Legend of 1900? (1 Viewer)

[Mario Bartel]

I was quite captivated by the trailer for The Legend of 1900, Giuseppe Tornatore's fable about a man who's spent his whole life aboard a cruise ship; but when it cruised through the local arthouse theater a while back, I didn't get a chance to see it.
So, yesterday, I was quite pleased to be able to pick it up on dvd. It's an Alliance-Atlantis release, 2.35:1, DD 5.1, but no extra features. Curiously, the packaging says "Authorized for sale in Canada only." This is the very same wording as on the AA release of The Croupier, which is hamstrung from a more general release by somekinda exclusive arrangement with Netflix.
I haven't been able to find a peep about this release anywhere. I haven't seen a review on any of the usual sites. A couple of Canadian e-tailers have it listed, but are scant on details. None of the big guns south of the border that I checked have it listed in their databases, either as a new release, or even a pre-order. It's not even on Netflix.
So, what gives? How is it that this dvd seems to exist only on my coffee table? Not that I'm complaining; I'm glad to have it, and I'm waiting for just the right mood to screen it. But given Alliance-Atlantis' previous reputation for disrespecting the discriminating dvd consumer, part of me can't help but wonder if there's a superior edition, with some extra features, looming somewhere in the future.
FWIW, the packaging also has the New Line logo along the bottom.
------------------
Mario
Proprietor and chief nacho chip server of Cinemario

 

[Michel Saucier]

Hi,
This is my first posting on this awesome message board. You must be a really strong telepath! Last night, when I registered and waited for my password, I knew my first posting was going to be about The Legend of 1900 DVD.
Ok, here's my story. I saw this movie about 3 weeks ago and have been totally in love with it (try enthralled). I've watched it 4 times on a videotape copy I made from its airing on the Starz channel on satellite. What I was originally going to post is: has anyone heard when a US release of this DVD was going to come out? 1900 and one other movie, The Man from Snowy River, are the only movies I have been anxiously waiting for to be released on DVD just so I could die happy knowing that they are in my collection. Dan Brecher just told me last night that Snowy River should be coming out next year, and I literally screamed in excitement. Now, I wait to do the same scream for 1900! Within a week of seeing 1900 for the first time, I had also special ordered the Italian import of Ennio Morricone's score because it has 20 extra minutes of music than the US release. It is definitely a must-have score and a perfect companion to the movie.
Another thing about 1900: when it was released in Europe, it was 2 hours and 45 minutes long. The director was forced to cut it to 2 hours and 5 minutes for its US (extremely limited) release. Now I've seen 1900 on DVD for Ebay auction out of Hong Kong with the movie (sometimes in 2.35:1 and other times in 4:3) with no extras and only 2 hours in length. I will not rest unless the US gets a full director's cut DVD with trailer, commentary (which must include Tim Roth!), and extras!! I just have to see every second of footage on this wonderful movie that has skyrocketed into the top 5 on my all-time favorite movies list.
I downloaded the trailer, and it is extremely well done so I expect you to LOVE the movie. Tim Roth is now my hero and my new love (I am one of those rare female movie/DVD fanatics) so now I have to see everything Tim is in. He is a great actor. By the way, I thought he was fantastic and completely believable as General Thade in Planet of the Apes! Some people agree with me, and some don't.
Please post your opinion on The Legend of 1900 when you watch it. When I watched it, I didn't know anything about it and was totally *not* expecting it to be as powerful and meaningful to me as it is. It caught me by surprise with its unique story and great use of music (pure genius on Morricone's part, especially "The Crisis" where he hits a dischord on the piano for a brilliant reason (pure genius!..watch the scene, and you'll see what I'm talking about). Also, he must have had to write a lot of the score before the movie was even filmed because Tim Roth 'plays' a lot of the piano cues in the movie). The score won a Golden Globe but also deserved an Oscar in my opinion.
Anyway, great movie. I can't wait for you to see it! I just hope I haven't built it up to much..but I don't think that's possible. Excellent movie!!! I wish I could see it again for the first time. It's unfortunate that it isn't more well known throughout the US, and I can't understand why it didn't get some Oscar nominations or wins.
Whoa, I just wrote a book! Watch the movie ASAP!

