Pre-Order Lion of the Desert (1981) (4k UHD) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

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[David_B_K]

I wonder if this version will be in the OAR?

 

[Randy Korstick]

Always liked this movie. Saw it twice when it was released at theaters. Didn't see this coming and yes hopefully its OAR this time. 2.35:1 instead of zoomed in 1.85:1 like the blu ray and dvd.

 

[sbjork]

The Anchor Bay DVD & Blu-ray were actually full frame 1.78:1, not even 1.85:1, both taken from the same old master.

Shout!'s website lists their 4k as 2.35:1. It has to be a new master -- the old one barely qualified as HD, let alone Ultra UD.

 

[jayembee]

The real problem with this is that the third disc (regular blu-ray) will contain the longer Arab-language cut, but without English subtitles. The same is the case with the Akkad's other film, The Message, which is getting released at the same time.

WTF is the point of including these longer cuts if we can't follow the film (unless we're fluent in Arabic)? As far as I can tell, no home video releases of the longer Arabic versions have included subtitles.

 

[sbjork]

The real problem with this is that the third disc (regular blu-ray) will contain the longer Arab-language cut, but without English subtitles. The same is the case with the Akkad's other film, The Message, which is getting released at the same time.

WTF is the point of including these longer cuts if we can't follow the film (unless we're fluent in Arabic)? As far as I can tell, no home video releases of the longer Arabic versions have included subtitles.

There's been a lot of internet outrage over the lack of subtitles, none of it based on any knowledge of the material. Both the English and the Arabic language versions are identical, right down to their running times. Even the on-screen titles are in English. Unlike Akkad's The Message, which was filmed in both languages, the Arabic version of Lion of the Desert is simply a dubbed version. The running times on Shout's Arabic and English language versions are identical, right down to the seconds. (More on that in a minute.) The Arabic disc includes Akkad's Arabic language commentary, while the English disc has his English commentary. They also have alternate versions of the making of documentary (in that case, the Arabic version is slightly longer).

There's absolutely no need for subtitles on the Arabic version, unless you really enjoy hearing Arabic dubbed dialogue while reading subtitles. But the film was shot in English. I'm assuming that Shout put them on two separate Blu-rays as a SKU management thing -- the Arabic disc can be released in other territories as is.

The only catch to all of that is that the running time is 163:12 for both versions, and they're lacking the scenes where General Graziani plans and executes a poison gas attack. But that's where things get difficult to judge. It's not clear at all that those scenes were included in the original theatrical release -- they may have been added for home video. The Movie-Censorship comparison states confidently that those scenes were removed from what they call the "European version," but I can't find any evidence that they were included in any theatrical cut. I'm still investigating there.

 

[Randy Korstick]

There's been a lot of internet outrage over the lack of subtitles, none of it based on any knowledge of the material. Both the English and the Arabic language versions are identical, right down to their running times. Even the on-screen titles are in English. Unlike Akkad's The Message, which was filmed in both languages, the Arabic version of Lion of the Desert is simply a dubbed version. The running times on Shout's Arabic and English language versions are identical, right down to the seconds. (More on that in a minute.) The Arabic disc includes Akkad's Arabic language commentary, while the English disc has his English commentary. They also have alternate versions of the making of documentary (in that case, the Arabic version is slightly longer).

There's absolutely no need for subtitles on the Arabic version, unless you really enjoy hearing Arabic dubbed dialogue while reading subtitles. But the film was shot in English. I'm assuming that Shout put them on two separate Blu-rays as a SKU management thing -- the Arabic disc can be released in other territories as is.

The only catch to all of that is that the running time is 163:12 for both versions, and they're lacking the scenes where General Graziani plans and executes a poison gas attack. But that's where things get difficult to judge. It's not clear at all that those scenes were included in the original theatrical release -- they may have been added for home video. The Movie-Censorship comparison states confidently that those scenes were removed from what they call the "European version," but I can't find any evidence that they were included in any theatrical cut. I'm still investigating there.

I saw this movie twice at the Theaters and then a couple times on tv in the 80's and 90's before getting the DVD and then Blu Ray. Its been a long time since those theatrical viewings but I don't recall a poison gas scene at all. In fact I don't think I have ever seen a poison gas scene in this film. My guess is it was cut before release. Despite some graphic violence this got a PG and the gas scene might have been enough to push it to an R which is not what they wanted.

 

[sbjork]

I saw this movie twice at the Theaters and then a couple times on tv in the 80's and 90's before getting the DVD and then Blu Ray. Its been a long time since those theatrical viewings but I don't recall a poison gas scene at all. In fact I don't think I have ever seen a poison gas scene in this film. My guess is it was cut before release. Despite some graphic violence this got a PG and the gas scene might have been enough to push it to an R which is not what they wanted.

I saw it theatrically in 1981, but I wouldn't vouch for my own memories of specific scenes. Well, except for the people being run over by tanks, which were burned into my brain. I saw it with my mother, figuring that she would enjoy the historical aspects, but it was a helluva "hard" PG.

My research last night and this morning makes me 95% confident that the poison gas stuff wasn't in the theatrical cut. I'm pretty sure that the 163 minute version that Shout is using is indeed the theatrical version. Too much detail to go into here, but it will be in my review on another site.

So the only real beef that can be given to Shout is that the extra footage wasn't included as deleted scenes, but they may not have had access to it. I suppose that it could have been culled from the old 1.78:1 1080i master, but they probably didn't license that one.

 

[David_B_K]

I bought this title in the hopes that the included Blu-ray would be in the OAR. Thankfully it is. I have not seen this film sonce my non-anamorphic (flipper?) DVD died years ago. I refused to buy any of the cropped versions. I have not watched the entire Blu-ray yet, but the color seems to me to be overly intense. I never saw this film in a theater, but have only seen it on cable TV or the old DVD; so I am not sure how it is supposed to look.

 

[sbjork]

I bought this title in the hopes that the included Blu-ray would be in the OAR. Thankfully it is. I have not seen this film sonce my non-anamorphic (flipper?) DVD died years ago. I refused to buy any of the cropped versions. I have not watched the entire Blu-ray yet, but the color seems to me to be overly intense. I never saw this film in a theater, but have only seen it on cable TV or the old DVD; so I am not sure how it is supposed to look.

I wouldn't use any of the previous cable, DVD, or Blu-ray versions as a frame of reference. Both Moustapha Akkad and Jack Hildyard are no longer with us, so minus a time machine, there's no way to go back and judge the original timing for sure. But Hildyard did shoot Lion of the Desert on Eastman 5247 stock, which was capable of rendering strongly saturated colors, and the production design & costuming certainly look like they weren't intended to be muted. I think the new version does justice to the intentions of the filmmakers.

Mind you, I only watched the UHD, not the Blu-ray, but I can't imagine that it looks any less saturated than the UHD does.

 

[David_B_K]

I still have not had time to watch the movie yet, but I watched the short restoration featurette last night. It showed the old dull version I was used to seeing alongside the new bright version. The colors that really stand out are the bright colors on some of the Libyan garments and blankets with their very intricate and colorful patterns.