"Two Women" R1 NTSC vs R2 PAL

(aka "Paysanne aux pieds nus" or "Two Women" )

Italy 1960

American cinema never learned how to exploit Loren's voluptuously earthy appeal, as revealed here in her Oscar-winning performance - the only actress to win this award for a foreign-language film. The performance and the powerful narrative made the film one of the few foreign pictures to enjoy real success in the USA. It told the story, set in Italy in 1943, of a widowed mother and her teenage daughter surviving enemy attack, deprivation and rape by Allied Moroccan soldiers. The film is actually a rather old-fashioned melodramatic star vehicle, meant originally for Magnani as Loren's mother, but Magnani flatly refused.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release Date: December 22nd, 1960 - Italy

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Recommended Books on Italian Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present by Peter E. Bondanella	Italian Film in the Light of Neorealism by Millicent Marcus	Vittorio De Sica: Contemporary Perspectives (Toronto Italian Studies) by Howard Curle, Stephen Snyder	Italian Film (National Film Traditions) by Marcia Landy, David Desser	Italian Movie Goddesses: Over 80 of the Greatest Women in Italian Cinema by Stefano Masi, Enrico Lancia	Italian Cinema by Maggie Gunsberg	I, Fellini by Charlotte Chandler, Billy Wilder	Vittorio De Sica: Director, Actor, Screenwriter by Bert Cardullo

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Comparison:

Koch Vision - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Medusa - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Ole of DVDBasen for the PAL Screen Caps!

(Koch Vision - Region 0 - NTSC- LEFT vs. Medusa - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Koch Region 0 - NTSC	Medusa Region - PAL
Runtime	1:39:09	1:37:20
Video	1.33:1 Cropped Average Bitrate: 5.56 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.89 PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Koch
Bitrate: Medusa
Audio	DUB English (Mono)	Italian (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Subtitles	None	Italian and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Koch Vision Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Static screen bio of Loren ( 3 pages) Part of the 4 disc Koch Boxset - Cinema Sirens DVD Release Date: October 22, 2002 Keep Case Chapters 8	Release Information: Studio: Medusa (Italy) Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Presente di Maurizio Porro (6:00) • Documentary "Cinema Forever" (6:00) • Documentary "La Ciociarra 40 ani doppo" (7:33) • Three trailers • Behind the Scenes (5:20) • Deleted Scene (:41) • Cast and Credits Italian subs only on Extras Features DVD Release Date: May 28th, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 18
Comments:	Perhaps our most lop-sided comparisons ever. Vittorio De Sica's "Two Women" is a film that snuck into the public domain and the English dubbed version has been transferred on DVD in some of the most ghastly productions ever by both Koch and Madacy. Medusa have now released this film in its proper aspect ratio and with original Italian audio, but most unfortunately, they did not include English subtitles. Everything about the Medusa DVD is obviously superior but I suppose one could use DVDSubber or a similar software to obtain a written transcript of the films dialogue in English. It would be worth it. If anyone takes the trouble to do this, could they please email me , I would appreciate it. *- Gary W. Tooze*

DVD Menus

(Koch Vision - Region 0 - NTSC- LEFT vs. Medusa - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

Screen Captures