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The Leopard (1963) (Criterion) (Blu-ray) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

Ronald Epstein

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235_BD_box_348x490_original.jpg

 

The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon.  If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.
 

 

 
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Mark-P

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Is this any different than the Criterion Blu-ray that was released in 2010? I doubt it.
 

Charles Smith

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Maybe just a change from the digipack to a plastic case?

Because if it's a new transfer, they should sure as hell be clearly stating that.
 

Michel_Hafner

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Reissuing their old transfer would be silly. It's outdated and completely pales technically compared to the 4K restoration. That one on the other hand could use some tweaking in the colour department. So I hope Criterion uses the 4K and makes some colour modifications.
 

Dr Griffin

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Not biting. Another example of: I already own that on Blu-ray, and there are too many other fims that I don't yet own! The first Criterion Blu-ray was a big improvement over their DVD (which I owned), and that's all I was looking for.
 

Brandon Conway

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Charles Smith said:
Maybe just a change from the digipack to a plastic case?

Because if it's a new transfer, they should sure as hell be clearly stating that.
Almost certainly the former. If they had a new transfer/disc being released they would say as much on criterion.com
 

david hare

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I understand this is a reissue of the earlier BD, not a port of the Pathe 4k which is a knockout (and wider non-Storaro ratio which doesn't keep chopping bodies in half on the Left of the frame.) The announcement would surely have had to credit the Pathe source.

Anthony, the Madman (OOP) Leopard is from the Pathe/Ritrovate/Film Foundation 4k as well. I realise this will make the fourth or fifth version of Leopard some of us will purchase but it's worth it, if you can find a copy anywhere.
 

Lord Dalek

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Both transfers are pretty inaccurate. The Leopard was shot in 8-perf horizontal Technirama with a neg ratio of 2.25:1 which would of then be either reduced to 35mm 2.35:1 or blown up to 2.20:1 Super Technirama 70. The Criterion and BFI blu-rays use the later ratio at the request of original cinematographer Giuseppi Rotunno as Visconti had apparently composed this specifically for 70mm release at the time. The problem is such a release does not appear to have occurred at the time so who knows if Rotunno was being accurate in his claim.

The Pathe/Film Foundation restoration is an even odder story. Although it uses a new 8k scan of the 8-perf, the aspect ratio is significantly wider than expected at 2.55:1 (the old Cinemascope ratio). While 2.20:1 seems like a realistic and accurate framing choice, nobody was making movies in 2.55 in 1963. What's even more confusing is once again, Rotunno has supervised and approved this transfer.

Basically that leaves Medusa's old R2 Italy dvd as the only one that presents The Leopard in its proper theatrical OAR. The problem with that though is the transfer is dark and out of focus.
 

bujaki

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The Leopard played uncut, in 70mm and Technicolor during its initial run in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Domestic prints were cut and released in 2.35 Eastman or De Luxe, whatever cheap color process was being used by Fox at the time.
 

david hare

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Lord Dalek said:
Both transfers are pretty inaccurate. The Leopard was shot in 8-perf horizontal Technirama with a neg ratio of 2.25:1 which would of then be either reduced to 35mm 2.35:1 or blown up to 2.20:1 Super Technirama 70. The Criterion and BFI blu-rays use the later ratio at the request of original cinematographer Giuseppi Rotunno as Visconti had apparently composed this specifically for 70mm release at the time. The problem is such a release does not appear to have occurred at the time so who knows if Rotunno was being accurate in his claim.

The Pathe/Film Foundation restoration is an even odder story. Although it uses a new 8k scan of the 8-perf, the aspect ratio is significantly wider than expected at 2.55:1 (the old Cinemascope ratio). While 2.20:1 seems like a realistic and accurate framing choice, nobody was making movies in 2.55 in 1963. What's even more confusing is once again, Rotunno has supervised and approved this transfer.

Basically that leaves Medusa's old R2 Italy dvd as the only one that presents The Leopard in its proper theatrical OAR. The problem with that though is the transfer is dark and out of focus.
Unfortunately Rotunno has become such a revisionist on a number of pictures I can no longer take his word on "True" ARs at face value. Something that has always bothered me about the 2.20 35mm Italian language prints (and BFI and Crit BDs) is the very frequent cropping of the left hand in wide groups shots. The very first appearance of Pierre Clementi in during the opening Rosary Scene almost totally slices him out of the image even though he later moves into center frame from the original mark for dialogue. This just happens far too often in the "first" Storaro revision. For all its defects (including Deluxe/Eastman printing) I think the US dub and cut is an invaluable extra on the Criterion Box, not only for completeness and the chance to see a wider aperture, but also the chance to hear some native English line readings from Lancaster, Leslie French and Delon (who speaks excellent English, but not Italian.)

Maybe the Pathe/FF AR is not ideal, but I frankly prefer it to the narrower 2.20 Technirama. And the color saturation and grading on the Pathe is completely stunning.
 

rsmithjr

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Lord Dalek said:
The Pathe/Film Foundation restoration is an even odder story. Although it uses a new 8k scan of the 8-perf, the aspect ratio is significantly wider than expected at 2.55:1 (the old Cinemascope ratio). While 2.20:1 seems like a realistic and accurate framing choice, nobody was making movies in 2.55 in 1963. What's even more confusing is once again, Rotunno has supervised and approved this transfer.
The 8-perf Technirama negative, when unsqueezed, gives you a 255 aspect ratio. This is vividly demonstrated in the special features of Disney's Sleeping Beauty, which also used Technirama photography. The Blu-ray of Sleeping Beauty is therefore 255. Disney made a point that this is the first time people could see "all" of the animation that was originally drawn.

As to what the "correct" or "intended" AR is for The Leopard, that is always a difficult question I find. I only saw it in 235 35mm optical sound.

In any case, I think the choice to use all of the information on the negative is a justifiable one.

The previous Blu-ray is not very good so I would hope that Criterion has improved it rather than just repackaging. I would buy the 255 if it is otherwise an improvement.
 

Mark-P

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rsmithjr said:
The 8-perf Technirama negative, when unsqueezed, gives you a 255 aspect ratio. This is vividly demonstrated in the special features of Disney's Sleeping Beauty, which also used Technirama photography. The Blu-ray of Sleeping Beauty is therefore 255. Disney made a point that this is the first time people could see "all" of the animation that was originally drawn.

As to what the "correct" or "intended" AR is for The Leopard, that is always a difficult question I find. I only saw it in 235 35mm optical sound.

In any case, I think the choice to use all of the information on the negative is a justifiable one.

The previous Blu-ray is not very good so I would hope that Criterion has improved it rather than just repackaging. I would buy the 255 if it is otherwise an improvement.
Incorrect. The AR of Technirama is 8 perfs (1.50:1) with a 1.5X anamorphic squeeze resulting in 2.25:1. The reason Sleeping Beauty was 2.55:1 was because it was hard-matted to the wider ratio on the negative.
Technirama Specs: http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/techniramaspecs.htm
 

john a hunter

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Mark-P said:
Incorrect. The AR of Technirama is 8 perts (1.50:1) with a 1.5X anamorphic squeeze resulting in 2.25:1. The reason Sleeping Beauty was 2.55:1 was because it was hard-matted to the wider ratio on the negative.
Technirama Specs: http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/techniramaspecs.htm
Indeed it is and we should stop this nonsense now.
Do the maths.
I also saw an original 58 70mm print of Beauty in the mid 80's . It was 2.20 and not hard matted to 2.55.
What I suspect happened was that the animation was prepared for 2.55 based upon Disney's existing set up for Lady and the Tramp and the switch from Scope to Technirama was made late in the game.
Nor is there any record of any 70mm prints of the Leopard being made so the idea that one somehow showed up Puerto Rico is unlikely in the extreme.
As for any new transfer, either 2.20 or 2.35 would be suitable.
 

bujaki

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Puerto Rico was considered a foreign market when it came to film distribution. It didn't abide by the Code rules, and cuts were not applied.
It played the same prints that showed in Europe, not the USA. The ads for The Leopard in the paper read Technirama 70mm Technicolor. And it played full length. Unfortunately, I don't have access to those sources.
That's why I saw versions of films that were never seen by US audiences, such as: the complete The Devils, Queimada, Once upon a Time in the West, The Dance of the Vampires (Fearless Vampire Killers), Blood and Roses, Ryan's Daughter, etc.
You may or may not take my word on this. That's all.
 

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