Make Way for Tomorrow



Of Make Way for Tomorrow, Orson Welles told Peter Bogdanovich: “Oh my God that’s the saddest movie ever made.” Long unavailable for home viewing, Leo McCarey’s personal favourite among all his films (which included The Awful Truth and An Affair to Remember) is sad, yes, but it also stands as cathartic affirmation of the dignity of human feeling, and in the testament of such achieves a subtle complexity of characterization on par with Renoir, Ford, and Hawks.

Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi, two of the great Hollywood character actors, appear makeup-aged beyond their actual years to portray the couple whose house the bank has foreclosed upon (the film was set and produced in the midst of the Great Depression), and who are forced subsequently to move into their children’s homes in the city. A near-musical restructuring of gratitude and debt ensues once the offspring deem the couple’s lodging an imposition: the two are separated, then reunited weeks later… as they glide inexorably into an uncertain future.

Unrelentingly unsentimental, yet maintaining a balance of pathos and levity unseen in not only American studio pictures but most of the rest of world cinema, Make Way for Tomorrow exerted a powerful influence on Yasujirô Ozu’s Tokyo Story and several other key entries in the Japanese master’s body of work. It is a film profoundly concerned with questions of filial obligation and the way we treat one another as human beings; it is a film that, to give Welles the last word, “could make a stone cry.” The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Leo McCarey’s truly great Make Way for Tomorrow for the first time on Blu-ray anywhere in the world.

Special Features

- Gorgeous high-definition transfer of the film in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio
- 20-minute video piece with filmmaker and writer Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show; The Cat’s Meow) discussing the film and Leo McCarey’s career
- 21-minute video piece with writer Gary Giddins discussing McCarey’s work and the social and political contexts of the film
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hearing-impaired
- Lengthy booklet featuring a new essay on the film by writer and Library of America editor Geoffrey O’Brien, and an excerpt from Josephine Lawrence’s source novel Years Are So Long

Care to expand?

I assume they must have a higher quality telecine than the one used for the SD.

I'm just glad I've been lazy with the B&N sale, only ordering today. Otherwise I would have been miffed.

Criterion's telecine was considered that problematic? Or did Criterion source it from elsewhere? Going by the stills I've seen it should be quite rewarding.

If this is Criterion's telecine, and considering BFI have already used Criterion's Ozu telecine transfers, then this indicates Criterion is fairly open minded on European companies using their transfers. Hopefully this as a good sign for other relatively recent SD Criterion releases to be brought out in Europe on blu-ray -- even if Criterion aren't interested in re-releasing such recent additions.

This is nothing new - Criterion, the BFI and MoC have been collaborating on transfers for years, as it's a handy way of keeping production costs down. And it's not a one-way street, either - quite a few Criterion releases originated from BFI telecines, a high-profile recent example being Red Desert.

I knew of the collaborations, but in previous situations both parties have released the films on the same formats. I'm just happy that Criterion are happy being one-upped by their own telecines, and so quickly in the case of The Only Son.

They're region-locked, and multiregion Blu-ray setups are still very rare - these forums aren't remotely representative of the general public. (Even I haven't gone multiregion yet, and I've been Blu-ray compatible for two years).

Put it like this: I'm sure Criterion has worked out that a piddlingly small handful of lost sales is going to have far less impact on their balance sheet than the income from licensing their transfers.

The master came from Universal, it's owned by Universal.

I assume it's the same master Criterion used, isn't it?

We can't be sure, it does look lovely though.

So, 'tomorrow' consists of him getting rid of his wife of 50 years, moving to CA for the sweet life, and frolicking with (read: banging) 20 year old girls? Looks pretty sweet.

I hope that's not a spoiler.

Nick mentioned elsewhere that they were shooting stuff in the US. If this involves Tag Gallagher then this BD will be a first day buy.

It's over 20 years since I saw this - in a 35mm print at Kent Uni (ahhh... I saw so much there in my 3 years as an undergrad, most in 35 or 16mm) as part of the melodrama section of my intro to film course. To be honest, I was really surprised to see how much love there is for the film, which seems to have grown since the time I saw it. I certainly liked the film, but nothing about it (except for the ending) have really stuck with me - it just seemed a generally decent film of its time and far less memorable (and indeed 'melodramatic') than much else on the course.

However, it's certainly nagging away at me - and I suspect my response now as a father and 20 years older will be significantly different. Might well be a pre-order.

Oh, and although the cover has been .... controversial... elsewhere, my old Halliwell (1986 edition!) had a magnificent poster for this which was spectacularly 'wrong', pretending the film is a teen problem drama. If you can find a copy of this Nick, it's prime booklet material.

The telecine used by Criterion has weaknesses which are revealed if you blow it through a PJ, even (especially) with upscaling. There's softness, some black crush and it looks very much to me like the telecine BAC used for the French disc in 2008. I'm of the opinion Crit had the same master and applied their proverbial beauty shop treatment to it. It sounds to me like Uni struck a new master for MoC from a fine grain vault print.

I wasn't going to double (actually triple) dip for this, although I love the film, but if Nick can swear on a stack of Ford at Foxsets this is a daddy of a master I will.

Finch, Tag's piece was specifically made for Crit so they would have to licence it from them. They should of course.

Its a metaphor. A metaphor for sexliciousness.

This news makes me positively giddy. Love this film and was really disappointed that Criterion didn't/couldn't do a BR of it (though their DVD is excellent, regardless!). Any word on whether this will be region-locked, or are you still working out those kinks? I hope it can be region free (though I may just splurge on a region-free player if it's not).

Positive also about this release.
Another proof that it's possible to release such old movie in not neat condition in HD.

Count on me for buying it once it's released.

Wow, I missed the news about this! I just watched the film for the first time a few nights ago and found it utterly devastating and wonderful - and, unfortunately, more timely than ever with the increasing drumbeat from Republicans in the U.S. calling for Social Security's demise. Tag Gallagher simply must create a video essay for this one.

I decided to review the Criterion and, indeed, the credits attribute the source as an HD master. In fact it looks great!! (I had only recently revwatched the BAC ) so I am mistaken about the telecine. The nicest part of it is they havent scrubbed out surface print damage and tramlines, and the whole thing has very natural looking film grain, not the faux grain/Digital nosie that Universal commonly applies to 30s titles.

So it's a no brainer. A question being asked is whether in fact Crit passed on Blu, and subsequently if MoC will be able to do this region free.

I was thinking that perhaps this was an negotiated title, much like the Sternberg set, wherein Universal didn't grant Criterion the rights to Blu (or perhaps it wasn't considered at the time of negotiation). I'd also like to ask will this be region free?

No, these are two different scenarios. The JVS titles were Paramount, not Universal, and they were negotiated before BluRay was on the radar. Subsequently it would seem like Paramount would not budge on either Blu rights for the Sternbegers, or a reasonable lcicence fee - they are total bastards anyway.

Universal, generally is a wonderful tart of a company in that it will licence to everyone with gay abandon. Uni of course owns Make Way. I think there's a good chance the McCarey will be region free.

I always laugh at that excuse Criterion made for not releasing JVS titles on blu. Days of Heaven was also from that batch of Paramount licenses, but they didn't bother 'going back' to renew the blu-right of JVS titles.

(Edited to make it clear.)

What are you talking about?
Days of Heaven was renegotiated, and even that took an insane amount of effort from them. The only reason they went through even that effort was because how well DoH sold. As much as I love von Sternberg, just because the titles are silent and B&W makes their chance of sell small, not even taking into account the boxset factor.

So why not simply admit it's all about making money in that facebook reply?

Although I was very surprised about the announcement of Make Way as MoC had previously stated on here that Universal refused to licence the DVD rights to them (maybe a condition of their agreement with Criterion that didn't apply to Blu-ray?)