6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A portrait of Casanova, the infamous Italian womanizer, adventurer, author, and libertine.
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Tina Aumont, Cicely Browne, Carmen Scarpitta, Clara AlgrantiDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 98% |
Romance | 24% |
History | 10% |
Biography | 5% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0
Italian: LPCM 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Federico Fellini's "Casanova" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Mr. Bongo Films. There are no supplemental features on this release. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the Italian track. Region-Free.
The great seducer
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Casanova arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Mr. Bongo Films.
The release appears to have been sourced from the same master which French label Carlotta Films worked with back in 2008 when they prepared their first release of Casanova. The age of the master now clearly shows, but I think that it is still a pretty good one. Obviously, a new 2K or 4K master (such as the one Criterion used for Satyricon) will produce much better results, but the current presentation is vastly superior to any previous DVD releases of the film. Generally speaking, well-lit close-ups tend to look quite nice. Clarity, in particular, can be very pleasing. Depth, however, is slightly inconsistent. During the darker footage it is easy to see that shadow definition can be a lot more convincing. Colors stability is good, but there is should be a wider range of healthier color nuances. Grain is visible throughout the entire film, but it is as well distributed and defined as it should be. Obviously, this is one of the most obvious limitations of the current master, but the encoding could have been optimized better. In fact, it is why it appears that on this release small portions of the film actually look slightly softer than they do on the old French release. Overall image stability is good. There are a few tiny specks that pop up here and there, but there are no large damage marks, cuts, stains, or torn frames. All in all, while there is obviously room for improvement, the current master is unquestionably the best one on the market. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. However, please be patient after you insert the disc in your player because it loads rather slowly).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and Italian LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided only for the Italian track. (You could use them for the English track, but the phrasing isn't identical).
I viewed the film with the English track. Depth and clarity are very good. Some extremely small sync issues remain, but they are part of the film's original sound design. There is also some dynamic unevenness, but it is also inherited. (These 'issues' were introduced during the post-production overdubbing). If the audio is one day fully remastered, I assume that there will be some stabilizations and other minor improvements, but I am happy with the current presentation.
Unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this release.
This recent Blu-ray release of Federico Fellini's Casanova from Mr. Bongo Films is good alternative for folks who could not take advantage of Carlotta Films' initial release, which is now out of print. It is sourced from the same master Carlotta Films worked with and it is Region-Free. Unfortunately, there are no supplemental features on it. If you can find it on sale, consider adding it to your collections. RECOMMENDED.
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