Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Amarcord Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 23, 2020

Federico Fellini's Amarcord (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include audio commentary with film studies professors Peter Brunette and Frank Burke; interview with actress actress Magali Noel; audio interview with Federico Fellini; deleted scene; collection of sketches; original theatrical trailer; and more. In Italian or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

In 1967, Federico Fellini fell seriously ill. Hospitalized in Rome, he began thinking about his childhood years, his home town and friends. Assuming that the end is near, Fellini gathered his thoughts in La Mia Rimini (My Rimini), many of which he later on referred to in Amarcord (a term invented by Fellini and typically translated into English as I Remember).

Amarcord is a journey through Fellini’s memories -- chaotic, uneven, and not too tightly integrated with each other. Some are hilarious, others are sad. All of them, however, are infused with a strong sense of nostalgia about something precious that has been lost. Naturally, the film does not have a linear story with a well defined plot; rather it offers a fascinating glimpse at a certain way of life, and a generation of Italians who once cherished it.

The townspeople in Amarcord are a motley crew, and most are seen through the eyes of a boy -- undoubtedly, the young Fellini -- who at one point becomes overwhelmed by them. They are poor peasants, noblemen, intellectuals, prostitutes, fascists, and crazies who live their lives mostly unaware that their world is part of a much bigger world.

With the exception of a pompous ceremony praising Il Duce’s regime, the townspeople get their excitement primarily by observing each other - the men lusting after women with giant breasts and massive behinds, the women provoking the men and waiting to see whether they are brave enough to pursue their dreams. No doubt this is Felllini’s circus, and everyone has an imortant part in it.

Unlike the rest of Fellini’s great films, however, Amarcord is neither a subversive nor a political film. The few dilemmas the main protagonists face are trivial, and they certainly address them in trivial ways. And even when the setup is perfect for something outrageous to happen -- the notorious topless scene with the big and beautiful tobacconist comes to mind -- the climax is underwhelming.

Towards the end of the film the town gradually begins to open up to the world and some of its residents begin to reevaluate their relationships and dreams. They also discover that there has been a lot in their lives that that they have been taking for granted. There is a particularly interesting shift of attitudes resulting in various previously unthinkable compromises, which symbolizes the end of an era.

Ultimately, even though Amarcord is arguably best described as an impressive collection of fractured memories extracted from Fellini’s childhood years, it is not a biographical film. At best, it is an intimate introduction to Fellini’s fascinating world, inspired by his past as a cartoonist and reflective of his knowledge of Italy, its people and culture.

The screenplay of Amarcord was written by Italian icon Tonino Guerra, who also wrote the screenplays for such masterpieces as Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Avventura, La notte, and L’eclisse, Andrey Tarkovskiy’s Nostalghia, Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani’s Night of the Shooting Stars, and Theo Angelopoulos’ Eternity and a Day. The film is also complimented by a beautiful music score courtesy of another Italian icon, award-winning composer Nino Rota (The Godfather).

*In 1975, Amarcord won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Amarcord Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Amarcord arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

This film is already available on Blu-ray as part of the Criterion Collection, but this upcoming release is sourced from a new 4K restoration. It offers a healthier presentation of the film, but I am not fully convinced that it is an entirely accurate one.

The good: A direct comparison with the old release immediately reveal better delineation and ranges of nuances on the new presentation (though not everywhere). Predictably, depth is improved as well. The fluidity is superior, so on a larger screen the visuals have a much more pleasing filmic appearance. Overall image stability is outstanding.

The Rest: The new restoration comes with an entirely new color scheme. There is a lot that I like, but there are areas of the film where the temperature of the visuals changes so dramatically that I am not convinced that the grading choices are correct (see screencapture #8). In different nighttime/darker areas the visuals can become uncharacteristically dark as well. I think that some native nuances are clearly lost. Some primary values also appear mismanaged (screencapture #6 is from one such area).

Ultimately, I don't feel that the new master offers a definitive presentation of the film. The basics look great to me, and the entire film looks healthier, but there are a lot of inconsistencies in the color scheme that I think could have been avoided. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Amarcord Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Italian LPCM 1.0 and English Dolby Digital 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I was able to view the new restoration with the volume turned up substantially higher than I tend to prefer while viewing films at home. I thought that it was excellent. Clarity, sharpness, and balance were great. I also think that the sound is slightly fuller and better rounded than it has been in the past. There are no technical issues to report.

Amarcord Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Secret Diary of Amarcord (1974) - this archival documentary on the making of Amarcord was directed by Maurizio Mein for Italian television. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (45 min, 1080p).

• Fellini's Homecoming - a wonderful documentary in which the Italian maestro discusses how Amarcord came to exist. A number of Fellini's childhood friends also recall their relationship with the director and the various characters in Amarcord. In Italian and French, with optional English subtitles. (45 min, 1080i).

• Commentary - a wonderful audio commentary, recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2006, featuring film studies professors Peter Brunette and Frank Burke. Indeed, this is an incredibly informative, factual audio commentary in which the two professors deconstruct key scenes in Amarcord, and discuss the various colorful characters that populate the film. In English, not subtitled.

• Magali Noel - Turkish-born actress Magali Noel, who appeared in such films as Fellini's Satyricon and La Dolce Vita, as well as Luciano Emmer's The Girl in the Window, Costa-Gavras' Z, Claude Goretta's The Death of Mario Ricci, and Andrzej Zulawski's La Fidelite amongst others, recalls her professional relationship with Fellini. In French, with optional English subtitles. (16 min, 1080i).

• Fellini's Drawings - a collection of sketches, which Fellini prepared for Amarcord. (1080p).

• Felliniana - a collection of stills and media (radio ads) related to Amarcord, courtesy of Don Young. (1080p).

• Deleted Scene - a short scene which was discovered amongst various early film elements of Amarcord. Without sound. (4 min, 1080i).

• Trailer - U.S. theatrical trailer for Amarcord. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

Amarcord Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is a lot that I like about the new 4K restoration of Amarcord, and there is quite a bit that I don't. Yes, it offers a much healthier presentation of the film, but there are some color temperature shifts that I find unconvincing. If you have the older release of Amarcord in you collection and plan to acquire Criterion's upcoming Essential Fellini fifteen-disc box set, do not discard it because there are some archival bonus features on it that are not transferred to the new release. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.