The Conformist and 1900

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Dylan
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:28 pm

#1 Post by Dylan » Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:43 pm

Hello,

Who familiar with the film has seen the new MGM transfer (released in Germany, Australia, and France)? For reference purposes (as I'm a big fan of Bertolucci), I bought this film on Italian R2 a year ago, which was all that was available at that point (and only in Italian with no English subtitles). Now, the Italian R2 isn't the greatest transfer, it's rather muddy, and the second part of the film actually looks legitimately bad at some points. But I was still able to appreciate the deeply beautiful and striking use of maple/gold/candle colors in the first half of the film.

Which takes us to today. MGM overseas have released this film, available for the first time with it's English-language track, so you can finally watch it and hear the voices of the lead actors (which is interesting, though I do vastly prefer the Italian dub). But very unfortunately, all of the maple/gold/candle light colors used in the film's opening two hours (which is the best part of the film), are gone, replaced with no color scheme whatsoever. These scenes no longer glow with the Autumn colors of Alfredo and Olmo's youth, and for me, it really hurts that section of the film (which has a very profound, nostalgic, dreamlike quality because of the colors). My favorite scene in particular feels completely different on the new DVD: that gorgeous dance scene in the forest where Burt Lancaster disturbingly lures the girl into the barn (with it's sensuous, yet ironic, fairytale-like gold tint in an otherwise very disturbing scene, but that tint is missing on the MGM DVD, and with it a certain perverse magic it once possessed is missing now).

It's nice to see the film with the actors' voices (even if the English dub doesn't really work), but the colors are part of what make that first half great. Does anybody know what MGM might have done to screw up the color scheme? I'm sure Storaro would be angry if he saw what they did to the first half.

Dylan
Last edited by Dylan on Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:25 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Dylan
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#2 Post by Dylan » Fri Sep 30, 2005 1:43 am

Flixy,

Well, I know that you especially are a big fan of this film, and if you've seen it in the theater that many times, you would definitely know. But compare shots 2 through 5 on my website here, with the MGM edition:

Every single one of those shots is missing their maple/gold/candle tint on the MGM DVD (I can't make any screen grabs from the R4 because my computer's DVD player has locked on R2, but there is a drastic difference in look and feel between them). You are the CC board 1900 authority since you've seen it so many times in a theater, and I look forward to what you have to say about the Italian R2 screengrabs.

Dylan
Last edited by Dylan on Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Dylan
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#3 Post by Dylan » Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:39 am

Fascinating Flixy.

As for the film itself, it's very flawed in areas (Betti and Sutherland are wholly hamming it up, the subplot with Valli's son getting killed seems unnecessary, and that ending is still baffling to me, even if it is a metaphor, it seems out of place), but it's never uninteresting and it achieves greatness in many areas. Not to mention with one of Ennio Morricone's greatest scores, a marvelous Robert De Niro performance, a young Gerard Depardieu in top form, some startling set pieces, and a first half that is almost entirely comprised of great scenes (once again, that forest dance with Lancaster and the girl is masterful in it's cringingly visual beauty and perfect pace). Overall, it's pretty great, especially for fans of the director.

Dylan
Last edited by Dylan on Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Dylan
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#4 Post by Dylan » Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:55 am

I said that the son was Alida Valli's, not Sutherland and Betti's.

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Lino
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#5 Post by Lino » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:45 pm

Last edited by Lino on Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

rwaits
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:24 pm

#6 Post by rwaits » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:32 pm

News of the year, for me.

AZAI
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:17 am

#7 Post by AZAI » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:50 pm

YES! finally!

Let's speculate extras: a commentary with Bernardo is an almost certainity (as he did ones for mulitple films)...

Should we think "looking back" features or are there some lost gems related to Il Conformista around somewhere?

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Gordon
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:03 am

#8 Post by Gordon » Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:20 pm

Oh, joy! :D

But something crossed my mind yesterday: YELLOW SUBTITLES? :-k

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Dylan
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:28 pm

#9 Post by Dylan » Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:38 pm

HOLY GOD!! FINALLY!! And in a "Special Collector's Edition," which is more than I expected from Paramount.

I don't even believe it yet that within a few months "The Conformist" will be lifted out of obscurity. Best DVD news ever.

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justeleblanc
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:05 pm
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#10 Post by justeleblanc » Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:50 pm

Cover's not bad either. I'm seeing this on the big screen this weekend at the AFI Silver -- I can't wait to see a non-dubbed version!

atcolomb
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:49 pm
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#11 Post by atcolomb » Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:15 pm

I can replace my copy i recorded off of Turner Classic Movies!! which was not that bad at all. Lets hope there is a director's commentary with it!....

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Gordon
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:03 am

#12 Post by Gordon » Fri Sep 08, 2006 5:00 pm

Great news, but negativity passed through head: YELLOW SUBTITLES? Have recent Paramount titles featured yellow or white subs? It's not so much a big deal on an english language film, but this - one of their few (only?) foreign language releases - would be a different story.

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manicsounds
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
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#13 Post by manicsounds » Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:11 pm

Paramount usually uses Yellow subtitles for their releases.
There are some exceptions, like The Elephant Man which had white.

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Dylan
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:28 pm

#14 Post by Dylan » Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:50 pm

What color are the subtitles for "The Tenant" when you watch the French track? (preferable to me, since you not only get to hear Isabelle Adjani's real voice but the real voices of pretty much 90% of the cast)

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kieslowski_67
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 5:39 pm
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#15 Post by kieslowski_67 » Sat Sep 09, 2006 7:29 am

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

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HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

#16 Post by HerrSchreck » Sat Sep 09, 2006 7:41 am

Vitamins and minerals available at last.

Fucking Storaro... what you get when you drop John Alton & Michaelangelo and some absinthe in a shaker and pour on celluloid.

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Ashirg
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:10 am
Location: Atlanta

#17 Post by Ashirg » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:10 am

By the way, 1900 is supposed to be coming out the same day...

rwaits
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:24 pm

#18 Post by rwaits » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:40 am

What?!?? Where did you find this information? 1900 is nearly as essential to me as Conformist. Great news!!

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Lino
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#19 Post by Lino » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:13 am

Yes, pray tell, Ashirg!

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Ashirg
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#20 Post by Ashirg » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:22 am


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Gordon
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:03 am

#21 Post by Gordon » Sat Sep 09, 2006 10:33 am

Deep Discount listing, $9.44 ($14.95 MSRP).

Cinesimilitude
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:43 am

#22 Post by Cinesimilitude » Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:15 am

It slightly worries me that both dvdactive and deepdiscount are calling it an extended edition, but the artwork has no mention of it...

either way, I'm getting both of these, I can't wait.

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Cinephrenic
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:58 pm
Location: Paris, Texas

#23 Post by Cinephrenic » Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:21 am

Amazing. I been longing for these two for years.

Artois
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:03 pm

#24 Post by Artois » Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:57 am

Am I mistaken or hasn't the 5hr version been available on DVD since about a year ago?

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Lino
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#25 Post by Lino » Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:59 am

kinjitsu wrote:At this point, "extended" seems a rather vague designation.
I think they might be refering to the international version which is slightly longer than the US one. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

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