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Directed by Ralph Nelson
USA 1968

 

They freed his mind… she captured his heart! From the classic Daniel Keyes novel Flowers for Algernon comes this moving and unforgettable adaptation by director Ralph Nelson (Father Goose) and screenwriter Stirling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night). This timeless tearjerker features an Academy Award-winning leading performance by Cliff Robertson (Man on a Swing) and a rousing score by the legendary Ravi Shankar (Gandhi). When a mentally challenged man named Charly (Robertson) undergoes experimental brain surgery, he is miraculously freed from the prison of his own mind. As his IQ soars to genius proportions, Charly's eyes are opened to a world he's never truly seen. But when the effects of his operation inexplicably begin to fade, Charly must find a way to halt his regression... before his own mind destroys his life, his newfound romance and the man he's become. Arthur J. Ornitz (The Boys in the Band) shot this classic drama co-starring Claire Bloom (The Haunting) and Dick Van Patten (Zachariah).

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In 1961, Cliff Robertson starred in The Two Worlds of Charley Gordon, a TV adaptation of Daniel Keyes' story Flowers for Algernon. Determined not to lose out on the film version of this play as he'd done with Days of Wine and Roses, Robertson bought up the movie rights to Keyes' story so that he and he alone would star. This determination paid off in the form of the Best Actor Academy Award for Robertson in 1968. The star plays Charly, a 30-year-old mentally retarded bakery worker. Neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Nemur (Leon Janney) and psychiatrist Dr. Anna Straus (Lilia Skala) approach Charly and ask him to participate in an experiment. Previously, Dr. Nemur was able to accelerate the intelligence of a mouse named Algernon by performing a radical new form of brain surgery; could not such a procedure work on a human being? As a result, Charly not only achieves normal intelligence, but also becomes a genius. Emboldened by his new mental status, Charly proposes marriage to his very receptive special-ed teacher (Claire Bloom). Alas, Charly notices that Algernon has begun to regress, and he reasons that he also will return to his old developmentally challenged state.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 1968 (Berlin International Film Festival)

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:43:31.663         
Video

2.35:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 21,216,067,438 bytes

Feature: 19,457,882,112 bytes

Video Bitrate: 21.85 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Kino

 

2.35:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 21,216,067,438 bytes

Feature: 19,457,882,112 bytes

Video Bitrate: 21.85 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson
• KLSC Trailers


 Blu-ray Release Date: February 5th, 2019
 Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

We reviewed the MGM DVD of Charly HERE and this new Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a solid upgrade. It's on a single-layered Blu-ray in 1080P with a reasonable bitrate. It shows some good contrast - rich black levels - and decent detail while exporting some grain textures. The split-screen sequences don't look exceptional - but this was the same on the DVD with an unremarkable appearance - we attribute this to the original production. Overall the Blu-ray is a notable upgrade and the image quality is very pleasing.  

The audio is transferred in a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track with a score composed by Ravi Shankar (Aparajito, Pather Panchali, Gandhi, Alice in Wonderland) sounding impressive. The overall audio quality is decent and dialogue is clear and audible. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles on this Region 'A' Blu-ray.

I haven't had an opportunity to indulge in the audio commentary by Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson but I've always liked their discussions so I look forward to spinning it soon. There are also some KLSC trailers but none for Charly.

There is a saying that 'ignorance is bliss'. Charly examines this from an interpersonal level. It's quite brilliant and surely the inspiration for Phenomenon with John Travolta. The Blu-ray transfer is a good and the addition of a commentary (Kino is doing them on most releases) is appreciated. Great film!

Gary Tooze

 

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Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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