Michel
[Edited last by Michel Saucier on August 08, 2001 at 10:51 PM]

 

[Mario Bartel]

>>Whoa, I just wrote a book!
Whoa, you sure did! And now you've really got me jazzed to see it. But I've had a feeling about this movie since I first saw that trailer, and I want to be in just the right mood; relaxed, unburdened by pressure to attend to other things, no distractions.
Thanks for your post, Michel, and welcome to the Forum. Your information about the differences in running time between the European and US versions is interesting, as the same thing afflicted Tornatore's other recent release, Maleena, which I watched on dvd last week and didn't particularly care for. And, if memory serves, the European version of his wonderful Cinema Paradiso is also considerably longer. Hmmm, I wonder what's up with that?
Anyhow, the Alliance-Atlantis version I've got is 2:05, and, if it will sate your desire to own this movie, it's available at www.cnl.com for $24 CDN, which is like no money at all in American dollars.
I'll be sure to post my impressions in this thread once I've seen it, perhaps as early as tomorrow evening, which is the last day of my work week.
------------------
Mario
Proprietor and chief nacho chip server of Cinemario

 

[Michel Saucier]

Great, thanks for the info. I was very tempted to buy it on Ebay, but $24 CDN does sound worth it (I just might go buy it)! I thought one of the 1900 DVDs on Ebay said it had the trailer, but I'll have to check to see if a current auction has it.
Watching it after work is perfect. You'll forget all your stressors and troubles! Try to avoid any interruptions and watch it straight through!
Thanks again,
Michel
------------------
"Michel..like Michelle..only not spelt the same." [borrowed from The Green Mile]

 

[Dan Brecher]

Mario,
Is the Alliance release anamorphic? I've had Michel here raving to me about this film for what seems like forever now, I'd like to check it out.
Welcome to the HTF (finally), Michel.

Dan (UK)

 

[Michel Saucier]

Thanks Dan! I'm glad to be here.
And, yes, you definitely need to see 1900!

I'm evil...I'm at a college seminar on computer security and cybercrime, and here I am posting messages on this message board. Gotta love the internet!!! HAHAHA!
Michel
------------------
"Michel..like Michelle..only not spelt the same." [borrowed from The Green Mile]

 

[Mario Bartel]

>>Is the Alliance release anamorphic?
No, it appears it isn't.
Alliance-Atlantis strikes again. Not only do they still make us suffer through the scrolling Copyright notice, but they've got to be the only company that continues to insist we endure that damn "Macrovision: Quality Protected" intro before we can enjoy the film. And no 16X9. These guys are three years outta the loop when it comes to dvd production.
The only extra is a trailer for Malena.
Although the lack of anamorphic isn't a big deal for me, as I'm on a 4X3 tv with a Toshiba dvd player, I spun a few moments to give you guys a heads up. My mood still isn't right to watch the whole film (too hot in my apartment, no AC).
Instead, I watched, and highly recommend, Vatel. The costumes and set design are amazing, and beautifully rendered on the dvd. Gerard Depardieu gives a wonderfully understated performance as a kind of Martha Stewart for the French court of Louis XIV, although it is a little hard to swallow the idea of Uma Thurman having the hots for him.
------------------
Mario
Proprietor and chief nacho chip server of Cinemario

 

[Michel Saucier]

How was Tim Roth's performance in Vatel? Do you collect scores? The composer of Vatel is the same as The Legend of 1900, Ennio Morricone. I saw the score CD in Wal-Mart the other day and was tempted to buy it, but it's probably nothing like 1900.
I can't imagine anyone having the "hots for Gerard Depardieu!" LOL!!
I guess I'll wait and cross my fingers for a US release of 1900 on DVD. Director's cut! Director's cut!!
Michel
------------------
"Michel..like Michelle..only not spelt the same." [borrowed from The Green Mile]

