UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ -The Godfather(s) 50th Anniversary Restoration -- in 4k UHD (2 Viewers)

[Lord Dalek]

And I thought I had read every anecdote about David Lean there is to read. You sir, have made my day! (And offered a sterling example of the DP's role in a production.)

To add to that, Freddie Young makes You Only Live Twice a better movie than it has any right being.

 

[Wes Candela]

That comment may hold true for the DP of Happy Days but I can assure you that
AG Iñárritu doesn't consider Emmanuel Lubezki simply a "worker for hire." Ditto with many other director/ cinematographer collaborations.

Amen.

 

[Wes Candela]

When one thinks of David Lean epics, one will think huge epic vistas.

That’s NOT David. That’s Freddie Young.

God bless amen.
so well said.

 

[mskaye]

God bless amen.
so well said.

View attachment 208248

Gregg Toland was not a "hired hand."

 

[Wes Candela]

Gregg Toland was not a "hired hand." View attachment 208250

Words of wisdom, Lloyd
Words of wisdom

 

[Robert Harris]

God bless amen.
so well said.

View attachment 208248

That cut was original a long (12-16 foot) dissolve

 

[JoshZ]

Any artist who takes compensation for a commission is at the behest of the one paying the commission.

I worked as an artist my entire life. I was hired for my talent, my technical skills, my taste and my vision, but if any of those were in conflict with the one paying for my services it is my obligation as a professional to mold my talents to the service of the one paying for my services. I may not like it. I may not agree with it, but those are the compromises one must make in any commercial application of art.

If I am creating art for myself as an artiste I could do as I liked and you can take it or leave it. But that is not what is happening here. Cinematography is an art in service of a commercial application. Cinematographers can be artistes if they are in control of their project but most are not. They are working for others.

The director does not pay the cinematographer. Both individuals were paid by the studio. Therefore, what gives the director the right to decide anything about the look of the film, either? By your logic, only the president of the studio can make that decision, as that's the ultimate person in control of the purse strings.

Acting in that capacity today is Brian Robbins. So, yes, what you're suggesting is that exclusive authority to make all artistic decisions regarding the restoration and presentation of The Godfather should fall solely on the shoulders of the former director of Good Burger and Norbit.

Perhaps you might want to reconsider that position.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

The director does not pay the cinematographer. Both individuals were paid by the studio. Therefore, what gives the director the right to decide anything about the look of the film, either? By your logic, only the president of the studio can make that decision, as that's the ultimate person in control of the purse strings.

Acting in that capacity today is Brian Robbins. So, yes, what you're suggesting is the exclusive authority to make all artistic decisions regarding the restoration and presentation of The Godfather should fall solely on the shoulders of the former director of Good Burger and Norbit.

Perhaps you might want to reconsider that position.

Sadly, in many such cases particularly when it comes to Paramount, one must wonder if something like that isn't actually happening to some significant degree -- maybe not exactly, directly Brian Robbins, but whomever he's hired and given enough control/influence over such...

It's kinda like Mozart being (fictionally) told to cut out some notes or something...



_Man_

 

[Wes Candela]

That cut was original a long (12-16 foot) dissolve

Was it????
wow, that would just alter the entire effect of Lawrence‘s entrance into the desert
I just can’t imagine it

 

[Wes Candela]

The director does not pay the cinematographer. Both individuals were paid by the studio. Therefore, what gives the director the right to decide anything about the look of the film, either? By your logic, only the president of the studio can make that decision, as that's the ultimate person in control of the purse strings.

Acting in that capacity today is Brian Robbins. So, yes, what you're suggesting is the exclusive authority to make all artistic decisions regarding the restoration and presentation of The Godfather should fall solely on the shoulders of the former director of Good Burger and Norbit.

Perhaps you might want to reconsider that position.

good burger
Norbit
Haaaaahaaaaa
movies I never thought I would read about on this site.

