Roberto Rossellini: The War Trilogy

[antnield]

ROSSELLINI: THE WAR TRILOGY (Limited Edition numbered blu-ray box set)
A film by Roberto Rossellini

Available for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, these stunning films by master filmmaker Roberto Rossellini are all undisputed classics of World Cinema.

This limited edition Blu-ray box set includes Rossellini's celebrated War Trilogy, made during and immediately after World War II - Rome, Open City, Paisà and Germany Year Zero - as well as his controversial 1948 film L'Amore starring Anna Magnani and Federico Fellini. These are the films that established Roberto Rossellini as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of all time.

All of the films in this strictly limited Blu-ray box set (of 3000 numbered units) have been restored in 4K

March 23rd, 2015

[Drucker]

Holy moly early contender for 2015 release of the year.

[EddieLarkin]

Mouth watering. Almost certainly coming from Criterion as well, but since I already have the DVDs (and thus the supplements and booklet essays), the BFI set will probably be the better option.

[swo17]

What are the odds of Criterion releasing L'amore though?

[EddieLarkin]

I guess that depends on who has restored it. If it's part of the group of restorations that Cineteca di Bologna has performed, then I imagine it could be on the Criterion set. If it's something that the BFI have gone and done themselves, then maybe not.

Edit: It's the former.

[chatterjees]

L'amore is up on Hulu for a long time now. If the War Trilogy box set upgrade can't include the film, then it could easily be a solo release. They can easily announce both together. Did anybody ever checked if the Hulu copy is HD?

[Drucker]

So has anyone pre-ordered it already? Do they expect this to sell-out on pre-order? Mizoguchi sold 2000 copies with ease, surely this is more high profile?

[Zot!]

Mouth watering. Almost certainly coming from Criterion as well

Is this really the case? The last set came out during the bd era, but was DVD only. I think this kind of upgrade is unprecedented. Am I wrong?

[knives]

Last Days of Disco is the only comparable upgrade.

[domino harvey]

Pierrot le fou

[EddieLarkin]

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was released 3 weeks before their first Blu-ray, but still received an upgrade later.

[ellipsis7]

It seems Janus is about to release the 4K resto of ROME OPEN CITY theatrically stateside, if their poster is anything to go by...

[TMDaines]

Looks like I'll have two War Trilogy boxsets by next year. Never thought we'd potentially get L'amore in HD.

I wonder what happened to the Bergman/Rossellini releases - not that we need them with the Criterion set.

[Drucker]

It seems Janus is about to release the 4K resto of ROME OPEN CITY theatrically stateside, if their poster is anything to go by...

Already had a run at Film Forum in NYC.

[ellipsis7]

[EddieLarkin]

That's surely a placeholder?

[Zot!]

That's surely a placeholder?

People love Nazis misbehaving, so perhaps not.

[ellipsis7]

It's distressed & I guess it's been through the wars itself, but it does rather follow on the theme of the BFI's recent theatrical poster for ROME OPEN CITY...

[Drucker]

If they can make the packing more Boro box and less Herzog box, I don't mind the cover.

[jindianajonz]

Mouth watering. Almost certainly coming from Criterion as well

Is this really the case? The last set came out during the bd era, but was DVD only. I think this kind of upgrade is unprecedented. Am I wrong?

Was the restoration completed (or even started) at the time the DVD set was released? Maybe it wasn't an option at the time.

[Ashirg]

Paisà restoration was completed in 2013 and Criterion is touring 4K restoration of Rome, Open City right now, so no, these restorations were not completed when the films were released by Criterion.

[Drucker]

Funny, all these years later...you read the old thread and people were kvetching that there was no blu the first time around, but look at cases like The Leopard and it seems unlikely that Criterion would upgrade their own blu-ray. So if we'd gotten a blu-ray back then, who knows if we'd get the 4k restorations now?

[swo17]

At the time Criterion put out the DVD set, they had recently gone Blu, but had already spent years preparing the transfers in SD resolution.

[ellipsis7]

I think they had some difficulties, especially with PAISA, sourcing the optimal materials in Italy, so they went with best available sources, performing a marathon digital resto for their SD release...

[Drucker]

This goes down to £40.62 for Americans if ordered now (currently listed at £45.09).