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Notorious is also famous, of course, for having the longest on-screen kiss, with Bergman and Grant's clinch clocking in at a little over three minutes. Their relationship had a real spark. Grant's character is unsure whether he can trust Bergman, wary that she might hold a grudge against the US and its agents, while Bergman thinks that Grant is just using her. Their uncertainties aid the villains, of whom mummy's boy Alexander - a typically Hitchcockian villain - is only the least despicable. There is also, of course, virtuoso direction from the master. Early on there's a nice point-of-view shot when Alicia wakes up with a hangover after a night socializing. Later, at Alexander's party, there's a crane- shot in which the camera moves downstairs, glides across and over the crowded ballroom and finally zeroes in on Alicia's hand, clutching the stolen key to Alexander's mysterious wine cellar, all in a single magnificent take! Excerpt from Edinburgh U Film Society [Keith H. Brown] located HERE |
Posters (CLICK to enlarge)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
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Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM (Premiere Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC |
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| Distribution |
Anchor Bay Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
Criterion
Collection Spine # 137
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MGM (Premiere Collection)
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MGM's Notorious is part of the Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection (which contains Lifeboat / Spellbound / Notorious / The Paradine Case / Sabotage / Young and Innocent / Rebecca / and The Lodger). | ||
| Runtime | 1:41:09 | 1:42:06 | 1:41:33 |
| Video |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1.37:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.83 NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
| Subtitles | None | English, and none | English, Spanish, French,and none |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Discographic Information: Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: September 7th, 1999 Chapters 18
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Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio: Discographic Information: Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: October 16th, 2001 Chapters 26 |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Discographic Information:
Edition Details:
• Commentary by
Drew Casper • Hitchcock Interviews - excerpts from the director's conversations with filmmaker Francois Truffaut (16:22) and Peter Bogdanovich (2:19) • Restoration Comparison (2:54) • Trailer • Stills Gallery (Posters, Portraits, Behind the Scenes)
DVD
Release Date: October 14th, 2008 Chapters 24 |
| Comments: |
NOTE:
Defective MGM Hitchcock Premiere Collection Reports are coming in by the droves about the MGM Hitchcock Premiere Collection. We do not yet own the entire set and have only covered Notorious and Rebecca which played without issue on my Malata - but we understand many individual's players are having problems with all, or selective transfers from the set. These represent faults such as the disc wobbling in the tray, unsubstantiated noise in playback, freezing and chapter skips. MGM must recall this set immediately. If you own the set please verify if you too have these problems and report them to the outlet you purchased them or MGM directly. If we find an email to use we will post it here. ADDITION: MGM - Region - Premiere Collection - October 08': This ends up being a real toss up. The Criterion and new MGM are very close in all categories. Image-wise the MGM is brighter and I think it comes down to what you might prefer - personally I like the darker look of the Criterion. The Premiere Collection issue, being brighter, can give the impression, in some sequences, of being sharper (when I don't believe that it really is) - but it also has tendency to show both more grain and digital noise. In fact the Criterion may be slightly more detailed. I could make comments about the marginal differences in contrast and black levels but without putting the magnifying glass too close I'd have to say that both editions give a fine SD-DVD presentation of the image of Hitchcock's Notorious. This is akin to our feelings about Rebecca. Audio - I noted no discernable differences. The MGM also offers Spanish and French subtitles (as well as the English that are included on the Criterion). Extras - what it seems to me is that MGM have used the Criterion as a standard to achieve towards or attempt to minutely advance upon. They have included two new commentaries (Rick Jewell and Drew Casper) and both are excellent (I especially enjoyed the Casper one). I also greatly enjoyed the Keane/Behlmer ones on the Criterion. Both have the complete broadcast of the 1948 Lux Radio Theater adaptation, starring Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten. MGM add two decent featurettes - The Ultimate Romance: the Making of Notorious (28:20) and Alfred Hitchcock The Ultimate Spymaster (13:09). Like on Rebecca there are more Hitchcock Interviews - excerpts from the director's conversations with filmmaker Francois Truffaut (16:22) and Peter Bogdanovich (2:19). There is also some minor supplements - The American Film Institute Award: The Key to Hitchcock (3:19), a restoration comparison (2:54), trailer and some stills galleries (Posters, Portraits, Behind the Scenes). It's pretty complete and impressive. This is one of Hitchcock's most discussed and enigmatic films and both SD-DVD editions (MGM and Criterion) do an upstanding job of presenting the films and adding relevant discussion material. My opinion is that serious Hitchcock fans will want both editions - otherwise as the Criterion is out-of-print, the MGM seems a ridiculous deal at the offered price. Most should probably indulge in the entire Premier Collection - especially if all the DVDs are as stacked as this and Rebecca - it will probably amount to being one of the THE DVD packages of the year. MGM have really impressed me. This will be one amazing Blu-ray (vastly improving the compression and limiting the noise) if it eventually reaches that lofty plateau. ***
In the capture where Bergman and Grant are in the car together, you can plainly see where the Criterion version does not have the print scratch, but also the extent of the vertical cropping by Criterion. But the Criterion is far too sharp ( 2nd last captures ) and the black levels and contrast superbly done. The picture for Notorious was restored and preserved from the original 35mm nitrate camera negative, a 35mm nitrate fine-grain master, and a 35mm nitrate copyright print. A newly printed 35mm fine-grain master, and the 35mm nitrate fine-grain master for Reels 4A and 5B, were used for the digital film-to-tape transfer. Inherent film artifacts were corrected in video with the MTI Digital Restoration System. I don't think I need to say it but "Go for the Criterion... all the way. |
Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference to the American
Style by Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward |
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Film Noir Reader 4 : The Crucial Films and Themes
(Film Noir Reader) by Alain Silver |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era,
1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
DVD Menus
MGM (Premiere Collection)
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| DVD Box Covers |
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| Distribution |
Anchor Bay Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
Criterion
Collection Spine # 137
Region 1 - NTSC |
MGM (Premiere Collection)
Region 1 - NTSC |
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MGM's Notorious is part of the Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection (which contains Lifeboat / Spellbound / Notorious / The Paradine Case / Sabotage / Young and Innocent / Rebecca / and The Lodger). | ||
Report Card:
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Image: |
Criterion / MGM |
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Sound: |
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| Extras: | Criterion / MGM |
| Menu: | - |
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