Original cut of Fear and Desire restored (1 Viewer)

[Stefan Andersson]

The original cut of Kubrick´s Fear and Desire, running 70 minutes, has been rediscovered and restored by Kino Lorber and Library of Congress. Full info here:
https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/fear-and-desire/- program note for a 2023 festival showing in Bologna, Italy

A UHD Blu seems to be upcoming:

Fear and Desire 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD)

Fear and Desire 4K Blu-ray Release Date February 27, 2024. Blu-ray reviews, news, specs, ratings, screenshots. Cheap Blu-ray movies and deals.

www.blu-ray.com

 

[Richard Kaufman]

Dead link.

 

[Robert Harris]

The original cut of Kubrick´s Fear and Desire, running 70 minutes, has been rediscovered and restored by Kino Lorber and Library of Congress. Full info here:
https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/fear-and-desire/- program note for a 2023 festival showing in Bologna, Italy

A UHD Blu seems to be upcoming:

Fear and Desire 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD)

Fear and Desire 4K Blu-ray Release Date February 27, 2024. Blu-ray reviews, news, specs, ratings, screenshots. Cheap Blu-ray movies and deals.

www.blu-ray.com

Why?

 

[jayembee]

Why?

Because it's there.

 

[Thomas T]

Because it's there.

The same could be said of Lolita, Eyes Wide Shut, Barry Lyndon but no UHD for them and they're all better (and better known) films.

 

[compson]

I wouldn’t assume a 4K is coming. That site also has a listing (with “no release date”) for a 4K of Eyes Wide Shut.

 

[Stefan Andersson]

Sorry about the dead link in first post.
Cannot edit first post due to Edit button not available in logged-in mode.

Quoting instead a relevant part of the online festival program note, written by Bret Wood:
"Upon the initial release of Fear and Desire, Kubrick was stung by negative audience reactions and immediately decided to tone down the philosophical aspects of the film. In a pattern repeated throughout his career, he pulled the film from release and made additional cuts, removing approximately nine minutes of material (about 12% of the film’s total length). These edits made Fear and Desire less of a metaphysical experience and more of a conventional war picture.
For decades, the 62 minute version was all that existed of Fear and Desire, which a still dissatisfied Kubrick withheld from release throughout his lifetime, and which Kino Lorber released in 2012. Recently, the Library of Congress came into possession of a 35mm element of the original 70 minute cut, which was the version shown at the Venice Film Festival on 18 August 1952, under the title Shape of Fear, and which has not been seen since its interrupted theatrical run in 1953."

Another quote from the same program note:
"Restored in 4K in 2023 by Kino Lorber in collaboration with Library of Congress, from the 35mm original cut negative and the 35mm fine grain master"

 

[dana martin]

interesting

The same could be said of Lolita, Eyes Wide Shut, Barry Lyndon but no UHD for them and they're all better (and better known) films.

and agree

 

[jayembee]

The same could be said of Lolita, Eyes Wide Shut, Barry Lyndon but no UHD for them and they're all better (and better known) films.

My comment wasn't meant to be taken seriously. I was alluding to the response given by someone when asked about why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.

But if you want to be serious about it...your point is reasonable up to, well, a point. I so often see people ask, "Why are they releasing such-and-such-a-movie when they haven't released this other one?" And the obvious answer is because there's no monolithic "they" who decide what does or does not get released. It's up to whoever it is that controls the rights to a film in question.

The three titles you mention are controlled by Warner Bros., and it's up to them to decide when/if they get a UHD release. That doesn't affect whoever it is that has the rights to decide on a release on UHD of Fear and Desire.

 

[Robert Harris]

Lest my comment “Why?” be misconstrued, it questioned only 4k, not the propriety of a Blu-ray release.

 

[Patrick McCart]

4K seems overkill for Fear and Desire, but the cinematography is one of the better things about the film. We're probably getting 4K upgrades of the remaining three Kubrick titles before long, so it's an interesting prospect to have his entire filmography available on the format. Who knows, maybe Kino can figure out how to get at least new HD scans of Day of the Fight and Flying Padre (one reason why I imported the UK disc).

 

[Stefan Andersson]

Variety on Fear and Desire screening in Venice, Italy in 1952:

Venice Film Festival Reconstructs How Stanley Kubrick’s First Film ‘Fear and Desire’ Screened on the Lido

As the Venice Film Festival prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary, researchers have reconstructed how Stanley Kubrick’s first film, now known as “Fear and Desire,” came to sc…

variety.com