Luchino Visconti

[Toby Dammit]

You're right. Criterion took the strange decision to reissued its old HD master and not take the restoration in 4k, which was released in France and Italy on similar date. -I will update my old post, which was on the previous page-

0.- The Leopard. The 4k restoration was edited in France in 2012. Region A/1 is realised by Criterion with his own old HD master in 2014.

1.- Rocco and his Brothers. The 4k restoration was edited by Masters of Cinema in 2016. Region A/1 is not realised yet. Milestone films has the rights, according to what I readed

2.- The Witches (episode "La Stregha brucciata Viva") is out this week on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK and will be released in the US January 30th, by Arrow

3.- The Innocent. Realised by Cult Film in 2017, region Free

4.- Ludwig. Realised by Arrow Academy in 2017. Beautifully restored and presented.

5.- Conversation Piece. Dual Format edition by Master of Cinema in 2016. I have a previous BluRay edition by Raro Video.. Beware! wax image

6.- Vaghe Stelle dell'Orsa / Sandra: Was restored in 2013 by the Cineteca di Bologna, and exhibited in the section of Classics in the Venice Festival. No BluRay edition was realised in USA or UK to date. ( The Spanish BluRay is a bootleg. Poor image that recalls a mediocre DVD. To refrain)

7.- Death in Venice. I have no news of a new restoration or a first edition on BluRay

8.- The Damned. Same.. no news

[rohmerin]

The Leopard is on Blu in Italy by Medussa in a two disc with a documentary Tornatore made about Lombardo, the producer. I thinks it-s the 4K but I'm not sure.

Conversation Piece, I've got the French blu. It was produced by Gaumont. I don't know about its transfer or differencies.

You forget Senso. Criterion, Studio Canal in France, I own both.
Cristaldi in Italy also has White Nights and Senso on Blu. I don't own any.

[Toby Dammit]

The Leopard is on Blu in Italy by Medussa in a two disc with a documentary Tornatore made about Lombardo, the producer. I thinks it-s the 4K but I'm not sure.

The italian Bluy Ray for The Leopard is the 4k restoration.. 99% secure.

You forget Senso. Criterion, Studio Canal in France, I own both.
Cristaldi in Italy also has White Nights and Senso on Blu. I don't own any.

I did not mention SENSO because has its definitive editions in BluRay both in America and in Europe. Le Notti Bianche can have a Criterion upgrade any day in the near future, because the HD master is very good

Missing titles:

Lo Straniero/The Stranger, Probably the lost Visconti ... I think it does not have a decent edition not even on DVD. According to my memory it had many problems with rights.

La Terra Trema and Ossessione need a major restoration. I think the masters that exist are just as acceptable DVD

[hearthesilence]

The Leopard is on Blu in Italy by Medusa in a two disc with a documentary Tornatore made about Lombardo, the producer. I thinks it-s the 4K but I'm not sure.

A warning about the Medusa disc, it looks like it has a significant contrast boost, especially compared to the French BD of the same restoration. (Unfortunately the French disc does not have English subtitles.)

[rohmerin]

The stranger was re released in French cinemas in 2009 by Las acacias but apparently there-s no French DVD.

http://www.acaciasfilms.com/film/l-etranger/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Look the poster: Paramount, Les Acacias and CCN.

[Jack Phillips]

Yes, I was disappointed with the Medusa disc myself and have gone back to the Criterion (I haven't seen the Pathe).

[bugsy_pal]

I have the elusive Australian BD of The Leopard from late 2011. It also uses the 4K restoration. It looks pretty good to me - blacks are darker, perhaps to the point of losing some detail. From memory it has the dreaded yellow subtitles, but is at least English-friendly.

[Robespierre]

I'm taken aback at the fact that this Visconti thread has few replies; perhaps the film specific threads have more activity? Anyway, I love Visconti's operatic tendencies and the films I've seen from him overflow with passion; even death in Venice, which I kind of hated, contains his always elaborate mis en scene. Rocco is one of my favourite movies and I wonder who has the rights in region A? It seems like a shoe in for CC and MOC already put out their disc.

[Werewolf by Night]

Milestone Films has been working on their Region A Rocco disc for quite a time. No recent news on that, alas.

[Fred Holywell]

Milestone Films has been working on their Region A Rocco disc for quite a time. No recent news on that, alas.

As of November '17, Rocco is supposed to be coming early this year.

[Jonathan S]

I'm taken aback at the fact that this Visconti thread has few replies; perhaps the film specific threads have more activity?

There is a parallel Visconti thread with recent posts covering Bluray releases (despite the title). Maybe they should be merged?

[swo17]

I'm taken aback at the fact that this Visconti thread has few replies; perhaps the film specific threads have more activity?

There is a parallel Visconti thread with recent posts covering Bluray releases (despite the title). Maybe they should be merged?

Done

[Fred Holywell]

The Film Society of Lincoln Center is presenting Visconti: A Retrospective June 8 - 28.

The series will also screen at Harvard Film Archive (Cambridge, MA), TIFF (Toronto, ON), Bampfa (Berkeley, CA), National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), MFAH (Houston, TX), and The Gene Siskel Film Center (Chicago, IL).

Visconti, a Complete Retrospective of the Italian Cinema Titan, Starts June 8

[Saimo]

Ripley's Film (who already released a good DVD in 2009) is currently working on a new Ossessione restoration, from newly discovered 35mm elements.

[Toby Dammit]

Ripley's Film (who already released a good DVD in 2009) is currently working on a new Ossessione restoration, from newly discovered 35mm elements.

Those are great news!

[Stefan Andersson]

"Operazione Gattopardo" (Ed. Feltrinelli, 404 pages) seems like an interesting, Italian-language book about the film.

I don´t read Italian, so haven´t read the book. Found some intriguing info, though, here:
http://www.bookciakmagazine.it/togliatt ... attopardo/

The book has info about a 197-minute version of the film, shown March 27, 1963 in Rome and containing around five scenes not in the Cannes version at 185 minutes:
"the nightmares of prince Fabrizio in the inn of Bisaquino, a comparison between Sedàra and the peasants, a dialogue between Conte Cavriaghi (Mario Girotti, future Terence Hill) and Angelica in the attics, a conversation between Sedàra and Tancredi in the living room and a further exchange of jokes between the prince and Colonel Pallavicino (Ivo Garrani).Fragments that today are lost." (Google translation)


205 minutes is often noted as the length of the film pre-Cannes. The difference between 197 and 205 minutes might be due to intermission time and, possibly, exit music.

More information here, from the same book:
https://cinema.fanpage.it/a-50-anni-dal ... e-inedite/

"Alberto Anile and Maria Gabriella Giannice, authors of the book "Operation Gattopardo", have rediscovered some cut scenes among which we find Don Fabrizio in a hotel room intent to flirt with a cocotte, or Tancredi who urges Don Calogero to use the military against peasants and Pallavicino who prophesies the arrival of the black shirts." (Google translation)

I hope the writers of the book, and/or the article quoted, haven´t mixed up cut scenes with other scenes featuring Tancredi, Don Calogero and Pallavicino still existing in the 185-minute version.

I believe the scene with Fabrizio in the hotel room can be glimpsed in one of the film´s trailers.

The writers of the book have also done a short documentary, "I Due Gattopardi". More info about scenes with Don Calogero talking to peasants, and then to Tancredi, can be found here:
https://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/13_o ... 875c.shtml



For info about the Ludwig screenplay, go here (in French):
http://www.cinematheque.fr/article/1118.html
Visconti originally preferred a 4,5-hour version.

Extensive credits, including music list:
http://www.cinematheque.fr/film/43889.html

Mods: hope I haven´t posted the last two links before!

[Fred Holywell]

Thanks for the info and links, Stefan. A few years ago, I posted about two of the lost scenes here and here. And I posted about the three scenes that survived in their French versions here.

[Stefan Andersson]

Thanks for the info and links, Stefan. A few years ago, I posted about two of the lost scenes here and here. And I posted about the three scenes that survived in their French versions here.

Glad you appreciated the info and links!

Many thanks for reminding me of your earlier posts. Great reading!

Two of the scenes on YouTube, with Don Calogero talking to peasants and Tancredi, are discussed in a short documentary, "I due gattopardi", made by the writers of "Operazione Gattopardo". I don´t think the docu is on any home video release of the film, but it was shown alongside the restored Gattopardo at Il Cinema Ritrovato, and in rerelease in Italian cinemas, in 2013 (see the Corriere della Sera article I linked to).

Other sources:
http://distribuzione.ilcinemaritrovato. ... attopardi/
http://www.dagospia.com/rubrica-2/media ... -65418.htm
https://www.indie-eye.it/cinema/alcinem ... urata.html

[Rupert Pupkin]

Mubi UK are currently streaming an HD version of Sandra (Vaghe stelle dell'orsa..., or Of a Thousand Delights as it was called on its UK cinema release in 1965). This version has English audio, rather oddly. It's available until 16 August.

L'innocente is also being streamed, until 17 August. This has Italian audio with English subtitles, but is SD.

Is it because I'm trying to access to Mubi via France : I can see "Sanda"'s web page but no trailer at all ? and got the message regarding "Sandra" "this film is not currently playing on MUBI but 30 other great films are. See what’s NOW SHOWING"

I would like to try this web site just for this movie; I have the Blu-Ray Spanish bootleg which is a shame in terms of picture quality (the V.Zurlini on Blu-Ray "La Fille à La Valise" was at least a fair HDTV transfer)
how is the picture quality of this HD version (is it 720 or 1080 ?) of Sandra ? - do you think that it's based on the recent Bologna restoration ?
is this streaming only or can we download it ?

[GaryC]

Mubi UK are currently streaming an HD version of Sandra (Vaghe stelle dell'orsa..., or Of a Thousand Delights as it was called on its UK cinema release in 1965). This version has English audio, rather oddly. It's available until 16 August.

Is it because I'm trying to access to Mubi via France : I can see "Sanda"'s web page but no trailer at all ? and got the message regarding "Sandra" "this film is not currently playing on MUBI but 30 other great films are. See what’s NOW SHOWING"

I would like to try this web site just for this movie; I have the Blu-Ray Spanish bootleg which is a shame in terms of picture quality (the V.Zurlini on Blu-Ray "La Fille à La Valise" was at least a fair HDTV transfer)
how is the picture quality of this HD version (is it 720 or 1080 ?) of Sandra ? - do you think that it's based on the recent Bologna restoration ?
is this streaming only or can we download it ?

Mubi (UK) showed Sandra a year ago and it was for the standard thirty days, sorry. Picture quality looked fine on my TV, as I remember, but I couldn't say what the resolution was except that Mubi can stream in 1080.

At least there is a HD master out there. Now for someone to licence it for a Blu-ray release.

[Michael Kerpan]

Rocco and His Brothers looks gorgeous in its new Milestone BluRay incarnation -- but I must say I found Rocco unbelievably stupid (as opposed to being "saintly") and the Mother fairly loathsome. Lots to admire in the film visually -- but dramatically it was pretty much a fail for me.

[Fred Holywell]

Interesting to see Visconti, in 1961, testing Sophia Loren for a film they ultimately never made -- The Nun of Monza. Loren apparently had second thoughts about playing a killer-nun and dropped out, halting this production of the oft-filmed story.

Director Carmine Gallone ended up doing his own version, released in 1962, with Giovanna Ralli in the lead. And Visconti's nephew Eriprando directed another one in 1969, starring British actress Anne Heywood as the wayward nun.

Visconti's take on nunsploitation might have been a classic or a hoot (or something in between), but Loren certainly looked unhappy -- like she didn't want anything to do with it, from the start.

[domino harvey]

"I vill destroy you, Mother Superior!"

[Toby Dammit]

Film Movement has detailed its upcoming Blu-ray release of Luchino Visconti's L'Innocente a.k.a. The Innocent (1976), starring Giancarlo Giannini, Laura Antonelli, Jennifer O'Neill, Rina Morelli, and Massimo Girotti. The release will be available for purchase on July 14.



I love this movie. Shame Criterion didn't pick it up but glad it's coming on Blu-ray.Day one for me.

[domino harvey]

There is in the UK