 

[Mario Bartel]

>>How was Tim Roth's performance in Vatel?
His wig looked like it was plucked from the Lion in Wizard of Oz!
As we've come to expect from Roth, he's coniving and duplicitous as a rival to Depardieu for Uma's affections. Not a huge role, though.
Given the solid pedigree of Vatel--directed by Roland Joffe, written by Tom Stoppard, scored by Morricone, a pretty good cast--I'm surprised this film didn't generate a little more buzz beyond its lavish costumes, or a more featured dvd. Aside from a bunch of trailers, there's only a very short promo piece on those costumes, which barely scratched the surface. I really wanted to learn more about those sets created to amuse the King, which were like giant pop-up books!
------------------
Mario
Proprietor and chief nacho chip server of Cinemario

 

[Chad Hendrickson]

I, too, am anxiously awaiting a US release of this movie. I have not seen it, but I have seen the excellent music video that was for the Roger Waters song "Lost Boys Calling" from the soundtrack (Roger Waters is one of my favorite songwriters). The video is a bunch of scenes from the movie.
I also own the excellent soundtrack.
Why is it that this movie isn't out on DVD in the US yet?

 

[Michel Saucier]

Oh wow!! I'd LOVE to see the music video! Maybe we need to get a petition together for the movie to be released on DVD in its full length form, with the music video, and extras!
I hate this. I feel like this is one of those TV shows that I loved that didn't do well enough in the ratings to keep going beyond the first or second seasons. I HATE when that happens.
This movie is so great, but hardly anyone has even heard of it so we'll be lucky if the movie even has extras..if it ever gets released in the US. It's not even available on VHS! Can you believe that?
It just isn't fair!

Go to www.amazon.com and search for the 1900 score. You'll see reviews people have done for the score, but they also make glowing remarks about the movie. It's quite obvious that most of the people who have seen it, love it. I would actually e-mail them (if possible) to request that they sign the petition. What do you all think? I know, it's wishful thinking...
Michel

 

[Mario Bartel]

Well, with nothing but heat outside, and the upstairs neighbors out for the day so I could actually turn up the volume on my receiver, I finally watched 1900.
I thought it quite wonderful, although a little lacking in a couple of key areas. The photograhy and music are fabulous, Tim Roth's performance is touching and elegant.
But I really really wanted to see more about 1900's life on the steam ship, away from his music--a couple of more scenes like the phone call. The concept of someone spending their whole life on a ship, and how that colors their experience of the world, is so captivating, I wanted to get a better feeling for what such a life would be like. I also think a slightly fuller look at 1900's life on the ship would have made the ending resonate so much more. (Hmmm, perhaps that was some of the stuff lost from the International cut?)
The jazzy vibe of the film, the occasional subtle touches of slapstick, the attention to detail in the sets and the music, made me think, at times, of Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown, but gentler, more innocent.
Not quite a perfect film, but a pretty wonderful way to lose yourself in a magical world for a couple of hours.
I wish I could say as much about the dvd. While Alliance-Atlantis is finally figuring out we want the widescreen versions of films, they still can't seem to grasp that we also want QUALITY. Not only is their transfer of 1900 non-anamorphic, but it's also of the substandard quality we used to curse so much in this forum, all kinds of shimmering in scenes with lots of horizontal lines, and stair-stepping a-plenty on diagonal edges, especially in scenes with lots of movement (this is on a Toshiba progressive player, feeding into a 4X3 hdtv). There was also one audio drop-out, about a quarter of the way in. C'mon, A-A, get it together!
------------------
Mario
Proprietor and chief nacho chip server of Cinemario

 

[Hendrik]

