The Saragossa Manuscript: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Poland, 1965
Director: Wojciech Has
Writers: Tadeusz Kwiatkowski, Jan Potocki
Cast: Zbigniew Cybulski, Iga Cembrzynska, Elzbieta Czyzewska, Gustaw Holoubek, Stanislaw Igar, Joanna Jedryka, Janusz Klosinski, Bogumil Kobiela, Barbara Krafftówna

Release Date: September 14th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 3 Hours 3 Minutes 41 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Polish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"At the height of the Napoleonic wars, a Polish soldier seeks refuge in a deserted house in the Spanish town of Saragossa, and discovers a mysterious manuscript written in a language he doesn’t speak. When enemy Spanish officers arrive to arrest him, one of the soldiers realises that the book appears to tell the story of his grandfather, Alfonse Van Worden (Zbigniew Cybulski, Ashes and Diamonds), and his surreal, mystical adventures in the region several decades before. He starts to translate the text for the Polish soldier, and so begins a time-shifting, genre-hopping, ouroboros-like epic narrative, one that blends the gothic, quixotic and erotic, and in the process interrogates the very nature of storytelling itself." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The Saragossa Manuscript was restored in 4K from the original camera negative by Fixafilm. This restoration was provided to Radiance Films as a 4k Ultra High-Definition digital file. HDR grading was performed by Stephen C. Horne for Radiance Films.”

The Saragossa Manuscript comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 90.9 GB

Feature: 90.3 GB

The film can be watched as a whole or as part one or part two. The source looks phenomenal; it is easily the best that The Hourglass Sanatorium has ever looked on home media. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are perfectly saturated, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image always retains an organic appearance.

The Saragossa Manuscript comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 35.7 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Polish with removable English subtitles. The track sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

There are no extras on the 4K UHD disc.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a video essay by Michael Brooke titled The Saragossa Labyrinth, where he discusses the cinema of Wojciech Has and The Saragossa Manuscript (69 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Polish film clips) and an archival making-of documentary made for Polish television on The Saragossa Manuscript, featuring Wojciech Has, cinematographer Mieczyslaw Jahoda, production designer Jerzy Skarżyński, and assistant director Barbara Sass-Zdort (29 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Polish with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings; and a 32-page booklet (limited to 5,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Unforeseeable Complications: The Multiple Narratives of The Saragossa Manuscript written by David Hering, an archival writing titled The Saragossa Manuscript written by Annette Insdorf, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

The Saragossa Manuscript was a transitional film for Wojciech Has, who went from reality-based melodrama into full-blown fantasy films. Like most of Wojciech Has’ films, The Saragossa Manuscript was adapted from a literary source, the novel The Manuscript Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki.

The Saragossa Manuscript does not feature a conventional narrative. The opening moments revolve around a soldier during the Napoleonic Wars who finds a book in an abandoned inn, and from there he starts to read it. Once he starts reading, the narrative is essentially a series of flashbacks that are best described as flashbacks that fold into other flashbacks.

The Saragossa Manuscript overflows with striking imagery that also fills itself with symbolism. After the opening credits fade away and the narrative begins properly, a soldier is seen walking past a crucified Jesus on the cross as he walks through destroyed buildings while Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ode to Joy plays in the background. Before anyone is introduced or any indication of where the narrative is about to go, opening a film this way is such a powerful evocative moment that perfectly sets the stage. That said, surprisingly, music is only used sparingly throughout. Other memorable moments are scenes where characters walk up, lying next to skulls under gallows. When it comes to the visual use of the 2.35:1 scope frame, The Saragossa Manuscript fills every inch of the frame with vivid imagery.

All around, the performances are excellent, especially Zbigniew Cybulski’s (Ashes and Diamonds) portrayal of the protagonist, Alfonse Van Worden. He delivers a remarkable performance that elevates everyone around him. That said, what makes his performance so compelling is how it goes against the type of characters that he so often portrays.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where The Saragossa Manuscript does not excel; the visuals, the performances, and its production and costume design are all outstanding. Although the narrative jumps from one story to another, there are never any issues with building and sustaining momentum. Another reason why the narrative works so well is its execution; there is nothing haphazard about the way it unfolds. Ultimately, The Saragossa Manuscript is a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience that does not fit into one film genre nicely.

The Saragossa Manuscript gets a definitive release from Radiance Films. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer