- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,424
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Paramount's release of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is something that has been awaited by Streisand fans.
The short story here is that the release will not disappoint, as it has been carefully taken from film to DVD.
This, however, is not a musical that fits into many of the norms of the genre.
I saw the stage play on Broadway, and will always think of Barbara Harris in the lead. Ms. Streisand gives the piece a rather different spin. But what is really interesting here is the meeting of genres and eras. In her first venture on screen Ms. Streisand had the good fortune to be directed by William Wyler. Here again, her perfomance is structured by the incomparable Vincente Minnelli. The meeting of classical filmmaker and modern musical is an odd mixture. While modern scenes don't quite have the life that they might, the flashbacks to an earlier era involving "Melinda" hold up beautifully, as they have been photographed and honed in a much more classic style.
On a Clear Day... came very, very late in the line-up of American musicals -- almost after the end, but there is an innocence here that cannot be replicated today.
The colors and textures (especially of the flashbacks) of the transfer are breathtaking, and can almost take one back to the glory days of the M-G-M musicals. Almost. For Streisand and musical fans, this will be a welcome addition. Others may find it a bit of a stretch. Regardless, Paramount has given the film a top quality send-off.
Harry Stradling's final four projects were all Barbra Streisand films, beginning with Funny Girl in 1968. His work here is as visually stunning as his earlier efforts in musicals. The whites evoke the luminous clarity one will find in the gowns in My Fair Lady. But it is his colors which will whisk you back to the classic Technicolor era and his work on films such as Easter Parade, In the Good Old Summertime, The Pirate and The Barclays of Broadway. He was a brilliant lighting cameraman, and his work shines in this DVD.
Recommended.
RAH
The short story here is that the release will not disappoint, as it has been carefully taken from film to DVD.
This, however, is not a musical that fits into many of the norms of the genre.
I saw the stage play on Broadway, and will always think of Barbara Harris in the lead. Ms. Streisand gives the piece a rather different spin. But what is really interesting here is the meeting of genres and eras. In her first venture on screen Ms. Streisand had the good fortune to be directed by William Wyler. Here again, her perfomance is structured by the incomparable Vincente Minnelli. The meeting of classical filmmaker and modern musical is an odd mixture. While modern scenes don't quite have the life that they might, the flashbacks to an earlier era involving "Melinda" hold up beautifully, as they have been photographed and honed in a much more classic style.
On a Clear Day... came very, very late in the line-up of American musicals -- almost after the end, but there is an innocence here that cannot be replicated today.
The colors and textures (especially of the flashbacks) of the transfer are breathtaking, and can almost take one back to the glory days of the M-G-M musicals. Almost. For Streisand and musical fans, this will be a welcome addition. Others may find it a bit of a stretch. Regardless, Paramount has given the film a top quality send-off.
Harry Stradling's final four projects were all Barbra Streisand films, beginning with Funny Girl in 1968. His work here is as visually stunning as his earlier efforts in musicals. The whites evoke the luminous clarity one will find in the gowns in My Fair Lady. But it is his colors which will whisk you back to the classic Technicolor era and his work on films such as Easter Parade, In the Good Old Summertime, The Pirate and The Barclays of Broadway. He was a brilliant lighting cameraman, and his work shines in this DVD.
Recommended.
RAH
