Identification of a Woman (Antonioni)

[Barmy]

As I have not seen mention of this elsewhere, I thought I would report that this is available on DVD, both in an Italian edition (available at any Italian DVD shop) and a Japanese edition (available at amazon.jp).

I would describe the transfers as acceptable, although possibly from VHS (I am no expert on such things). The Japanese DVD has a slightly better transfer. The Italian edition includes a trailer, which will send those who hate MA's use of electropop in the film into absolute spasms. I love the film but have to admit that the trailer is horrific. There are no other extras on either DVD. No subtitles, of course.

I believe Facets issued a subtitled VHS, which I have not seen.

[kieslowski_67]

My main problem with the Japanese DVD is that the transfer is not anamorphic. Other than that, I am ok with the release.

[martin]

I know this is an old thread, but I just got the Italian Identificazione di una donna DVD. It's obviously not the same as referred to by Barmy above. My disc is from Surf Video/DNC. It's 16:9 encoded and quite good, although not excellent (a bit too dark perhaps).

There are some extra features: An interview with Tonino Guerra who collaborated with Antonioni on nearly every feature film since L'Avventura (The Passenger was the only exception iirc). The interview is just under 30 minutes and in Italian without subs. There's also a textfile of the screenplay in .doc and .txt format (Italian language). Only Italian subs on the feature.

It was quite good to see the film in Italian language after having seen it several tims during the past decade on my old german-dubbed videotape!

I'm still looking forward to an English-friendly dvd - possibly from Mr. Bongo if the rumours hold true: They've already released Story of a Love Affair in their Antonioni-tribute series, and have also listed L'Avventura for future release. Identification... is not yet listed on their site, but it should be next as stated elsewhere on this board (?)

I've added some screenshots in the capture-thread

[Barmy]

I know this is already being discussed in the Bongo thread, but the cover of the UK DVD needs to be more widely disseminated. And can the Italians advise whether "Identity" is the better translation? Or does it just sound better than "Identification"?

[otis]

Identificazione is "identification". Identity of a Woman would be Identità di una donna. Let's hope they take more care with the transfer than they have with the title.

[MichaelB]

Identificazione is "identification". Identity of a Woman would be Identità di una donna. Let's hope they take more care with the transfer than they have with the title.

I've only seen a checkdisc, but it was a pleasant surprise: anamorphic, correctly framed at 1.85:1, from a pretty clean print and with optional subtitles.

And I'm by no means a Mr Bongo fan, having already slagged off two of their earlier releases in print.

UPDATE: Looking at Martin's screencaps, I'd say it's the same transfer, only with English subs - but there are no extras. As to it being dark, I recall the theatrical version being pretty murky too, so I didn't regard that as especially noteworthy.

[martin]

The cover listed at Play.com has the "correct" English title. Since this cover also has the 18-rating mark printed on it it may be the actual release-cover. But I'm only guessing:


Play lists these special features:

-Interview with Tonino Guerra (screenplay)
-Michelangelo Antonioni Filmography
-Dialogue list
-Cinematic Trailer

I'm not sure if these special features will actually be on the discs? MichaelB's checkdiscs suggest not, although that may be changed on the release discs. Let's hope!

[ellipsis7]

Just to say, as I posted in the Mr Bongo thread, this disc is available right now direct from Mr Bongo - can be ordered here (mine shipped yesterday)... Specs are apparently same as play.com listing, and cover reads correctly, 'Identification'....

[MichaelB]

Just to say, as I posted in the Mr Bongo thread, this disc is available right now direct from Mr Bongo - can be ordered here (mine shipped yesterday)... Specs are apparently same as play.com listing, and cover reads correctly, 'Identification'....

I think that clinches my suspicion that it's an English-subbed clone of the Italian DVD.

[Barmy]

Too bad, as the Italian DVD does not do justice to this film. Although I recognize that it is not a groundbreaker, for me it is MA's 2nd most enjoyable film to watch, after Zabriskie. I find the plot to be more real and relevant than any of his other films.

Many have criticized the use of synthpop, but, first of all, that is one of the few things about the film that screams "80s"--there is less of the big hair/big eyeliner thing going on than in many art films of this era. And, even if it is not intended as such, the synthpop is kind of irritating in a way that is expressive of the urban and, erm, consumer-society milieu depicted in the first half of the film. It goes away in the second half.

Some of the cinematography is quite flat and drained, particularly the parts set in Milian's apartment. But I'm not sure it would serve the themes of the film for everything to be drop dead gorgeous. The compositional framing is as good as Red Desert's.

I also think the performances are outstanding. Christine Boisson has been in a ton of films but has never really registered. She is excellent in IoW. Daniela Silverio is perfect as an icy, imperious cypher. Milian is fairly blah, but MA has never been that good with male performances.

The sex scene from which the cover is shamelessly/shamefully taken is one of my all time faves.

A+

[Tommaso]

Many have criticized the use of synthpop, but, first of all, that is one of the few things about the film that screams "80s"--there is less of the big hair/big eyeliner thing going on than in many art films of this era.

Funny, this was one of the first 'arthouse' films I ever saw, and at the time - knowing next to nothing about film at all - I was particularly happy that the film used music by one of my favourite bands then and now, Japan (with David Sylvian). I think the song used was "Sons of Pioneers" ( and to call Japan/Sylvian, at least in this phase of their career, 'synth pop' is, well....well... somewhat embarassing). Can't recall whether there was music by other bands as well. Anyway, I'm glad to see that this comes out on disc now, and will certainly get me this. "I'm drowning in my Nostalgia-a-a"....

[Barmy]

It's also got John Foxx--his most famous riff--the one from "Europe After The Rain". I have no beef with Foxx or Japan in the abstract. But I think they are in the film as part of a forced effort to be "cool" and "modern". Even in their heyday there was something a bit lame (or pretentious, depending on your point of view) about them. Plus simply the way the music is inserted into the film is awkward.

[MichaelB]

Anyway, I'm glad to see that this comes out on disc now, and will certainly get me this. "I'm drowning in my Nostalgia-a-a"....

Another way of being nostalgic would be to stick a red triangle on the top left-hand corner of your screen - it was one of the original line-up of Channel Four "red triangle" films, an inspired line-up of uncompromising art movies being marketed as quasi-porn.

[Tommaso]

It's also got John Foxx--his most famous riff--the one from "Europe After The Rain".

You really watered my mouth now

Honestly, I have next to no memory of the film at all now and so can't say anything about the way the music was used. But Michael's mentioning of the film being advertised as a 'red triangle' film made me smile.... The only thing I remember was that I was somewhat blown away by the main actress then, but I was about 16 years old when I saw it... On the other hand, I'm STILL blown away by some of the actresses in Antionioni/Wenders' "Beyond the clouds" Which is possibly one of the few things that appeal to me in that film.
Sorry for those ramblings...

[Barmy]

Here's an awful youtube including most of the sex from IoW, for those who can't wait. Although I don't think it includes the SHOCKING bit depicted on the DVD cover.

NAUGHTY NASTY EXPLICIT SEX!!!

I wish I could find the trailer online. It is really bad and totally unrepresentative.

[Kinsayder]

Another way of being nostalgic would be to stick a red triangle on the top left-hand corner of your screen - it was one of the original line-up of Channel Four "red triangle" films, an inspired line-up of uncompromising art movies being marketed as quasi-porn.

Isn't that the exact same Channel Four triangle that Mr Bongo has stuck in the top left corner of his cover?

[ellipsis7]

Just to say, as I posted in the Mr Bongo thread, this disc is available right now direct from Mr Bongo - can be ordered here (mine shipped yesterday)... Specs are apparently same as play.com listing, and cover reads correctly, 'Identification'....

I think that clinches my suspicion that it's an English-subbed clone of the Italian DVD.

Confirmation of this with receipt of release disc - it bears Surf Film logo alongside Mr Bongo logo - they being company who released the Italian DVD....

The Pink Triangle on the front cover is indeed the old C4 Parental Discretion Triangle, which is explained on the rear. 'This film became notorious in the UK when it was first aired on Channel 4, there were so many complaints about the nudity that Channel Four were forced to introduce the Parental Discretion Triangle'...

I can see no sign yet of the extras listed, but the film itself looks fine.... I think the extras, which may have been on the Italian DVD, weren't actually ported across...

[Don Lope de Aguirre]

I can see no sign yet of the extras listed, but the film itself looks fine.... I think the extras, which may have been on the Italian DVD, weren't actually ported across...

This is really disgraceful. I think Mr. Bongo had better change its website to reflect this ASAP. Quite astonishing...

[Barmy]

Face it, the extras aren't all that. I'll have to check my Italian disc but I don't recall seeing the Guerra interview in the menu, but I guess it's on there somewhere. It did have the trailer, however. The real disgrace is using the Italian transfer, which is fine, but not of the quality this film deserves.

[ellipsis7]

It says on the box, 'Taken from Digital Betacam Pal 16/9 original format Italian Version 1:1.85'... While that might just about do for now, I do hope someone's still ensuring the original 35mmm film elements are preserved and even restored, for the future...

[martin]

The Italian transfer is fine, I think, not gorgeous or stunning but just fine. I've seen many much more recent 'arthouse' films with much worse transfers - even from 'bigger' labels like Artificial Eye, for instance Time Regained (Ruiz, 1999) or La Captive (Akerman, 2000).

Identificazione has correct AR, it's anamorphic, progressive, dual-layered with a reasonably high bitrate >7 Mb/s, and the print is in fine condition with few damages and dust. With the recent German Zabriskie-disc in mind I'm rather satisfied with this Italian disc...

[MichaelB]

I can see no sign yet of the extras listed, but the film itself looks fine.... I think the extras, which may have been on the Italian DVD, weren't actually ported across...

This is really disgraceful. I think Mr. Bongo had better change its website to reflect this ASAP. Quite astonishing...

I'm urgently asking them for clarification on this after filing a review with Sight & Sound that stated, on the evidence of the review copy they sent me, that it had no extras. It was a DVD-R, so it's entirely possible that the extras could have been added before the final version was pressed, but I have no evidence either way.

[Robin Davies]

Any thoughts on this now that it's out? It's a shame there are no extras but personally I'm just glad to upgrade the red-triangle-blighted panned-and-scanned version I taped off Channel 4 in 1986.

The subtitles are a bit dodgy at times though (and rather large). I assume "Don't make luaves" should be "Don't make waves"!

It's nice to see the old tactic of selling an art movie as a sex movie is alive and well. I remember the L'Avventura trailer desperately playing up every mildly erotic scene in the film, and here we have a naughty cover shot and the fib that this was the very film which caused Channel 4's red triangle policy. (If I remember right it was the screening of Derek Jarman's Sebastiane and Jubilee which started the huge rumpus that led to the red triangle season, starting with Themroc.)

[martin]

I haven't seen the Mr Bongo-disc all the way through as I've already seen the film several times in the past. But I noticed that several sentences in the beginning are without subs. It's mostly brief sentences and I'm not sure if it affects the understanding of the film (probably not)? But it seems sloppy. I agree that the subs are rather large.

The image quality is exactly as good as the Italian disc. I can't see any differences. No extras, though! The disc is Region 0, PAL, 16:9, progressive, dvd-9, bitrate 7,14 Mb/s.

[ellipsis7]

The subs were better on the old BFI VHS - but the Mr Bongo ones are OK to be going on with, if a little less than perfect...

(BTW Just found MA's GENTE DEL PO on Youtube and downloaded to DVD!)...