An Excellent, but Nerdy, Audio Commentary
The DVD provides a scholarly English-language audio commentary for Die Dreigroshenoper by two university professors. One is from Harvard and is a Pabst expert, the other from Cornell and a Brecht expert. They give a spontaneous, rapid-fire commentary, each bouncing off the other as they take turns speaking in bursts of perhaps 30 seconds or so.
Both commentators are extremely knowledgeable about the Weimar era, as the period 1919 to 1933 is known in German history. The Pabst expert particularly addresses the movie in the context of cinema, while the other scholar gives us some of the flavor of Brecht's theory of drama. The professors occasionally slip briefly into academic-speak, but this is a mere cavil considering how much they lift the level of discourse here above the ordinary DVD commentary.
The French-Language Version of the Film
The Criterion Collection DVD set contains two versions of The Threepenny Opera: the German version Die Dreigroschenoper described above and a French-language version titled L’Opéra de quat'sous. G.W. Pabst directed both films using the same sets, but with different casts.
The DVD provides an 18-minute featurette where a university professor makes a video presentation in which he compares the two versions. He contends that the differences were intentional, and he attributes them to the filmmakers' perception that the French audience would want a lighter, less cynical tone than the German. This begins with the casting of French musical comedy stars in the roles of Mackie and Polly, who are played as having sunnier personalities and a more playful relationship than their German counterparts. Also, the French version is noticeably brighter, and the expert claims that it has almost twice as much background music, making the French version more tuneful.
L’Opéra de quat'sous is not a bad movie, but there's no compelling reason to watch it except to gain a deeper appreciation of Die Dreigroschenoper.
Miscellaneous Other DVD Extras
The DVD set includes additional bonus materials that are mildly interesting. There's a 41-minute feature on behind-the-scenes still photos taken while the pair of movies was being shot. Also, there are 10 production sketches by the art director. Another extra is an 18-minute 1972 interview with Fritz Rasp, the actor who played Peachum in the German version. There's also a 90-second intro by Rasp and the actor who played the Street Singer for the film's East German release in 1956. Finally, packaged with the DVD set is a 28-page booklet, about half of which consists of a lively article on The Threepenny Opera written by film critic Tony Rayns.
DVD Details
Below I have listed all the details for the Criterion Collection DVD set containing The Threepenny Opera.
Release Date: September 18, 2007
Number of Discs: 2
Disc One:
Feature Film: Die Dreigroshenoper (1 hr. 51 min.)
Full-Screen (1.19:1), Black and White
German Monaural
English Subtitles
Audio Commentary by Brecht Expert and Pabst Expert
Fritz Rasp and Ernst Busch (1 1/2 min.)
Brecht vs. Pabst (49 min.)
Disc Two:
Feature Film: L’Opéra de quat'sous (1 hr. 42 min.)
Full-Screen (1.19:1), Black and White
French Monaural
English Subtitles
Charles O’Brien on the Two Versions (18 min.)
The Casparius Photos (41 min.)
Production Sketches (10 stills)
Fritz Rasp Interview (18 min.)
28-Page Booklet Containing Essay by Tony Rayns
Return to Beginning of Review
