Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Is Paris Burning? -- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[Robert Harris]

I want to measure my words here, as I don't want to turn anyone away from this beautifully crafter Blu-ray. Kino is releasing Paramount's 1966 Is Paris Burning?, directed by Rene Clement, a quality filmmaker.

This is a huge international production, presumably Paramount's answer to Fox's The Longest Day.

It's a long film - 173 minutes with an Intermission. Overture and entr'acte are included, so this is the roadshow.

The problem that I have with the film is that it just doesn't seem to work, and I've always surmised that it wasn't the writers (Gore Vidal, Francis Coppola and others), but rather the inability of Clement to handle a huge tactical production, while being pushed by the Gaullist's to not tell the entire story. It was shot in black and white, and I've heard two reasons. One was the De Gaulle would not permit the Nazi flag to fly in Paris, even for a film with its proper colors - the flags used were basically grays and blacks. The other was that there was a concern that the myriad of stock footage couldn't be properly cut in if the film was in color.

The cast is a who's who of French actors, with a group of Americans oddly thrown in, and to my mind they never worked. Kirk Douglas as Patton, Glenn Ford (actually a Canadian) as Omar Bradley, Robert Stack as Edwin Sibert, and in bits and quick appearances Anthony Perkins, George Chakiris (for possibly twenty seconds riding atop a tank), and Orson Welles as the Swiss Consul.

The list of French actors makes me think of Mad World.

Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Dauphin, Alain Delon, Daniel Gelin (you know him from The Man Who Knew Too Much), Yves Montand, Michel Piccoli, Simone Signoret, Jean-Louis Trintignant...

And as the lead German, fresh from Goldfinger, Gert Fröbe, as the hulking general over-seeing Paris in the light of the Allied invasion for Hitler.

The film is huge, confusing and extremely episodic. But there's a film still there, and it deserves to be seen. Especially in this gorgeous Blu-ray, which from a nominal seating distance looks for all the world like 4k. Gorgeous blacks, beautiful shadow detail, and great resolution.

The score is by Maurice Jarre.

It's almost maddening that it never seems to come together - and with all the talent involved - should.

I had a problem with the audio defaulting to 2-channel monaural. The 5.1 is track number two.

Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Worth your attention - 4

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Slipcover rating - 2

Recommended

RAH

 

[trajan007]

I never been a big fan of Maurice Jarre but this score is magnificent. I have the soundtrack which is excellent.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I do have a question about the audio. It was always my perception that 70mm prints were produced with a six-track stereo mix, and yet this is two channel monaural.

When Kino announced the Blu-ray, they indicated it was going to have 5.1 and 2.0 soundtracks. I just posted a question in the Kino Announcement thread which references your comment to ask what happened to the 5.1 audio.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I want to measure my words here, as I don't want to turn anyone away from this beautifully crafter Blu-ray. Kino is releasing Paramount's 1966 Is Paris Burning?, directed by Rene Clement, a quality filmmaker.

This is a huge international production, presumably Paramount's answer to Fox's The Longest Day.

It's a long film - 173 minutes with an Intermission. Overture and entr'acte are included, so this is the roadshow.

The problem that I have with the film is that it just doesn't seem to work, and I've always surmised that it wasn't the writers (Gore Vidal, Francis Coppola and others), but rather the inability of Clement to handle a huge tactical production, while being pushed by the Gaullist's to not tell the entire story. It was shot in black and white, and I've heard two reasons. One was the De Gaulle would not permit the Nazi flag to fly in Paris, even for a film with its proper colors - the flags used were basically grays and blacks. The other was that there was a concern that the myriad of stock footage couldn't be properly cut in if the film was in color.

The cast is a who's who of French actors, with a group of Americans oddly thrown in, and to my mind they never worked. Kirk Douglas as Patton, Glenn Ford (actually a Canadian) as Omar Bradley, Robert Stack as Edwin Sibert, and in bits and quick appearances Anthony Perkins, George Chakiris (for possibly twenty seconds riding atop a tank), and Orson Welles as the Swiss Consul.

The list of French actors makes me think of Mad World.

Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Dauphin, Alain Delon, Daniel Gelin (you know him from The Man Who Knew Too Much), Yves Montand, Michel Piccoli, Simone Signoret, Jean-Louis Trintignant...

And as the lead German, fresh from Goldfinger, Gert Fröbe, as the hulking general over-seeing Paris in the light of the Allied invasion for Hitler.

The film is huge, confusing and extremely episodic. But there's a film still there, and it deserves to be seen. Especially in this gorgeous Blu-ray, which from a nominal seating distance looks for all the world like 4k. Gorgeous blacks, beautiful shadow detail, and great resolution.

The score is by Maurice Jarre.

It's almost maddening that it never seems to come together - and with all the talent involved - should.

I do have a question about the audio. It was always my perception that 70mm prints were produced with a six-track stereo mix, and yet this is two channel monaural.

Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Worth your attention - 4

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Slipcover rating - 2

Recommended

RAH

You initially stated this is a wonderful film in the Kino Announcement thread. I guess your opinion has changed somewhat since watching it again? That's a question, not an assertion.

