More Rossellini?

Message

Eclisse · #26 Post by **Eclisse** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:20 am

rohmerin wrote:is there anywhere, a good print of Paisa? The dvd here in Spain is the worst ever released in History -believe me.

I believe you. Because I bought the Brazilian disc,and I would say the same thing about it.( though Stromboli and Viaggio are quite watchable)

otis · #27 Post by **otis** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 12:52 pm

Apparently there's a new Italian DVD of Paisa out, but one review I saw says

l'edizione in dvd fa schifo

(translation: it's horrible).

alfons416 · #28 Post by **alfons416** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:21 pm

speeking of Paisa i have no details but i remember seeing a german Roselini-box set when i was in Berlin this summer. it was a white box with gold decoration and it was for films i believe: Paisa, Viaggio in Italia that im sure of and i believe it was stromboli and one more. maybe anyone else knows more about this?

edit: found it on amazon: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000024 ... e&n=284266

HarryLime · #29 Post by **HarryLime** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 2:41 pm

Here's a link to a German review of the box set:

www.dvd-forum.at/6551/dvd_review_detail.htm

Seems iffy.

Anonymous · #30 Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:54 pm

Hi,my name is Ivan and I'm italian. You excuse to me because my English is terrible but I hope however to render me useful.

The PaisÃ edition is orrible. Here place some images of the Italian edition

The box

The amaray

menu

screenshots

p.s:if you have doubts on Italian film editions you also ask!

Wittsdream · #31 Post by **Wittsdream** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:24 am

Does anyone possess the Films Sans Frontieres version of "Stromboli?" It appears to offer an English language track. Can anyone comment on the picture and sound quality of this particular edition?

Thanks!

godardslave · #32 Post by **godardslave** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:46 am

thankyou Ivan for the screencaps!

Also, dont worry, your english is much better than my Italian.

Anonymous · #33 Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:37 am

To september and October many films of Rossellini exit in Italy. The first two ( that a lot probably will have english subtitles) will be sure in optimal editions because the RHV is one of the best ones label in Italy (says that it is the Italian Criterion). For the others two we must instead wait for but I assure you that in Italy there are the restored masters. General della Rovere will be instead an excellent edition and it will be in double version disc (with restored master and nearly sure english subtitles). This double disc contanins the two different existing assemblys of the film: the version that came distributed in knows them cinematographic and the version longer than 6 minutes rewarded with the Lion of Gold to XX the Extension of Venice + 1 book of critic and the story of Montanelli from which the film is inspired. The Extras are: Interview to Renzo Rossellini + audio Comment to the film of Enrico Ghezzi + Interview to the historian of the Cinema Adrian AprÃ and the curator of the restoration Aldo Strappini.

rohmerin · #34 Post by **rohmerin** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:16 am

any confirmation about subtitles in those new Rossellini collection? I prefer mine, Spanish, but with English, I've got no problem EXCEPT if they don't subtitle in English when they talk English (Paisa)

Germania anno zero and La paura, PLEASE, BITTE, German soundtracks, I've got the Spanish editions but only dubbed into Italian.

Here has been released ERA NOTTE A ROMA, but the film dissapointted me so much, that I didn't buy the dvd.

Orphic Lycidas · #35 Post by **Orphic Lycidas** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:47 pm

Hey! Just a reminder that "Europa '51" is playing on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) tomorrow - Tue. August 29 - at 10:00 AM EDT. The allotted timeslot suggests that this might be the full-length version rather than the cut & dubbed version more common in the United States. Get yours VCR's ready.

mikeohhh · #36 Post by **mikeohhh** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:26 pm

Orphic Lycidas wrote:Just a reminder that "Europa '51" is playing on TCM

my TV guide says it's subtitled for what that's worth.

Eclisse · #37 Post by **Eclisse** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:02 am

Orphic Lycidas wrote:Just a reminder that "Europa '51" is playing on TCM

Janus logo!

dadaistnun · #38 Post by **dadaistnun** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:22 am

Meant to post this a while back but kept forgetting...

Regarding My Dad Is 100 Years Old, the cardboard dvd sleeve in Isabella Rossellini's books says "Courtesy of the Criterion Collection" (or something to that effect; I'm at work, the book is at home) so it's a good bet it will show up on a future release.

I actually haven't watched the dvd yet; I picked the book up a few weeks ago and it is currently in the ever growing pile of Stuff that I have bought but have yet to find time to dig into.

Eclisse · #39 Post by **Eclisse** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 7:26 pm

'Stromboli' played right before 'Europa 51'.I just caught a couple of minutes of it(the ending),so I don't know if the Janus films logo appeared for Stromboli.I hope so. Anyone?

tryavna · #40 Post by **tryavna** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 7:35 pm

Nope, Stromboli was released by RKO and apparently now belongs to Warner. The new TCM credit that precedes all Warner-controled films (MGM, RKO, and Warner Bros.) appeared just before the credits.

Eclisse · #41 Post by **Eclisse** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 7:46 pm

Well, thanks tryavna. I was starting to dream about a Ingrid/Roberto box set. So I guess I'm going to deal with my brazilian disc a little while longer. But I'm still happy about 'Europa 51'.Great news for a Rossellini fan-boy like me.

otis · #42 Post by **otis** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:36 am

Here's the link to her paper (in French) on versions of Stromboli

and here's the link kinjitsu posted of extracts from her book (in Italian).

ellipsis7 · #43 Post by **ellipsis7** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:49 am

I have a off air recording from the BBC from circa 1989 - wonder which version it is? Also recorded INGRID IN ITALY, fascinating docu including lots of colour footage of the shoot etc. on Stromboli... Nearly got to the actual island last year, but seas too rough to sail from Sicily!...

