Search - Night and Fog [Criterion Collection] on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1955 DVD Release: 06/24/2003 Format: DVD - Black and White Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 0 hrs 31 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 24 Genres: History, Military & War, Politics & Government

Night and Fog represents the peak of director Alain Resnais' activities as a short-subject filmmaker. Framed as a documentary, the film is an unsettling view of life inside the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. As he would in his later features (Hiroshima Mon Amour, Last Year at Marienbad et. al.) Resnais toys with chronology, with memory becoming present reality and vice versa at several critical junctures. Jean Cayrol, later responsible for the script of Resnais' Muriel (1962), wrote the narration for Night and Fog. The film was originally released in France as Nuit et Brouillard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One only wishes that Alain Resnais' documentary on the Holocaust, Night and Fog were longer, but even at a scant 31 minutes, this powerful short film details plenty about the horror of that terrible period of time. Now on DVD from Criterion, the disc also leaves the viewer wishing for a little more. The image, which is full-frame (it was not shot widescreen), varies based on the source material. The footage shot in 1955 of the concentration camp grounds looks as good as if it was filmed today, yet the stock footage from 20 years earlier certainly shows its age. All things considered, the transfer is still quite good; at least as good as it can be. The mono soundtrack in French is the one originally used in theaters, and as expected, is perfectly adequate for this type of film. The narration is clear, as is the haunting score from Hanns Eisler, which is also included by itself on a separate audio track. Unfortunately, the subtitles are white, and disappear against the background at times. What is lacking with this title is significant supplemental material. Criterion, known for adding as much as they can, must not have had much at their disposal, as all that's included are biographies of the main crew members and a radio broadcast about this film (running only around five minutes) that Resnais gave in 1994. Regardless, this film's historical impact makes up for any deficiencies. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide