Giulietta degli spiriti

IsiTroi

Posted on 17/9/2018, 11:00

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Giulietta degli spiriti

United_Kingdom

179732_large

Running Time
132
Release Date
1965
Format
Blu-Ray
Directed by
Federico Fellini
Starring
Giulietta Masina, Sandra Milo, Mario Pisu, Valentina Cortese, Valeska Gert, Friedrich von Ledebur

Fellini’s fantastical first ever feature-length colour film which now makes its world-wide Blu-ray debut. Hailed as one of the greatest tributes a husband has ever paid to his wife, Fellini’s real life partner Giulietta Masina (La Strada), plays her namesake and delivers a superb performance in this internationally acclaimed classic. (Yet bizarrely it also co-stars Sandra Milo known to be Fellini’s mistress).

Giulietta is a bored, timid and unfulfilled wife. Suspecting her husband’s infidelity, she enters a surreal journey of self-discovery filled with wild dreams and enchanting fantasies, much of which involve her sexually liberated neighbour Suzy (Sandra Milo – 8 ½) .

Fellini moves on from neo-realism and becomes ‘felliniesque’ in his first colour film emphasised by the ever-delightful whimsical music score of the OSCAR® winner Nino Rota.

USP: This is Fellini’s 1st Colour film and for the 1^st time - worldwide * - on Bluray! (* except for a terrible upscaled Blu in Spain)

Extras:
Two unique commissioned extras from Fellini Critics:
Audio Commentary by Kat Ellinger (Diabolique)
video essay from Author, Critic and Oxford Professor Guido Bonsaver: “DAZZLING SPIRIT”

______

Image Entertainment (Dvd) vs. Criterion (Dvd) vs. Cult Films (Blu-ray)
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews3...its_blu-ray.htm

Da dvdbeaver:
Cult Films, as with their I Vitelloni Blu-ray, have transferred Fellini's Juliet of the Sprits in 1080i - so it is in the, sped-up, PAL timing. There is also macro blocking visible (see sample below.) There is inconsistency and the artifacts are plainly visible in-motion within the 1.85:1 framing. Colors (flesh tones) are truer in the higher resolution but nothing is tight with flawed 'jaggies' showing on many edges. Unfortunately, the HD image gets low marks. It is very disappointing.

Cult Films use a linear PCM 2.0 channel mono transfer (only 16-bit,) in the original Italian, for the audio. Dialogue is audible but there is a wonderful score by Nino Rota (Rocco and His Brothers, Il Bidone, 8 1/2, I Clowns, Purple Noon, The Leopard etc.) but a 24-bit transfer would have accentuated the subtleties and minor depth. There are optional English subtitles.

On the very positive there is a new commentary by Kat Ellinger - and it is at her usual excellent level of analysis - she points out subtle details of Fellini's production and is always a pleasure to follow. There is also a 1/4 hour video essay entitled "Dazzling Spirits" by Oxford Prof. Guido Bonsaver. It looks back on the film and director's career. There is value to both extras, and a second disc DVD is included.

Unfortunately, this was a hard package to review as my expectations were high, despite the warning of I Vitelloni... the Blu-ray image is distracting. I love this film and thoroughly enjoyed the Ellinger commentary but, again, Criterion please come to the rescue with a true 1080P, max'ed out bitrate, dual-layered transfer for this beautifully visual masterpiece.