He shaped science fiction literature like no other: Jules Verne predicted trips to the moon, submarines and atomic energy in his groundbreaking novels. Because his vividly described stories, which oscillate between utopia and drama, always have a great sense of adventure, they repeatedly serve as inspiration for effective entertainment cinema.
While some visually groundbreaking movie adaptations are considered common cinema knowledge, “The Invention of Destruction” is still more of an insider tip these days. But there’s hope that the atomic bomb-themed sci-fi adventure will gain prominence to coincide with the upcoming release of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” (July 20). As early as February 10, 2023, “The Invention of Destruction” will be released for home theater – in two elaborately designed limited editions:
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Cover A is limited to 400 copies, Cover B is released with 300 copies. Both versions are identical in content and contain the film on both Blu-ray and DVD and a radio play CD as a bonus. A 16-page booklet with background information completes the set.
If you don’t want to wait until February 10 and/or don’t want a stylish outer box, “The Invention of Destruction” will be released as a regular edition on Blu-ray and DVD in late 2022:
* / DVD*
Just like the limited edition that will be released soon, the regular editions also contain the film in a meticulously restored version and all kinds of bonus material, such as an alternative intro and short documentaries. However, with the standard versions you have to do without a booklet. And if you want to do without haptics at all: “The Invention of Destruction” is also available as VOD on Prime Video*.
“The Invention of Destruction”: “Oppenheimer” as a weird adventure?
Professor Thomas Roch (Arnošt Navrátil) approaches an invention that is both promising and risky: he develops an explosive device with unprecedented explosive power. With that he could make the use of coal and oil superfluous, but he could also destroy the whole world with it. Pirates soon kidnap the scientist to an island in the Atlantic Ocean. In a city built inside an extinct volcano, he must complete his invention – for humane purposes, of course. At least that’s what the kidnappers claim…
At the moment we can only speculate about the historical epic “Oppenheimer” by Christopher Nolan. But it might not be a hair-raising gamble that the death-riddled drama will be a serious confrontation with what it’s like to hopefully develop an invention, only to discover that humanity intends to use it for suffering and destruction.
Still, it’s amazing how much reality has caught up with Jules Verne’s 1896 novel The Invention of Destruction. Director Karel Zeman was undoubtedly aware of this: his 1958 film adaptation, co-written with František Hrubín, brings out the uninterrupted topicality of the material. However, the Czech director does not sacrifice the entertainment factor – on the contrary: Zeman used live-action elements and a variety of animation techniques to bring the iconic original novel illustrations to life.
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The result is an overwhelming, surreal visual aesthetic that made The Invention of Destruction one of the biggest Czech cinema hits of its time. In addition the ambitious interweaving of various trick media and real image elements is celebrated as a milestone by effects film and animation experts.
The fact that the fairytale spectacle, which is also occasionally used in other Jules Verne adventures, has not yet become more widely known, can probably have very banal and at the same time regrettable reasons:
Georges Méliès’ 1902 creative bombshell “Journey to the Moon” and the bombastic 1954 Walt Disney production “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” find their way into local presentations of cinematic milestones quite easily as Western films. Zeman’s award-winning classic, on the other hand, is occasionally overlooked, intentionally or unintentionally, in cinema retrospectives as a Czech production. In some minds the iron curtain has yet to fall…
Author:
Source : Film Starts
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
