Search - Miss Julie [Criterion Collection] on DVD

Content Advisory: Nudity Movie Release: 1950 DVD Release: 01/22/2008 Format: DVD - Black and White Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: Swedish Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 15 Genres: Drama, Period Film, Melodrama

Froken Julie (Miss Julie) is adapted from August Strindberg's trenchant one-act play of the same name. The title character, a young woman of prestige and property, is played by Anita Bjork. Taught by her mother to hold all men in contempt, Miss Julie nonetheless enters into an affair with misanthropic valet Jean (Ulf Palme). Their passion for one another is tempered by their mutual animosity, and the results are catastrophic. Playwright Strindberg's intense dislike for womanhood will probably alienate half the audience of Miss Julie, but director Alf Sjoberg's handling of the material is masterful--so much so that this film, together with Frenzy (1947), cemented Sjoberg's international reputation as a filmmaker of distinction (despite the efforts by American censors to "water down" the film). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anita Björk - Julie
Ulf Palme - Jean
Anders Henrikson - Count Carl
Lissi Alandh - Countess Berta

Before Ingmar Bergman rose to prominence, Alf Sjorberg was arguably Sweden's most acclaimed director in both film and the theater, and his adaptation of August Strindberg's ground-breaking drama of a wealthy young woman's obsession with one of her family's servants is generally regarded as the definitive screen version of this seminal work. However, it's never been available on home video in North America, so this edition from the Criterion Collection is more than welcome, and the fact that they've lavished their usual attention to detail on this disc makes it even more attractive to fans of both classic cinema and drama. Froken Julie (aka Miss Julie) has been transferred to disc in the full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the transfer looks splendid; the elements are clean and image is sharp, revealing an impressive range of grey tones. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and the results sound quite good given the age of the movie. The dialogue is in Swedish, with optional English subtitles but no multiple language options. A number of bonus features appear on this release, including Miss Julie: 100 Years In The Limelight, a documentary produced for Swedish television which looks at the many incarnations of Strindberg's play that have appeared over the years (including Sjorberg's film); excerpts from a television interview with Sjorberg; and a talk by critic Peter Cowie on Froken Julie, illustrated with stills and clips from the film. A trailer for the film's American release is also included, as well as thoughtful essays by Peter Matthews and Birgitta Steene in the accompanying booklet. While any reasonably good DVD release of this film would be of interest to film lovers, Criterion have truly gone out of their way to make this disc something special, and it's must viewing for those interested in Strindberg or vintage Swedish cinema. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide