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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "Les amants diaboliques" )
directed
by Luchino Visconti
Italy 1943
| A restless wife, Giovanna (Clara Calamai), meets Gino (Massimo Girotti), a rough and handsome vagabond. Their passions affair leads to the murder of Giovanna's boorish husband. Can a strong and sensual affair survive the guilt? Adapted from James M. Cain's classic novel 'The Postman Always Rings Twice', Ossessione is a dark and provocative drama of sexual tension. It heralded a new era of Italian cinema, establishing director Luchino Visconti as a leading and controversial exponent of neo-realism. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: May 16th, 1943 - Italy
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Recommended Books on Italian Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present by Peter E. Bondanella |
Fellini on Fellini by Federico Fellini, Isabel Quigley |
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 |
DVD Comparison:
Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Films sans Frontières - Region 2 - PAL vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL
Big thanks to Gary W. Tooze and Gregory Meshman and Ole kofoed for the Screen Caps!
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Films sans Frontières - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
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| Distribution |
Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC |
Films
sans Frontières Region 2 - PAL |
BFI Region 2 - PAL |
| Runtime | 2:13:56 | 2:14:28 (4% PAL speedup) | 2:14:28 (4% PAL speedup) |
| Video |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
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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Bitrate:
Image Entertainment
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Bitrate:
Films sans Frontières
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Bitrate:
BFI
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| Audio | Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono). |
Italian (MPEG-2 2.0 Mono). |
Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono). |
| Subtitles | English or none. | English, German, French or none. | English (burned in). |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 14 |
Release Information: Studio: Films sans Frontières Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: December 15th , 1999 Chapters 6 |
Release Information: Studio: BFI Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: May 5th, 2003 Chapters 12 |
| Comments | On close inspection the BFI version is slightly sharper in certain instances than the Image Entertainment Region 1 DVD. The trouble is that it was taken from a very bad print and no restoration has been done to it. The Film Sans Frontieres edition has almost a sepia tinge to it with faded blacks and poor contrast, although it looks the sharpest. The black and whites are very dull though. The BFI has had some contrast boosting although shows some film grain. The sound is also very poor with audible hiss's and pops on the BFI and Image discs. The bonus of the BFI version over the Image and Films san Frontieres is the commentary. It appears as though the Films sans Frontieres version is still the one to buy for sharpness. I see that Image has not made adjustment for the PAL speed-up hence causing other blurring and "ghosting" problems associated with PAL to NTSC transfers. None of these editions is too worthy, but I suppose the Film sans Frontieres will appeal to most with its reasonable pricing and sharper image ( and higher bitrate), if badly faded. |
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 |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
More Than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts by James Naremore |
DVD Menus
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC -
LEFT vs. Films sans Frontières - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. BFI -
Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
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Screen Captures
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Films sans Frontières - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Films sans Frontières - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Films sans Frontières - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Films sans Frontières - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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| DVD Box Covers |
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| Distribution |
Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC |
Films
sans Frontières Region 2 - PAL |
BFI Region 2 - PAL |
Report Card:
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Image: |
Films sans Frontieres |
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Sound: |
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| Extras: | BFI |
| Menu: | BFI |
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Gary Tooze |
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