Region 4 Winners and Losers

     Lola Montès has been released on DVD in Region 1 in the United States by the Criterion Collection and in Region 2 in the United Kingdom by Second Sight.

     The Region 1 Criterion Collection release includes an audio commentary with Max Ophüls scholar Susan White, "Max Ophüls ou le plaisir de tourner", a 1965 episode of the French television program Cinéastes de notre temps, featuring interviews with many of Ophüls’ collaborators (53:10), Max by Marcel, a new documentary by Marcel Ophüls about his father and the making of Lola Montès (32:56), silent footage of actress Martine Carol briefly demonstrating the various glamorous hairstyles in Lola Montès (1:04), theatrical re-release trailer from Rialto Pictures (2:20) and a 28-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by film critic Gary Giddins.

     The Region 2 Second Sight release includes the same audio commentary by Susan White, author of 'The Cinema Of Max Ophüls', included on the Region 1 Criterion Collection release and Lola Montes Revisited - A documentary on the making of the film (69:27).

     I would call this a draw between the Region 1 Criterion Collection DVD release and the Region 4 Madman Directors Suite release because, in my opinion, although there are more extras on the Region 1 Criterion DVD, they are nowhere near as comprehensive as the extras on the Region 4 Madman Directors Suite version of Lola Montès.