DVD Review HTF DVD REVIEW: Gigi: Two-Disc Special Edition (1 Viewer)

[Garysb]

If I had to guess I would say Warner Bros is planning a big classic films on blu-ray promotion in 2009 . With titles such as Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur, North By Northwest, Gone With the Wind, and Quo Vadis coming in 2009, I think they want to add Gigi and American In Paris as part of this blu ray promotion.

Not sure if its region free but the blu-ray of Gigi is current available on the German Amazon site for about
31 euros. That is expensive.

http://www.amazon.de/s?__mk_de_DE=%C...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

 

[Will Krupp]

Well, I'm watching it now and I guess this is the best GIGI will ever look, but it isn't great. It's still SO disappointing that such a wonderful movie with such great production design looks so...so...lousy in all present incarnations.

It's better than the muddy, shifting tones of the old dvd, but keep expectations low and you won't be disappointed.

By the way, WarnerColor, DeLuxe, MetroColor, PatheColor etc. were all trade names using the same Eastman source, but the way each lab processed the NEGATIVES (forget the positive printing for now) and whether or not they skipped steps in the processing to save a little money, makes a great difference to the "look" of each lab and what can be acheived with modern restorations.

 

[Greg_M]

Anyone know if there are any screen shots comparing the new transfer for "GIGI" with the old one?

 

[Art_AD]

I can't quite put my finger on it but I feel this release is lacking. There were alternate takes for some scenes that might have been included (though they could be lost so that could be forgiven). On the Rhino cd there are all three of Leslie Caron's recorded songs (only one is here but in is only an excerpt in the documentary). I would have liked to see all the footage from the premier not just excerpts. There is a Robert Osborne interview with Leslie Caron which could have been included and the MGM library has a Chevalier special they could have included. With regards to the documentary I was disappointed Louis Jordan & Andre Previn were not included. I wonder if there were asked (I know Louis Jordan is up there in years and might not be up to doing an interview but never the less I was a bit disappointed). There is also behind the scenes movie footage on the set that wasn't included. This I feel is not an ultimate edition, maybe I am expecting too much....... but this is a multiple academy award winning film.

 

[marknyc]

I've put up Gigi clips with Leslie's own voice, in case anyone's interested....

Enjoy!

YouTube - marknyc5's Channel

 

[Rob_Ray]

It's definitely not an ultimate edition, which it deserves as the crowning achievement of the celebrated Freed Unit and a film which broke Gone With the Wind's record for Oscars received.

I wouldn't expect Louis Jourdan to be available for any interview at his age, and the Rhino soundtrack division would want a hefty fee for the use of Leslie Caron's tracks but something more special should have been added to the set to make it stand proudly against GWTW, Ben-Hur and the recent How The West Was Won boxes.

A miniature reproduction of the roadshow booklet would be another suggestion. Separate documentaries covering the careers of Collette and Maurice Chevalier would have also been appropriate.

Also the backstory behind the making of the film is a lot more interesting than the making-of documentary indicated. The extensive reshoots was only briefly touched upon. A good chunk of the film was reshot after previews. Many outdoor shots were reconstructed on the MGM backlot, several medium shots in Maxim's were reshot on soundstages at MGM, the Trouville sequences were shot in Santa Monica due to cost overruns. Hugh Fordin knows all these stories and has written about them. He should have been asked to go into much more detail about how Gigi was turned from a potential disaster into the most prestigious musical of its day.

Gigi definitely deserves the three-disc deluxe treatment that the best films of its era receive. The edition we have is a nice option for the budget-minded fans, but I was hoping for more on this one.

 

[BillyFeldman]

I kept my expectations low, based on what I'd read here - I was still disappointed. It's really not good - too soft, too muddy, and I was at a screening several years ago of a 35mm print that looked great. What a disappointment for this great film.