 

[Robert Harris]

Was it????
wow, that would just alter the entire effect of Lawrence‘s entrance into the desert
I just can’t imagine it

Anne Coates made the change, shortening the overall length of the film by about 5 seconds, and affecting Technicolor’s bottom line in 1962-63 by some 52 pounds, 9 shillings and a few pence.

 

[Wes Candela]

Anne Coates made the change, shortening the overall length of the film by about 5 seconds, and affecting Technicolor’s bottom line in 1962-63 by some 52 pounds, 9 shillings and there pence.

"shortening the overall length of the film by about 5 seconds,"

That goes to show you just how important and critical editing is without that cut shot. Film history would've been altered forever. And I don't say that lightly at all but you know that.

i remember an interview on the DVD (blu-ray release where Spielberg described seeing that cut as a child and how it blew his mind.

History.

 

[Carlo_M]

2. Remove the point or so of red added by a studio rep after our team approved the final.

I wonder for those whose televisions allow for very fine adjustment of color and white balance (like the LG C2 OLED, which allow for individual RGB adjustment by points) if there's a way in the settings of our TVs where we can counteract that studio rep's decision...

 

[Wes Candela]

I wonder for those whose televisions allow for very fine adjustment of color and white balance (like the LG C2 OLED, which allow for individual RGB adjustment by points) if there's a way in the settings of our TVs where we can counteract that studio rep's decision...

I’d like to lock Studio heads in closets when it comes to tampering with art.

Run all by Robert Harris first.

Put him in charge, we will be in good shape

 

[Robert Harris]

I’d like to lock Studio heads in closets when it comes to tampering with art.

Run all by Robert Harris first.

Put him in charge, we will be in good shape

Sorry.Wrong guy. I can’t keep a checkbook straight.

 

[Wes Candela]

Sorry.Wrong guy. I can’t keep a checkbook straight.

HAAA HAAA

 

[PMF]

When we feted Freddie at Dartmouth c. 1990, and ran a dye transfer print of Zhivago,

On the following day, somewhere between Dartmouth College and my driving en route to the airport, Freddie requested a pull over near a roadside clearing or an embankment of sorts, as he was interested in taking some photos of The White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Beautiful as they were, it endlessly fascinated me that Freddie had shown such an interest, for all I could do was to juxtapose this region of New England against the light and scale of his snowy vista landscape; as seen in the opening funeral shot from Doctor Zhivago.

David Lean, of course, was not present for this moment, neither in nor out of the car; henceforth. and again, Freddie Young was quite adept in working alone.

 

[Robert Harris]

On the following day, somewhere between Dartmouth College and driving en route to the airport, Freddie requested a pull over near a roadside clearing or an embankment of sorts, as he was interested in taking some photos of The White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Beautiful as they were, it endlessly fascinated me that Freddie had shown such an interest, for all I could do was to place this region of New England in light and juxtaposition to those vastly snowy mountain scenes of Doctor Zhivago.

David Lean, of course, was not present for this moment; and once, again, Freddie was quite adept in working alone.

I had forgotten that you drove Freddie and Joan to the airport. What a treat!

33(?) years ago.

 

[PMF]

1990. February, I believe.

Call it an even 34 years.

 

[Robert Harris]

I received a message here from someone who frequents another site, asking the age old question re where we got the colors and densities for the 2007 restoration. Seems that some are still questioning where they came from, with others recalling the film appearing more normal and natural when they saw a print in a theater 50 years ago, et al.

It’s quite simple. We located the final approved TechnIcolor answer print, which still had paperwork signed by Gordon Willis attached.

Said print was sent to Mr. Willis for screening on approved, proper projection equipment, and he screened, along with fellow DP Allen Daviau.

Notes were taken and delivered.

That print was shipped back to WB/MPI, where we did the restoration, and that reference print was projected constantly alongside our data files to perfectly reproduce the colors, densities, black and white levels of that reference print.

After final approval, a studio rep made an extremely slight overall change to the data files, adding approximately a single point of red - which will not be noted by 99.9% of viewers. No one knows precisely why this occurred.

End of story.

There’s a certain humor to the fact that questions and comments are never-ending, but those commenting either forget or ignore the base facts.