Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Arabesque -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Arabesque from Kino via Universal is an interesting film.

Great credits.

Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, in a mod action romp directed by Stanley Donen.

It just never becomes the sum of the parts.

I adore Mr. Peck's work, but here, it just never rings true. When I saw it initially, I was thinking, okay he's now a mod Atticus Finch.

This is a fun film, but certainly not a great one from any perspective. In some ways it seems to be trying to bring back the success of Charade, and fails on all points.

Made after another slightly odd Peck vehicle, Edward Dmytryk's Mirage, which also doesn't really work all that well.

Both have great production values, but in the end may be perceived here as being for Peck, Loren or Donen completists.

Beautifully rendered. Great color. Everything works on a tech level.

Image

Forensic - 8
NSD - 10

Audio – (DTS-HD MA - Monaural)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Worth your attention - 7

Slipcover rating - 2

RAH




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Amazon.com

 

[lark144]

Yes, the movie doesn't really work, partially due to Peck's casting--I understand Donen tried to get Grant again, unsuccessfully--but more to the point, unlike CHARADE, there's no real narrative or emotional connections between the main characters, just a bunch of really dazzling, visually arresting chases that attempts to out-Bond Bond, which it mostly does. Why it's happening, and more to the point, why these characters are involved and what they hope to gain, is never clear. The film is mostly window dressing, but oh, that decorativeness is so fabulous, I can't complain. It's so beautiful and wonderfully done, from the cinematography, to Loren's gowns, to the pop art sets, I watched it incessantly when it first opened in theaters and never grew tired of it. This is the second time I've bought a Blu-Ray of ARABESQUE--the first was based on an old master, and pretty lousy--whereas this new one, looks amazing. And yes, Mr. Binder's credits are great, and this may be my favorite Henry Mancini score, featuring Jimmy Rowles, among others. Call it a guilty pleasure, or the cinematic equivalent of comfort food, if you like.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Arabesque from Kino via Universal is an interesting film.

Great credits.

Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, in a mod action romp directed by Stanley Donen.

It just never becomes the sum of the parts.

I adore Mr. Peck's work, but here, it just never rings true. When I saw it initially, I was thinking, okay he's now a mod Atticus Finch.

This is a fun film, but certainly not a great one from any perspective. In some ways it seems to be trying to bring back the success of Charade, and fails on all points.

Made after another slightly odd Peck vehicle, Edward Dmytryk's Mirage, which also doesn't really work all that well.

Both have great production values, but in the end may be perceived here as being for Peck, Loren or Donen completists.

Beautifully rendered. Great color. Everything works on a tech level.

Image

Forensic - 8
NSD - 10

Audio – (DTS-HD MA - Monaural)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Worth your attention - 7

Slipcover rating - 2

RAH




Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

Amazon.com

thank you. I saw this originally and hoped it would be another Charade. Unfortunately, not

 

[Osato]

Arabesque from Kino via Universal is an interesting film.

Great credits.

Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, in a mod action romp directed by Stanley Donen.

It just never becomes the sum of the parts.

I adore Mr. Peck's work, but here, it just never rings true. When I saw it initially, I was thinking, okay he's now a mod Atticus Finch.

This is a fun film, but certainly not a great one from any perspective. In some ways it seems to be trying to bring back the success of Charade, and fails on all points.

Made after another slightly odd Peck vehicle, Edward Dmytryk's Mirage, which also doesn't really work all that well.

Both have great production values, but in the end may be perceived here as being for Peck, Loren or Donen completists.

Beautifully rendered. Great color. Everything works on a tech level.

Image

Forensic - 8
NSD - 10

Audio – (DTS-HD MA - Monaural)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Worth your attention - 7

Slipcover rating - 2

RAH




Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

Amazon.com

Bought the Blu-ray the sold it for the 4K disc:

Amazon.com

I like the film a lot. It’s not as good as charade but enjoy it just the same.

 

[Allansfirebird]

Yes, the movie doesn't really work, partially due to Peck's casting--I understand Donen tried to get Grant again, unsuccessfully--but more to the point, unlike CHARADE, there's no real narrative or emotional connections between the main characters, just a bunch of really dazzling, visually arresting chases that attempts to out-Bond Bond, which it mostly does. Why it's happening, and more to the point, why these characters are involved and what they hope to gain, is never clear. The film is mostly window dressing, but oh, that decorativeness is so fabulous, I can't complain. It's so beautiful and wonderfully done, from the cinematography, to Loren's gowns, to the pop art sets, I watched it incessantly when it first opened in theaters and never grew tired of it. This is the second time I've bought a Blu-Ray of ARABESQUE--the first was based on an old master, and pretty lousy--whereas this new one, looks amazing. And yes, Mr. Binder's credits are great, and this may be my favorite Henry Mancini score, featuring Jimmy Rowles, among others. Call it a guilty pleasure, or the cinematic equivalent of comfort food, if you like.

I believe Donen even admitted that the gorgeous cinematography and production design was an intentional smokescreen against a script no one was ever happy with.

 

[lark144]

I believe Donen even admitted that the gorgeous cinematography and production design was an intentional smokescreen against a script no one was ever happy with.

In this case, style creates its own content, at least for me. And that's very consistent with the development of movies in the mid 1960's, especially ones influenced by the Bond Phenomena, and also Lester's Beatles films, and for that matter, by the French New Wave and Fellini, where style was the raison d'etre as well as the referent. You can see this is so many films, from TOM JONES to MODESTY BLAISE. Sophia's Dior gowns aren't just beautiful, they encompass a moral attitude, as well as an emotional one, which may be a trifle undeveloped in ARABESQUE, reaching full flower in Donen's next project TWO FOR THE ROAD, but very real nonetheless, which is why the film continues to be appreciated and watchable all these decades later. What at the time appeared to be surperficial has accrued so much feeling and meaning. Of course, you can't have a great movie without a consistent script, which TWO FOR THE ROAD had and ARABESQUE doesn't, but you can still see Donen working out those themes visually, even if the script is lacking in situations that would reinforce them, which is what a good director is supposed to do, and in my view, the opposite of smokescreen.

 

[bobclampett]

Arabesque from Kino via Universal is an interesting film.

Great credits.

Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, in a mod action romp directed by Stanley Donen.

It just never becomes the sum of the parts.

I adore Mr. Peck's work, but here, it just never rings true. When I saw it initially, I was thinking, okay he's now a mod Atticus Finch.

This is a fun film, but certainly not a great one from any perspective. In some ways it seems to be trying to bring back the success of Charade, and fails on all points.

Made after another slightly odd Peck vehicle, Edward Dmytryk's Mirage, which also doesn't really work all that well.

Both have great production values, but in the end may be perceived here as being for Peck, Loren or Donen completists.

Beautifully rendered. Great color. Everything works on a tech level.

Image

Forensic - 8
NSD - 10

Audio – (DTS-HD MA - Monaural)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Worth your attention - 7

Slipcover rating - 2

RAH




Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

Amazon.com

I have the Kino Blu Ray and agree the production is top notch with especially creative cinematography. As a movie I find it very entertaining with fine performances from the entire cast. When comparing Peck or any other actor to Carey Grant, they are going to come up short. Playing a university professor, Peck is completely believable. It’s a fun watch and glad I own a copy.

 

[Jeff Fearnside]

This is the second time I've bought a Blu-Ray of ARABESQUE--the first was based on an old master, and pretty lousy--whereas this new one, looks amazing.

@lark144, was the first version you bought the Universal 2019 ed. or the Kino Lorber 2021 ed.? I have the latter, though I believe they were essentially identical in PQ. It sounds like this new 4K restoration is quite a step up. Can anyone else speak to that?

 

[lark144]

@lark144, was the first version you bought the Universal 2019 ed. or the Kino Lorber 2021 ed.? I have the latter, though I believe they were essentially identical in PQ. It sounds like this new 4K restoration is quite a step up. Can anyone else speak to that?

I bought the Universal in 2019. According to the Kino Insider and also a number of reviewers, the 2021 was the same exact master, which was originally produced for DVD by Universal many years before. The only difference was the 2021 Kino had a few extras, including an interview with Mancini, which have been ported over for this new 4K and Blu-Ray.

 

[Osato]

The 4k is a nice looking disc. I sold the Blu-ray and picked up the 5k disc. It came with a copy of the film in standard Blu-ray too.

Digital bits just reviewers he 4k disc too.