7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A businessman finds himself trapped in a surreal hotel surrounded by hostile women.
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Donatella Damiani, Bernice Stegers, Silvana Fusacchia, Hélène CalzarelliForeign | 100% |
Drama | 72% |
Surreal | 13% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
French: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
French, French SDH, English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Winner of four Silver Ribbon Awards, Federico Fellini's "La città delle donne" a.k.a. "City of Women" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont. The supplemental features on the disc include French and Italian theatrical trailers; video interview with production designer Dante Ferretti; new documentary film featuring producer Renzo Rossellini, film historian Aldo Tassone, producer and film historian Carlo Lizzani, and Federico Fellini's assistant Dominique Delouche; video interview with Italian director Tinto Brass; and more. In Italian, with optional English, French, and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The ideal one
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Federico Fellini's City of Women arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont.
The high-definition transfer Gaumont have used for their Blu-ray release of Fellini's legendary film has been struck from a newly restored master. Naturally, there are major improvements in every single area of importance we address in our reviews. I was most impressed with the color and shadow improvements (especially during the dream sequences from the final third of the film). The faded, incredibly weak colors of the R1 SDVD release of City of Women, courtesy of the now defunct New Yorke Video, have been replaced by warm but lush colors that enhance the film's sense of surreal absurdity exceptionally well. The contrast levels also have an entirely different complexion. The darker footage from Dr. Xavier Katzone's mansion, for instance, is now actually watchable. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern, though there are a few scenes where extremely mild sharpening is noticeable. Heavy aliasing or banding do not plague the high-definition transfer either. This being said, I must point out that there are traces of mild denoising, the most prominent of which appear during selected daylight scenes (see screencapture #6). Detail, however, is not affected dramatically. In fact, in motion the denoising corrections are practically impossible to detect. Lastly, there are absolutely no debris, scratches, flecks, or large cuts. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. For the record, Gaumont have provided optional English, French and French SDH subtitles for the main feature.
As it is the case with many of Federico Fellini's films, the original audio track contains plenty of overdubbing (a good number of the actors dubbed themselves after the film was completed). Naturally, occasionally there are small sync issues which some viewers are likely to notice.
The Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track has a very good dynamic amplitude, but it is the improved balance that impresses the most. On the old R1 SDVD release of City of Women, the are numerous balance issues - the audio would simply drop a level or two - that have been effectively addressed. Luis Bacalov's surreal score has also benefited from the loseless treatment, as various small themes (the piano theme is a perfect example) are a lot easier to recognize and appreciate. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. The English translation, courtesy of Gene Luotto/Eclair Video-Paris, is very good.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are perfectly playable on North American PS3s and SAs.
Federico Fellini's City of Women has suffered the same fate most of Tinto Brass' films have - it has been wildly misunderstood. This isn't surprising because unless one knows Italian culture, and specifically the history of the complex relationship between Italian men and women, one would almost certainly have a difficult time deconstructing its message. Together with La dolce vita, 8½, and Juliet of the Spirits, I consider City of Women one of Fellini's best films. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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