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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(The title is the phonetic translation of the Italian words in the dialect of Emilia-Romagna, the birthplace of director Federico Fellini, where the film takes place. It means "I remember')
In this carnivalesque portrait of provincial Italy during the Fascist period, Federico Fellini's most personal film satirizes his youth and turns daily life into a circus of social rituals, adolescent desires, male fantasies, and political subterfuge, all set to Nina Rota’s classic, nostalgia-tinged score. The Academy Award-winning Amarcord remains one of cinema's enduring treasures. **** Fellini at his ripest and loudest recreates a fantasy-vision of his home town during the fascist period. With generous helpings of soap opera and burlesque, he generally gets his better effects by orchestrating his colorful cast of characters around the town square, on a boat outing, or at a festive wedding. When he narrows his focus down to individual groups, he usually limits himself to corny bathroom and bedroom jokes, which produce the desired titters but little else. But despite the ups and downs, it's still Fellini, which has become an identifiable substance like salami or pepperoni that can be sliced into at any point, yielding pretty much the same general consistency and flavor. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: December 18th, 1973
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Criterion (REISSUE) - Region 1- NTSC vs. Warner Home Video (2-disc France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2/5 - PAL vs. Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Big thanks to Gregory Meshman and Pavel Borodin for the DVD Screen Caps!
Box Covers |
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Presently only available in Criterion's Essential Fellini Blu-ray package with 14 films (15-Blu-rays) Bonus Captures: |
Distribution |
Criterion Collection (REISSUE) - Spine # 4 - Region 1 - NTSC |
Warner
Home Video (France) Region 2,4,5 - PAL |
Criterion Collection - Spine # 4 Region 0 - NTSC |
Warner
Home Video (Germany) Region 2,5 - PAL |
Criterion Collection - Spine # 4 - Region 'A' Blu-ray | Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 2:03:36 | 1:58:28 (4% PAL speedup) | 2:03:28 | 1:58:30 (4% PAL speedup) | 2:03:53.467 | 2:05:58.759 (with restoration notes text screens) |
Video |
1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced
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1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1.80:1
Aspect Ratio |
1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
Disc Size: 45,290,038,204 bytes Feature Size: 26,098,010,112 bytes Average Bitrate: 23.99 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video 1080P |
Disc Size: 46,948,683,867 bytes Feature Size: 33,134,997,504 bytes Average Bitrate: 30.68 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video 1080P |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Criterion (re-issue) |
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Bitrate:
Warner (France)
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Criterion
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Bitrate:
Warner Home Video (Germany) |
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Bitrate:
Criterion (2011) Blu-ray |
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Bitrate:
Criterion (2020) Blu-ray |
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Audio | Italian (Dolby Digital Stereo 1.0), DUB:: English (Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0) | Italian (Dolby Digital 1.0), DUBs: French, English, Digital 1.0) | Italian (Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0), DUB:: English (Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0) |
Italian (Dolby Digital 1.0), DUBs: German, English, Spanish, Hungarian (Dolby Digital 1.0) |
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192
kbps LPCM Audio Italian 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
LPCM Audio Italian 1152 kbps
1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Dolby Digital Audio English
192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
Subtitles | English, none | German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Arabic, none | English, none | German, English, Spanish, Hungarian , French, Italian, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Croatian, Slovenian, Czech, Greek, Turkish, none | English, none | English, none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 26 |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video (France) Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Disc 2 (with subtitles!) • The Music of Nino Rota (12:07) • Federico's Amarcord (34:05) • The Magic World of Fellini (27:53) • Death in Venice and The Damned trailers DVD Release Date: October 20th, 2004 Double slim Keep Case inside cardboard case Chapters 24 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 40 |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video (Germany) Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 24 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion (2011)
Disc Size: 45,290,038,204 bytes Feature Size: 26,098,010,112 bytes Average Bitrate: 23.99 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video 1080P
Edition Details: Chapters 2 5 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion (2020)
Disc Size: 46,948,683,867 bytes Feature Size: 33,134,997,504 bytes Average Bitrate: 30.68 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video 1080P
Edition Details:
PLUS: Deluxe packaging, including two lavishly illustrated books with
hundreds of pages of content: notes on the films by scholar David
Forgacs, essays by filmmakers Michael Almereyda, Kogonada, and Carol
Morley; film critics Bilge Ebiri and Stephanie Zacharek; and novelist
Colm Tóibín, and dozens of images spotlighting Don Young’s renowned
collection of Fellini memorabilia Blu-ray Release Date: November 24th, 2020Custom Blu-ray Case (see below) Chapters 26 |
Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (November 2020): Criterion have transferred Federico Fellini's Amarcord to Blu-ray as part of their 14 films (15-Blu-rays) package of Essential Fellini that includes Toby Dammit 1968, Variety Lights 1950, The White Sheik 1952, I vitelloni 1953, La strada 1954, Il bidone 1955, Nights of Cabiria 1957, La dolce vita 1960, 8½ 1963, Juliet of the Spirits 1965, Fellini Satyricon 1969, Roma 1972, Amarcord 1973, And the Ship Sails On 1983 and Intervista 1987. This is the 12th Blu-ray in the Essential Fellini package. The package has "New 4K restorations" with the presentation prefaced with "This restoration of Amarcord was completed by wet-gate scanning in 4K resolution the 35 mm original camera negative. Damaged sections of the negative were cut over time and replaced by sections from a second-generation internegative. Where possible, those sections were scanned from the cut pieces of the original negative. The remaining internegative sections were restored from scans made from an interpositive and a reversal internegative.
