A couple of months ago I made some comparisons between the Kino DVD set and this Blu-ray set and then got in touch with Criterion. I waited a bit for a reply, which is fine, but the set's producer read my email and I got a response. So I thought I'd share their explanation as well as my transcription of the portion of the scene I noted was missing from
César.
I don't know if there are other similar omitted scenes or lines of dialogue across the trilogy. While it was easy for me to play the Kino DVDs and the Criterion Blu-rays simultaneously in the same room, it quickly became a frustrating process because the films play faster on the Kino DVDs, I assume because they were taken from PAL masters. As they were always slightly running ahead of the Criterion counterpart, I couldn't keep the two in sync so that added or missing footage would be easily noticed. And at 395 minutes a full comparison would be no mean feat anyway.
So here's Criterion's response to me, followed by what I'd consider a pivotal confrontation between César and Césariot that I transcribed from the Kino DVD.
We worked very closely Nicolas Pagnol, Marcel Pagnol’s grandson, on this release, and Nicolas feels that this is the correct version of the film. Marcel Pagnol tinkered with his films over the years for re-releases and the restoration we used for the set was the new restoration done by Nicolas. He feels this restoration is complete to what Marcel would have wanted. We are happy with the result and are delighted to have been able to work so closely with Nicolas on the release of this set.
At 1:08:45 on the Criterion disc the scene ends with the line “What a fine bunch of relatives.”
On the Kino DVD, this is translated as “A noble lineage indeed.” The scene then continues as follows:
César: Upset?
Césariot: A bit.
César: Too bad.
Césariot: For me.
César: We were wrong to give you an education. It wasn’t necessary. We made a gentleman of you. Now you sound like a Parisian. You’ve come back with a foreign accent. [Imitating him:] A noble lineage indeed.
Césariot: It’s not my fault.
César: We need an interpreter to talk to you! I don’t understand half of what you say. Not that anything you’ve said is very nice.
Césariot: Your father was a César too?
César: Yes.
Césariot: And your grandfather?
César: I wouldn’t ask too many questions, if I were you. You’re less likely to find a king than a slave trader in your background.
Césariot: So this is the cradle of my race, my inheritance. And this bar is my family emblem. It’s hilarious.
César: Education may have improved your mind, but it’s destroyed your heart.
Césariot: Why do you say that? Because I don’t come here and drink? Godfather, I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you.
César: It’s not your godfather you’ve hurt. It’s your grandfather.
Césariot: Well, I’m sorry, Granddad. I’m taking the 6:00 train. We mustn’t fight before I leave.
César: [Kisses his forehead] I’m glad you found out the truth. What do you intend to do now?
Césariot: About what?
César: About your father. You want to see him?
Césariot: Not on your life.
César: Perhaps later on.
Césariot: What would be the point?
César: Yes, what would be the point? [Shrugs, pats his shoulder]