Saragossa Manuscript, The | Blu-ray

The pinnacle of surrealist cinema. A perfect blend of narrative and non-narrative storytelling to create a labyrinthine tale of pride, hubris, lust and adventure.

What starts out as a simple story of a man stumbling across a tome detailing his family's history, amid a violent battle in the Napoleonic Wars, quickly spirals out into a chain of tales within tales within tales. At times it feels like each new interaction, each new scene is going to bring about the start of a new story, a new memory, a new flashback.

That kind of construction is exceptionally confusing and distracting in many cases, but The Saragossa Manuscript operates with such a delicate and finely crafted touch that it rarely ever feels like a task to be undertaken. This is an enticing puzzle, where each peace promises its own entertainment and intrigue. The jewel in Wojciech Has' directorial crown.

Special Features (via vinegarsyndrome.com)

• Introduction’s Notes on The Saragossa Manuscript by Annette Insdorf, Film Professor at Columbia University, and author of books including "Intimations: The Cinema of Wojciech Has”
• Post Screening’s Notes on The Saragossa Manuscript by Annette Insdorf
• Discussion on The Saragossa Manuscript with Sebastian Smoliński, Film Critic
• Written Essay by Anton Bitel, Film Crtitic
• Written Essay by Annette Insdorf
• English subtitles