DVD Review HTF Review: Persona - Special Edition (1 Viewer)

[Gary Tooze]

Sure... what you know won't hurt you... I suppose that you are watching only 88.5% of what Bergman wanted you to... that should be enough for most folks.. heck why didn't they make it an even 85% - we would never know the diff.

Sure, maybe MGM could have cut out a few scenes to make it fit better compression in a DVD5 ? We wouldn't know anyway having never seen the film before. Right ? Probably wouldn't matter in the context of the film. Probably.

I suppose if we took 11.5% off the Mona Lisa no one would care... or 11.5% off Beethoven's 5th, or a Michelangleo's David too (give him a haircut!)...

Sorry for the sarcasm, but I'm sure you understand where I am coming from...

Cheers,

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Gary Tooze]

By the way... they have messed up at least 2 other films in the Boxset...

MGM have taken 2 other films from the Boxset - Hour of the Wolf and Shame and cropped them from their original 1.37 ratio to 1.66 making them widescreen... when they are not widescreen films. The original theatrical presentation was NOT Open-matte - these films were made at 1.37:1.

This is how the film should look (taken from French DVD):



This is how MGM is presenting them to Region 1:



Continuously in the film, people's heads are chopped off the top of the screen. An example from Shame is below.




Last time I saw someone frame a picture like this, it was my uncle Des at the family Christmas get-together.

Both DVDBeaver and Masters of Cinema are encouraging individuals, who still can, to cancel their pre-orders.

More of this information is being documented here:
http://www.new.dvdbeaver.com/

Regards,

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Well, Gary, you're right to apologise for the sarcasm! It is a form of humour that doesn't work when written or typed!

The screenshot for Shame speaks for itself. The cropping on Persona is nigly, the cropping on Shame is atrocious. I have cancelled my pre-order with DVD Pacific. I have a feeling a lot of on-line Bergman fans will be, too. Those not on-line will just be in for a surprise.

How could a telecine operator justify this?

 

[JoshuaB.]

Hello,

Yes, MGM has screwed up the aspect ratio for two of the films in the set,Hour of the Wolf and Shame, but I just read over at dvdfile.com that MGM is now pushing back the release date for the boxed set until April, when both films will be corrected and shown in their original aspect ratios. I don't know if that means the other films in the set--including Persona--will still be available separately before the boxed set surfaces. I had cancelled my pre-order with amazon.ca, but now that MGM has come to their senses, I'll likely pre-order the set in April.

 

[Rich Malloy]

I'm wondering the same...

I hadn't intended to buy the whole box, but I planned/plan to get "Persona". The tighter framing is unfortunate, but not so problematic that I wouldn't buy the disc. Does it seem that the only changes MGM is contemplating are for "Shame" and "Hour of the Wolf"? Will the other discs (or all the discs) be available separately until the re-release? Or should I wait to see if they also re-transfer "Persona"?

I'm in no hurry. I've waited this long for my favorite Bergman to come to DVD, and I can always rent it in the meanwhile should a better transfer be in the offing. Just would like to know...

 

[Gary Tooze]

Rich, they are not re-doing Persona... I suspect they zoomed in on it, but I guess not enough for a recall... I would just get the Tartan if I were you... superior contrast (it is NOT boosted)


Cheers,

 

[Rich Malloy]

Thanks, Gary!

Seriously, thanks for more than just that... I don't think it's a stretch to say that your work reviewing these titles was the key factor in causing this recall. We owe you an enormous load of thanks for that, and because this is one of those releases that are simply ignored or given short-shrift by the other DVD sites.

 

[Mattias_ka]

Regarding the 11,5% cropping of the MGM Persona. The MGM have 11.5% less picture info than the R2 DVD. Some say that this does not matter (it's as the difference between 1.66 and 1.85 transfer).
BUT think if the R2 is cropped about 5-10% more than it should be, than the MGM dvd are cropped 16.5-21.5%. I don't say that the R2 ARE cropped but think about it.

 

[Jack Walsh]

There are at least 2 shots in Persona that seem to be zoomed in too much.

The first is in the beginning right after the credits. the blackness under the door should appear first, then the rest of the picture as it fades in. This is not seen in the new version. The bottom of the door is not seen.

The second is about 10 more minutes in. The sequence begins with Elizabeth alone in her room at the hospital pacing around, the TV in the lower right corner. The entire bed, door, and TV is visible. At the end of the sequence, after the last closeup shot of the TV, the following shot should be the same vantage point as in the first shot in the sequence. Elizabeth is now at the extreme left of the frame and the TV in the lower right corner in what is essentially the same setup as the first shot in this sequence. On the DVD, however, the TV has been cropped out and the picture appears to have been zoomed. How did that happen? The whole impact of this scene has been reduced.

I compared this to the previuos MGM VHS tape that I had for years. Another striking difference is that in this last shot we hear her inhale and exhale deeply, as if she just got over a great shock. This isn't heard on the tape.

The rest of the DVD looks actually okay to me. Did they zoom only parts of the movie? That seems kind of strange. I'd like to know the reasoning myself.

 

[Paul_Scott]

was curious obout the MGM Bergmans.
i picked up Persona today, and there seems to be a concensus as to its merits (i'm talking movie here, not disc).
i also saw Passion Of Anna on the shelf, but from every review i've read, people don't seem to rate this one very highly.
it sounds , from what i've read like an interesting experiment at least.
should i just hold out for Shame and Hour Of The Wolf when they get redone- or does anyone out there find POA to have solid merits?