The Cremator [Criterion Collection]

Director: Juraj Herz Juraj Herz

Overview

A man in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia works as a cremator of dead bodies. He believes he is doing the souls of the dead a favor because of his beliefs in Tibetan religion. A Nazi convinces the man he has German blood in him and that his wife and children are Jewish. By now the man has been completely duped in the racist Nazi dogma. He goes insane and kills his wife and son, but his daughter manages to escape. The man believes he can save the souls of the world by turning it into one big crematorium in this disturbing story of further Nazi atrocities.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/21/2020
UPC:	0715515244312
Original Release:	1969
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00
Sales rank:	21,884

Special Features

New 4k digital restoration; High-definition digital transfer of The Junk Shop, Director Juraj Herz's 1965 debut short film; Short documentary from 2011 featuring Herz visiting filming locations and recalling the production of The Cremator; New interview with film prgrammer Irena Kovarova about the style of the film; Documentary from 2017 about composer Zdenek Liska featuring Herz, filmmakers Jan Svankmajer and the Quay Brothers; Interview with actor Rudolf Hrusinsky from 1993; Trailer; New English Subtitle translation; Plus: An essay by film scholar Jonathan Owen

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ji¿í Menzel	Actor
Ilja Prachar	Walter Reinke
Jiri Lir	Strauss
Jana Stehnova	Actor
Rudolf Hrusínsky	Kopfrkingl
Milos Vognic	Actor
Vlasta Chramostova	Lakmee
Rudolf Hrusinsky	Actor
Zdenek Liska	Composer

Technical Credits

Juraj Herz

Ladislav Fuks

Juraj Herz	Director,Screenwriter
Ladislav Fuks	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- The Cremator
0. Chapters
1. Planning [5:59]
2. Prospects [7:21]
3. German Blood [8:08]
4. Temple of Death [7:04]
5. Historical Horrors [7:29]
6. Striking Similarity [6:02]
7. Occupied Borders [3:58]
8. Sole Certainty [6:17]
9. Blessed Time [6:58]
10. Naming Ememies [11:37]
11. Promoted [9:41]
12. Iron Bar [11:24]
13. Saving The World [8:36]
1. Color Bars
Disc #2 -- The Cremator
0. Chapters
1. Chapter 1 [23:27]
0. Chapters
1. Chapter 1 [17:28]
0. Chapters
1. Sounds as Music [14:09]
2. Taking Risks [12:59]
3. Mutating Style [16:05]
4. Hearing Images [11:02]
0. Chapters
1. Chapter 1 [15:20]
0. Chapters
1. Chapter 1 [31:39]

Menu

Disc #1 -- The Cremator
   Play The Movie
   Trailer
   Subtitles
      Subtitles: On/Off
         Subtitles: On
         Subtitles: Off
Disc #2 -- The Cremator
   This Way To The Cooling Chambers
      Play
   Madness And The Macabre
      Play
   Music by Zdenek Liska
      Play
   Rudolf Hrusinsky
      Play
   The Junk Shop
      Play
   Subtitles
      Subtitles: On/Off
         Subtitles: On
         Subtitles: Off