Such are the stirrings in the grass, the possibility of a ROSSELLINI/BERGMAN set from Criterion seems very real...

Scharphedin2 · #44 Post by **Scharphedin2** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:52 am

Not willing to wait, and probably being more forgiving with respect to poor conditions of prints and transfers than most members of the forum, I went ahead and purchased BFI's Journey to Italy and Arrow's Rome, Open City. Both films are wonderful, and both discs are, as has been stated elsewhere, not of the very best quality.

I wondered about Rome, Open City... the print is rather blurry and worn looking, but there are not that many actual defects in the print itself. Given the time and circumstances in which this particular film was made, does anyone know how much better the film actually "should" look?

ellipsis7 · #45 Post by **ellipsis7** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 6:02 am

Thing is about the Arrow disc, not all the dialogue has been translated into the subtitles - my off air recordings on vhs have far better COVERAGE... There is presumably a better restored print as part of the Rossellini retro touring Cinametheque Ontario, MOMA NYC & the bfi NFT (Fall 06 into early 07)... However Rossellini scavenged most of the original negative stock, including lengths of still film, so some unevenness is inevitable...

JabbaTheSlut · #46 Post by **JabbaTheSlut** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:01 am

NY Times article on the Rosselini retro

Gosvig · #47 Post by **Gosvig** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:32 am

Having read this discussion I have confirmed that I am definetely not the only one looking for decent Rossellini DVDs. The quality of fx. the FSF releases range from shameful to fairly decent, as PaÃ¬sa being the absolute lowpoint, with the visible damage throughout especially the first episode (however the quality of the film still shines through this at times litterally unwatchable copy, so far I've seen it three times...) and Stromboli as far as I remember being decent throughout the film being the best of the releases (correct me if I'm wrong, but the transfer seemed consistent...). Does anyone know if MoC or Criterion are considering releasing more Rossellini, besides the "Francesco..." and would you recommend the version of "Il Generale..." from Minerva (The DVDs from Raro et al. are sometimes Criterion-standard, especially when it comes to italian titles, and other times not very good considering the "Flesh for Frankenstein" and Jodorowsky-releases...)?

It is so frustrating when wanting to explore the work from a great director like Rossellini that so little is accesible on DVD, and that very few of the releases available are of a decent quality...

Awesome Welles · #48 Post by **Awesome Welles** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:40 pm

I recently attended a retrospective of a few Rossellini films (couldn't afford to catch as many as I would have liked) the films I saw were, for the most part, in shocking condition. Fortunately I speak basic Italian and the [long] gaps of absent subtitles fortunately wasn't too bad.

It is a real shame when such a towering figure as Rossellini is so underrepresented on [quality] DVD given the volume of his work. I was fortunate enough to see a few of his pre-Bergman works and I must say it is, frankly, criminal that these classics have not been restored for DVD.

Given that MoC have not focused too heavily on Italian cinema the past few years I would be surprised if they didn't have something up their sleeve. However I would doubt seeing any Rossellini from them any time soon. The prints I saw were in dire shape and really need a restoration, I imagine something like this would probably be undertaken by the BFI (in the UK at least)? Although I have no idea what the situation is with ownership of these films.

Criterion have made great strides with Italian cinema in the past, but with the Fellini's aside I don't know how well they've sold and it may seem to them that to release less famous Rossellini films might not be worth it, when Japanese cinema is so in vogue at the moment. Concerning the more famous Rossellini's the only reason I can come up with is that materials are unavailable, why else wouldn't they have released them already. I imagine a boxset of Rossellini's War Trilogy (Roma, Citta Aperta, Paisa and Germania Anno Zero) would sell like hotcakes...

ptmd · #49 Post by **ptmd** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:59 pm

The number one thing holding up a proper release of Paisa anywhere in the world is a rights dispute among Rossellini's children. A restoration was completed about 5 years ago in Rome, but it has barely been shown anywhere (it was not in the travelling retrospective) and can't be licensed out to anyone until the rights dispute is resolved. The FSF DVD is ample demonstration of what the non-restored prints look like and I'm fairly certain that Criterion won't release anything until they can get access to good prints of Paisa.

otis · #50 Post by **otis** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:48 pm

There are actually a reasonable number of Rossellini's films available in good quality editions on DVD, but unfortunately most of them don't have English subtitles. Ones that I'm aware of:

Un pilota ritorna
L'uomo dalla croce
Desiderio
Available individually and in a box set from Ripley's Home Video, no English subs. Screen caps from Un pilota ritorna here.

Francesco giullare di Dio
Criterion and MoC, English subs

Viaggio in Italia
BFI, English language version

Il generale Della Rovere
Minerva Classic, gorgeous restoration, English subs and booklet. Screen caps here.

La Prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV
mk2, no subs, not even French

The TV films from 1970 onwards are all out on DVD in Italy. Socrate, Cartesio and Anno uno have English subtitles.

Giovanna d'Arco al rogo and Vanina Vanini have both come out recently in Italy. I haven't seen either of these discs, but I presume Vanina uses the restoration shown in Bologna last year. The Rome city council sponsored a restoration of Roma cittÃ aperta last year, but there's no DVD as yet.