Bluebeards Castle Limited Edition Blu-Ray

Discover a "lost" masterpiece from acclaimed director Michael Powell (The Red Shoes and Peeping Tom) with this stunning adaptation of Béla Bartók's expressionist opera.

Starring Norman Foster as the murderous Bluebeard and Ana Raquel Satre as his doomed wife Judith, this boldly original production was made for West German television in 1963. Powell combines outstanding performances with spectacular production design (by Oscar winner Hein Heckroth) to create a bold and inventive interpretation of this haunting work, which is as creative as the iconic The Tales of Hoffmann.

Bluebeard's Castle has been unavailable for many years and has been carefully restored by the BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation, and is presented here - on its 60th anniversary - in its original 1963 version and the revised 1978 edition.anniversary - in its original 1963 version and the revised 1978 edition, with limited English subtitles added by Powell.

Extras

Newly restored by the BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation in collaboration with The Ashbrittle Film Foundation and presented in High Definition

Optional audio track with the English translation commissioned by Michael Powell and sung by Norman Foster and Ana Raquel Satre

Newly recorded interview with film scholar Ian Christie (2023, 21 min)

Photo essay: Michael Powell at Dartmouth (1980, 16 min): A short documentary depicting Powell's time as Artist in Residence at Dartmouth College in 1980. A picture gallery featuring production designs by Hein Heckroth. Optional English subtitles. **FIRST PRINTING (2,000 copies)** Fully illustrated booklet with texts by Michael Powell, Bertrand Tavernier, Ian Christie, and Lillian Crawford. Review: "The missing link between Hoffmann's stories and Peeping Tom" --Bertrand Tavernier.