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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "The Lost Illusion" )
directed
by Carol Reed
United Kingdom 1948
Based loosely on the Graham Greene story, The Basement Room,
”The Fallen Idol” was the first collaboration between director Carol Reed and
author Graham Green, one of the most creative collaborations in cinema
history, who later would go on to make the two classics ”The Third Man” and
”Our Man in Havana” together. Reed had just made “Odd Man Out”, his first film
as director and producer, and noting the kind of creative freedom, which would
blossom working with Green. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: September 30, 1948
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Comparison:
Optimum - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Tamasa - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Big thanks to Henrik Sylow for the DVD Review!
1) Optimum
- Region 2 - PAL LEFT
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Box Cover |
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also available in the UK: |
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Distribution |
Optimum Region 2 - PAL |
Criterion Collection - Spine # 357 Region 1 - NTSC |
Tamasa Distribution Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
(click titles for DVDBeaver reviews) Criterion (without the extras) also available in The Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films - a 50-disc celebration of international films collected under the auspices of the groundbreaking theatrical distributor. It contains Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ashes And Diamonds (1958), L'avventura (1960), Ballad Of A Soldier (1959), Beauty And The Beast (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), Brief Encounter (1945), The Fallen Idol (1948), Fires On The Plain (1959), Fists In The Pocket (1965), Floating Weeds (1959), Forbidden Games (1952), The 400 Blows (1959), Grand Illusion (1937), Häxan (1922), Ikiru (1952), The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952), Ivan The Terrible, Part II (1958), Le Jour Se Lève (1939), Jules And Jim (1962), Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949), Knife In The Water (1962), The Lady Vanishes (1938), The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943), Loves Of A Blonde (1965), M (1931), M. Hulot's Holiday (1953), Miss Julie (1951), Pandora's Box (1929), Pépé Le Moko (1937), Il Posto (1961), Pygmalion (1938), Rashomon (1950), Richard III (1955), The Rules Of The Game (1939), Seven Samurai (1954), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Spirit Of The Beehive (1973), La Strada (1954), Summertime (1955), The Third Man (1949), The 39 Steps (1935), Ugetsu (1953), Umberto D. (1952), The Virgin Spring (1960), Viridiana (1961), The Wages Of Fear (1953), The White Sheik (1952), Wild Strawberries (1957), Three Documentaries By Saul J. Turell plus the hardcover, full color 240-page book. |
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Runtime | 1:31:35 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:35:39 | 1:35:28.583 |
Video |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.25 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 16,420,133,184 bytes Feature: 16,252,274,688 bytesVideo Bitrate: 20.59 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: Optimum |
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Bitrate: Criterion |
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Bitrate: Blu-ray |
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Audio | 2.0 Dolby Digital English Mono | 2.0 Dolby Digital English Mono | Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB |
Subtitles | No subtitles | English, none | French (not burned-in) |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Optimum Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio: Edition Details: • A
Sense of Carol Reed, a 2006 documentary featuring interviews with
director Carol Reed's friends and collaborators Illustrated Reed filmography Chapters 14 |
Release Information: 1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 16,420,133,184 bytes Feature: 16,252,274,688 bytesVideo Bitrate: 20.59 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Photo gallery • Reed Filmography
• 16-page liner notes (in French)
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Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Tamasa - Region 'B' Blu-ray - January 2013: My suggestion here is to wait for another Blu-ray release as this has too many issues. The image is filled with heavy speckling and light damage... in almost every frame. The transfer has a low file size and modest bitrate. I can assume that most can remove the French subtitles (as I can) by clicking the subtitle button on the remote. The disc is region 'B'-locked. Extras consist of a Photo Gallery, Carol Reed text filmography and some liner notes (in French only). This film is too good to let this be the definitive edition. Let's have some patience for a superior release.***
ON THE DVD: The Criterion DVD is pictureboxed (see our description of 'pictureboxing' in our Kind Hearts and Coronets review), so it immediately gives up even more resolution to the PAL DVD (than simply the standard difference). Still though, the Criterion transfer is superior - sharper, brighter and cleaner. There is some minor contrast flickering. I don't see any extravagant differences in the framing. Criterion have worked their own, usual digital restoration magic to create a fabulous presentation. A Sense of Carol Reed is a 24 minute featurette with many friends and colleagues discussing the great, and often under-recognized, director. I believe this is a new documentary and although just an overview, gives an interesting and entertaining appreciation of Reed's accomplishments. There is also some press material and posters of many of Reed's films. The enclosed 30-page liner notes booklet is beautifully done with photos and essays by film critic Geoffrey O'Brien, author David Lodge, and Reed biographer Nicholas Wapshott. As one might have anticipated - Criterion have created the definitive digital version of this fine film and a perfect keepsake to add to your DVD library. Recommended! **** About the Optimum: Almost a
DVD2½, as the film only takes up 3.1GB. But for such a small DVD5 film,
the image is beautiful. |
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Tamasa - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Screen Captures
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More Blu-ray Captures
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also available in the UK: |
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Distribution |
Optimum Region 2 - PAL |
Criterion Collection - Spine # 357 Region 1 - NTSC |
Tamasa Distribution Region 'B' - Blu-ray |