as well as little known paintings and drawings by Ruttmann.
Contents
Format: DVD-PAL / Region 0
(No Regional Code)
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BERLIN: SYMPHONY OF A GREAT CITY (BERLIN, DIE SINFONIE DER GROßSTADT)
(Germany, 1927)
Director, writer: Walther Ruttmann (based on the idea by Carl Mayer)
Photographed by: Karl Freund
Original Orchestral Score: Edmund Meisel
• 65 minutes
• B&W
◊
MELODY OF THE WORLD (MELODIE DER WELT)
(Germany, 1929)
Director, writer: Walther Ruttmann
Photographed by: Reimar Kuntze, Wilhelm Lehne, Rudolph Rathmann & Paul Holzki
Original Orchestral Score: Wolfgang Zeller
Cast: Ivan Koval-Samborskij, Renée Stobrawa, Bernard Shaw, Grace Chiang & Wilhelm Cuno
• 48 minutes
• B&W
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Bonus Material
LICHTSPIEL OPUS 1
(Germany, 1921)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Max Butting
• 11 minutes
• B&W
◊
OPUS 2
(Germany, 1922)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 3 minutes
• B&W
◊
OPUS 3
(Germany, 1924)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Hanns Eisler (1927)
• 3 minutes
• B&W
◊
OPUS 4
(Germany, 1925)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Helga Pogatschar (2008)
• 4 minutes
• B&W
◊
DER SIEGER
(Germany, 1922)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 3 minutes
• B&W
◊
DAS WUNDER
(Germany, 1922)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 3 minutes
• B&W
◊
DAS WIEDERGEFUNDENE PARADIES
(Germany, 1925)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 6 minutes
• B&W
◊
DER AUFSTIEG
(Germany, 1926)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 4 minutes
• B&W
◊
SPIEL DER WELLEN
(Germany, 1926)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 3 minutes
• B&W
◊
DORT WO DER RHEIN…
(Germany, 1927)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 3 minutes
• B&W
◊
WEEKEND
(Germany, 1930)
Director, writer, photographed by: Walther Ruttmann
Music: Joachim Bärenz (2008)
• 11 minutes
• B&W
◊
IN DER NACHT
(Germany, 1931)
Director, writer: Walther Ruttmann
Camera: Reimar Kuntze
Music: Robert Schumann
Cast: Nina Hansom
• 7 minutes
• B&W
◊
WALTHER RUTTMANN, DER VISIONÄR BEWEGTER RHYTHMEN
(West Germany, 1987)
Director: Irene Schuck
Screenplay: Jean Paul Goergen
• 7 minutes
• B&W
◊
• Lobby Cards and Original Artwork
• Paintings and drawings by Walther Ruttmann 1911-1920
• Radio feature "Walther Ruttmann, der Visionär bewegter Rhythmen" (1987, 86 minutes)
• Unrestored version of LICHTSPIEL OPUS 1 (1921, 7 minutes)
• Different digital transfers of DORT WO DER RHEIN… (1927, 3 minutes)
• Side-by-side comparison of the existing prints of MELODIE DER WELT (1929, 48 minutes)
• Photos from the Congress of the Independent Film in La Sarraz (1929)
• Texts by and about Walther Ruttmann, program booklets and original scores as ROM features
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Total Running Time: 05:25:00 (2 Discs)
Language: English
Musical Score: Edmund Meisel, Wolfgang Zeller, Max Butting, Joachim Bärenz, Hanns Eisler, Helga Pogatschar & Robert Schumann
Booklet Text: Walter Ruttman (German, English & French), Daniel Kothenschulte (German), Martin Loiperdinger (German), & Stefan Drössler (German & English)
Published By: Edition Filmmuseum
Institutional Price: $300 (plus shipping).
To order call: 212.280.8654 or click here for information on ordering by fax, e-mail or post.