6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
An adaptation of eight of the 24 stories by Geoffrey Chaucer, recreating the medieval era and providing a look at some of the social, sexual, and religious standards of 14th century England.
Starring: Hugh Griffith, Laura Betti, Ninetto Davoli, Tom Baker (I), Alan WebbForeign | 100% |
Drama | 98% |
Romance | 24% |
Erotic | 14% |
History | 10% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Italian: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
BFI (British Film Institute) introduce the second installment in Pier Paolo Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, "The Canterbury Tales" (1972). The film has been newly transferred in High-Definition using the original 35mm negative film elements. Alberto Farina and David Gregory’s documentary “Pasolini and the Italian Genre Film” is offered as a supplemental feature. Region-B "locked.
Voyeurism is a constant theme in The Canterbury Tales
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Canterbury Tales arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors BFI (British Film Institute).
The Canterbury Tales has been newly transferred in High-Definition using the original 35mm negative film elements and, as expected, the results are quite good. In fact, the film looks substantially better than The Decameron – contrast is very convincing, clarity and detail pleasing and the color-scheme certainly the best I have ever seen. Furthermore, a lot of the indoor scenes lack the heavy macroblocking patterns that were evident on the old UK SDVD release. Occasionally, I was still able to spot a bit of heavier than normal lining around the edges, but, overall, the Blu-ray release certainly allows one to experience The Canterbury Tales in an entirely new way. Lastly, aside from a few minor specs that I noticed in the very beginning of the film, the rest of the transfer looks surprisingly healthy. I would also like to point out that when blown through a digital projector The Canterbury Tales remains pleasingly stable. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" release which you won't be able to play on your Region-A PS3 or SA. In order to view this disc, you have to have a native Region-B or Region-Free player).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: the original Italian LPCM 2.0 track and an English LPCM 2.0 dub (available as an extra). As it was the case with the audio treatment for The Decameron, the original Italian track appears to be in a fairly good condition. The dialog is mostly clear and very easy to follow, and I did not hear any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report here. I did detect, however, a few balance fluctuations, which I must assume are inherited from the master the BFI were given to work with. This being said, you should be able to notice that there are more than a few dub overlappings as well (please keep in mind that these are perfectly normal as post-production dubbing was typical for Italian cinema at the time). As far as the English dub is concerned, once again, I strongly recommend that you opt for the original Italian track, given that the alternative track is rather bland and ineffective (even though the majority of the actors spoke their lines in English). Optional English and English HOH subtitles have been provided for the main feature.
The Canterbury Tales arrives with a lovely 18-page booklet containing a number of informative essays - "The Trilogy of Life" by Sam Rohdie (a scholar and author of The Passion of Pier Paolo Pasolini), "The Canterbury Tale" by Roger Clarke (an author and critic), "The Canterbury Tales reviewed" by Nigel Andrews (originally published in Monthly Film Bulletin in March, 1972), and "Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-1975)" by Geoffrey Nowell-Smith (originally published in the Oxford History of World Cinema).
In addition to the original theatrical trailer for the film, on the actual Blu-ray disc you will find Alberto Farina and David Gregory's documentary Pasolini and the Italian Genre Film. In it, Pasolini's producer Alfredo Bini, writer and critic Serafino Murri, Paolo Bianchini (Decameron 4), and producer Gabriele Crisanti (Decameron 2 & 4 and Canterbury Tales 2) talk about their relationship with the controversial director as well as his impact on the Italian film industry during the 1960-70s (1080i).
Some may find Pasolini's The Canterbury Tales wildly entertaining. After all, this is the most explicit of the three films in the Trilogy of Life where the humor is borderline offensive. Its visual style is also quite convincing, particularly in terms of period detail. Yet, thematically, The Canterbury Tales lacks most, if not all, of the key qualities Pasolini's work is known for. Whether this has to do with the fact that the Italian director wasn't as well versed in Chaucer's writings as he was in Boccaccio's will probably be debated for years to come. I personally have always regarded the Canterbury Tales as Pasolini's least impressive film as well as the one that most successfully detracts from his controversial legacy. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors BFI, is of very good quality. In fact, out of the three films in the Trilogy of Life, The Canterbury Tales boasts the most technically pleasing transfer. Indeed, the improvements the 1080p transfer offers in terms of detail, clarity and color are undeniable (frankly, there is absolutely no basis for comparison between the old UK SDVD and this new Blu-ray release). Unfortunately, those of you residing in Region-A territories won't able to take advantage of this release as it is Region-B "locked".
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1939
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1978
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1954
2000
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1930
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1957
1962
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1951