...ahh... to live in Region2/Italy...
http://www.dvd.it/index.cgi?sid=1743289467&lang=en&prep=list&v=DVD&page=dett&arti=6479 . . .
[Edited last by Hendrik on August 11, 2001 at 09:59 AM]
[Edited last by Hendrik on August 11, 2001 at 10:00 AM]

 

[Michel Saucier]

Sure, I'm plenty convinced to get one of those DVD players, but they are probably way out of my price range!
Unless someone can point me to one that isn't so cheap that it will break in a month. If an inexpensive but reliable player exists, let me know! I have Christmas and college graduation in December to beg my family members for money instead of gifts! But I'd have to know for certain that the complete version of 1900 wouldn't be released in the US before I would spend all my money on a DVD player for just one movie! Hehehe!
Why did they make DVD players by Region instead of just either NTSC or PAL format?? My brother is in Italy in the US Air Force, and he bought a DVD player at the Base Exchange that plays PAL. Would this one, by any chance, play a Region 2 disc?
The things I do for my movies....
Michel
------------------
"Michel..like Michelle..only not spelt the same." [borrowed from The Green Mile]

 

[Michel Saucier]

I just read on a website that even if I could play a Region 2 disc here in the US, I'd have to have a PAL compatible TV! I guess I can just forget about this whole thing. What a pain in the butt!
Come on New Line, release the full version of The Legend of 1900 in the US!!!!
Michel
------------------
"Michel..like Michelle..only not spelt the same." [borrowed from The Green Mile]

 

[Michel Saucier]

I'm really excited here! Ok, somebody pleeeease respond to this ASAP! I'm dying here. I want to get this because it has the missing 40 minutes of film, but I've never bought a VCD before. I just have a regular (but only about 5 month old) Region 1 and NTSC Panasonic DVD player. It says it will play VCD, but I have never had a VCD to try. Here is the info on the disc. Someone tell me if I should get it..quick!
Disc is released by Edko Film Limited,
HONG KONG, printed & manufactured in Hong Kong ,
comes with Digital Audio+Video, Close Captioned/Widescreen, NTSC format, Can be viewed on any VCD/DVD player or PC computer with MPEG card, total running time 168 mins., in original ENGLISH language track with Chinese subtitles.
Is the quality going to be good? It's a really good price except for the $7 shipping cost from Hong Kong! It's cheap enough that I'd get it just to see the missing footage.
Thanks!
Oh crap, I just realized it will have Chinese subtitles..or can that setting be un-selected??
Michel
------------------
"Michel..like Michelle..only not spelt the same." [borrowed from The Green Mile]

 

[Dan Clark]

Just saw "Legend of 1900" tonight. My video store had a Region 3 NTSC copy for rental (don't know why they didn't bring in the Canadian Region 1 version). Anyway, it's great film...especially from a cinematography perspective. And the music was wonderful as well. Great performance by Tim Roth. I think this film will do very well in the video market. I'm surprised it didn't get a wider theatrical release here...I think it could have done well.
Video quality left something to be desired. The cut I saw is the 2 hour 5 minutes version and like the Canadian release, it is non-anamorphic and loaded with jaggies. This film really cries out for an anamorphic transfer.
I would love to see the full cut, but I lack PAL playback capability (I can do any region NTSC). Maybe I'll ask for a Malata for Christmas See the film when you can.
Regards, Dan

 

[PaulaJ]

I love this movie -- saw it twice in the theater.
I just can't understand Fineline's handling of the film -- forcing Tornatore to cut it, then dumping it in a few theaters and not promoting it at all. And no DVD release in the U.S.
Such a beautiful and delicate performance by Tim Roth. He's one of the great screen villains, but he can do so much more. I wish Hollywood wasn't typecasting him into this villain roles.
I think my favorite scene is the one where 1900 and Max (Pruitt Taylor Vince) sit on the piano bench and glide around the ballroom floor of the heaving ship.
I ordered the Canadian version yesterday, then saw the link to the Italian version, so had to order that too.
-- PaulaJ