PRODUCT INFORMATION
In 1950, DEFA – the state-owned film studio of East Germany or the GDR – embarked on what would prove to be a long tradition of producing films based on folktales by the likes of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. German author Wilhelm Hauff provided the source for the studio’s first folktale: The Cold Heart, which became Das kalte Herz or Heart of Stone. The first East German production to be shot in colour, it remained one of the most successful films the GDR ever produced until DEFA’s dissolution in 1992.
Peter Munk (Lutz Moik) lives in the Black Forest with his mother (Lotte Loebinger) and makes a modest living selling charcoal in the nearest town. He is deeply in love with the beautiful Lisbeth (Hanna Rucker) and equally as jealous of the arrogant Ezechiel (Paul Esser), a wealthy merchant who frequents the local tavern. Desperate to improve his social standing, Peter appeals to a mischievous forest spirit – the Glass Imp (Paul Bildt) – for help. The Imp grants Peter two wishes, but only with strict conditions attached that leave him wanting more. He then turns to the infamous Dutch Michael (Erwin Geschonneck), a reclusive warlock who can give Peter anything his heart desires – but only if he’s willing to exchange his heart for one made of stone.
By turns whimsical, weird and darkly macabre, Heart of Stone is an arrestingly beautiful work of fantasy that established a template for DEFA’s future folktales – including a penchant for scenes likely to induce nightmares in children – and was swiftly followed by the likes of The Devil from Mill Mountain, The Singing Ringing Tree and Rumpelstiltskin. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present Heart of Stone on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from an astonishing 2K restoration by the DEFA Foundation.
FEATURES:
Limited Edition [2000 copies]
Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Heart of Stone by Qinna Shen, author of The Politics of Magic: DEFA Fairy-Tale Films [2000 copies]
Heart of Stone presented in 1080p HD from a 2K restoration of the original 35mm camera negative by the DEFA Foundation
Optional English subtitles on the main feature and accompanying shorts, newly revised for this release
New audio commentary by DEFA historian Seán Allan, author of Screening Art: Modernist Aesthetics and the Socialist Imaginary in East German Cinema
Once Upon a Time in the East – new interview with Soviet cinema expert Claire Knight on Heart of Stone and children’s media in the Eastern Bloc
Tales from the Black Forest – new video essay on Heart of Stone, folktales and gothic horror by film and literature scholar Mary Going
The Bremen Town Musicians (Bruno J. Böttge, 1954) – silhouette folktale short produced by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film
The Magic Ring ( Bruno J. Böttge, 1957) – silhouette folktale short produced by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film
Thumbelina's Adventures (Christl Wiemer, 1958) – animated folktale short produced by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film
Original theatrical trailer
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