 

[Robert Harris]

You initially stated this is a wonderful film in the Kino Announcement thread. I guess your opinion has changed somewhat since watching it again? That's a question, not an assertion.

It’s a very interesting situation. A veritable super-production, in the hands of M. Clement, who directed the extraordinary Forbidden Games, Purple Noon, and a number of other films - but no super-productions. You’ve got a major studio, and a quality filmmaker on what must have been an extremely problematic film.

And he finds himself directing Orson Welles, who reportedly would only communicate with him via intermediaries. Toss in American stars who don’t seem right for the roles, and a protagonist who can’t lead the film.

Then add in the political intrigue, which apparently skewed the storyline, and bad dubbing.

I love it!

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I like the film and will look forward to watching the Blu-ray and listening to the commentary.

 

[JoeDoakes]

It’s a very interesting situation. A veritable super-production, in the hands of M. Clement, who directed the extraordinary Forbidden Games, Purple Noon, and a number of other films - but no super-productions. You’ve got a major studio, and a quality filmmaker on what must have been an extremely problematic film.

And he finds himself directing Orson Welles, who reportedly would only communicate with him via intermediaries. Toss in American stars who don’t seem right for the roles, and a protagonist who can’t lead the film.

Then add in the political intrigue, which apparently skewed the storyline, and bad dubbing.

I love it!

Is this the film where Raymond Burr plays the journalist?

 

[Robin9]

Thank you Mr. Harris for this well balanced review. I'm going to buy this disc as the quality is so high and because mono sound is fine with me. I used to seeing films that don't work properly and I enjoy most of them despite their shortcomings.

 

[Robert Harris]

I’m attempting to find a copy of the original Vidal/Coppola pre-doctored screenplay.

 

[Alan Tully]

Then add in the political intrigue, which apparently skewed the storyline, and bad dubbing.

I love it!

Yup, a big mess of a film that you either love or not. I've only ever seen around 40 minutes of it, a laughably bad transfer on an obscure TV channel, but what I remember was the bad lip-sync & voices that didn't seem to belong to the characters - there's a ton of that in The Train (French actors that were obviously dubbed later), but it didn't seem to bother anyone.

I wouldn't import, but if it was released in the UK I'd buy it.

 

[PGB]

Given that during production the French actors spoke French and the Americans actors English, perhaps the ideal way to watch the film and avoid the dubbing would be to watch the French version with English subtitles while the French actors appear on screen, and the English version while the Americans pop up if such a switch can be made (which I doubt)

 

[Robert Harris]

Given that during production the French actors spoke French and the Americans actors English, perhaps the ideal way to watch the film and avoid the dubbing would be to watch the French version with English subtitles while the French actors appear on screen, and the English version while the Americans pop up if such a switch can be made (which I doubt)

And the German actors?

 

[PGB]

And the German actors?

Ha ha. I think Gert Frobe’s English is good (Goldfinger?) but in any case there is no German version on the disc

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yup, a big mess of a film that you either love or not. I've only ever seen around 40 minutes of it, a laughably bad transfer on an obscure TV channel, but what I remember was the bad lip-sync & voices that didn't seem to belong to the characters - there's a ton of that in The Train (French actors that were obviously dubbed later), but it didn't seem to bother anyone.

I wouldn't import, but if it was released in the UK I'd buy it.

The dubbing in The Train wasn’t great, but Lancaster and Scofield were so great in that film, you could easily overlook it.

 

[70 Millman]

I took a friend of mine to see this when it opened in Hollywood, ostensibly to see Jean-Paul Belmondo, who he did not know. After about half an hour, he said, "You gotta be kidding, let's get out of here."Mad Magazine did a spoof which you can get a glimpse of here. View attachment 194168

 

[Paul Penna]

I think Gert Frobe’s English is good (Goldfinger?)

Because who you're hearing is this guy.

 

[cda1143]

Ha ha. I think Gert Frobe’s English is good (Goldfinger?) but in any case there is no German version on the disc

Because who you're hearing is this guy.

Lest deciphering the WIKI bio and extensive filmography seems tangential, Paul is referring to the fact that Gert Frobe’s voice was not used in Goldfinger, as his English was not sufficient. Goldfinger’s lines were all overdubbed by Michael Collins.

Don’t quote me, but If memory serves, Frobe didn’t even mouth the English. He spoke German which was overdubbed in post - commonly done in that time period especially in European productions with international casts.

 

[mark brown]

I recall we we told this was 5.1. Just canceled my order!

 

[JPCinema]

Both my iTunes and VUDU HD streaming versions are in Digital Stereo. Jarre's score sounds magnificent. It is definitely not in mono.

 

[Douglas R]

Both my iTunes and VUDU HD streaming versions are in Digital Stereo. Jarre's score sounds magnificent. It is definitely not in mono.

The Paramount + version is stereo as was the DVD so there’s definitely something wrong here. I’m not buying it if it’s mono.