- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,272
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
"There no crying is baseball." - Jimmy Dugan
"Film doesn't lie." - Phil Feiner
As I placed Warner Bros. new Blu-ray of Sergio Leone's "Extended Director's Cut" of Once Upon a Time in America in my Oppo, I was wondering how the archival techs in Italy working on the new long(est) version of the gangster epic, could create something from a film element that didn't allow them to do so.
"Film doesn't lie."
There's a neat little hardcover book that comes with the new elegantly designed boxed set, that describes the awful state of the elements that were cut back into the long version of the film, heretofore based upon original negative elements, and how they were made to match as seamlessly as possible.
I was so amazed by the still images in an addendum sheet, as well as information in other materials relevant to the restoration, that I couldn't wait to see how digital magic had brought these elements back to life.
Was there some process of which I was totally unaware? Possible.
Searching the new Blu-ray for the sequences restored to the film, I was distressed that what I was seeing were truly ugly representations of the film. But precisely what one might expect from a piece of color positive stock that had gone through three decades of dye failure.
Decidedly ugly, but there to fill out character and story in a way that I appreciated. Longer is, in this case, better.
I can only believe that somewhere between Italy and the U.S., something went amiss in communication regarding before and after images.
In this case, it appears that someone had taken very nice, and normal examples of the film, as it should appear, and probably degraded them to look as the extended footage now appears in the film.
Confusing?
That point made, the extra 22 minutes definitely add to the value of the film, especially (actually only) to those who treasure this masterpiece of cinema.
As long as viewers are aware that quality drops to a totally dupey and ugly state when it hits extended material, there's no problem.
The main body of the film is also re-timed. I had presumed, as I'm not an expert on this film, nor have I researched its original color, that modern sequences were normal color. In the last WB Blu-ray they seem lovely. They're now drained of color by at least 50%, which I don't understand. The new boxed set is inclusive of the original long version on a separate disc, which is the old, ie. current WB version of the film, with what I perceive to be proper color.
I've been waiting to see what the situation was with this film, and how it was adapted in Italy. I'm in agreement with Mr. Kimmel's thoughts, as not being a fan.
Image - 5* (original film)
0.5 (reinstated footage)
Audio - 5
(the audio for reinstated for sequences works far more
seamlessly than image.)
My advice is to not reference print materials on the visual portion of the restoration, and you'll be fine. Further, I'd view the 229 minute version first, and then fill in the extra scenes from the other disc.
This has me mystified.
As an aside, the cardboard sheet attached to the back of the box, which would be seen on store shelves, and which I presume was created by the WB publicity folks in Burbank, does make note of reduced quality.
Highly Recommended
RAH