The sound was restored from the Italian magnetic tracks as well as the
sound negative of the dialogue, music, and effects track.
The 2020 Blu-ray
4K-restoration/transfer
has a higher video bitrate than the 2011 1080P and colors are dramatically
richer as are black levels (The
color grading was supervised by the director of photography, Giuseppe
Rotunno).
It can tend to lean blue (and teal), but the image on my system is very
appealing. There are grain textures present. I really liked it but can't
speak to its theatrical authenticity.
NOTE: We have added 24 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Italian
language with an optional lossy English DUB (just like their DVD and
last BD.) The post DUB'ing is, at times, imperfect but that is a function of the
production and many Italian films. The score is by
Nino Rota
(Nights
of Cabiria, Juliet
of the Spirits,
Rocco
and His Brothers,
Death on the Nile,
Il
Bidone,
8
1/2,
I Clowns,
Purple Noon,
The Leopard etc.) adding
warmth to the film. The
"The Secret Diary of
Amarcord" new extra has some
footage of Fellini with Rota and how the score was chosen. Criterion offer optional English
subtitles on their Region 'A'
Blu-ray.
The Criterion
Blu-ray
has included the 2006 commentary by
NOTE: The deluxe packaging, includes two lavishly illustrated
books with hundreds of pages of content: notes on the films by scholar
David Forgacs, essays by filmmakers Michael Almereyda, Kogonada, and
Carol Morley; film critics Bilge Ebiri and Stephanie Zacharek; and
novelist Colm Tóibín, and dozens of images spotlighting Don Young’s
renowned collection of Fellini memorabilia collector’s set designed by
Raphael Geroni, with new illustrations by Abigail Giuseppe.
Federico Fellini's Amarcord
is wonderful.
*** ADDITION: Criterion Region 'A' Blu-ray: January 2011: The Criterion editions - from the original non-anamorphic DVD to the Reissue package and now the 1080P edition - all, predictably, improve from the previous release. Colors are modestly richer - there appears to be more information in the frame and, most notably, any distracting artefacts prevalent on the SD transfers are eliminated. Grain is, in many scenes, more prevalent and adds a nice texture to the image. Overall, I expect this is as good as Fellini's Amarcord will ever look for your home theater indulgence. Criterion include the previous English DUB as an option. In all my viewings of Amarcord - I have only ever, briefly, sampled it and much prefer the original Italian - which is the only track on the Blu-ray that is lossless. It is transferred in a linear PCM mono track that has some perceived depth and is technically superior to the SD's standard Dolby renderings. There are optional English subtitles (see sample below) and, predictably, my Momitsu has identified the disc as being a region 'A'-locked. Extras duplicate the Reissue DVD (detailed below) with the highly interesting Brunette and Burke commentary, the galleries and the included 66-page book featuring a new essay by scholar Sam Rohdie, author of Fellini Lexicon, and the full text of Fellini’s 1967 essay, “My Rimini". ***
ADDITION: Criterion (REISSUE) - August 06' - Criterion's original release of Amarcord (the phonetic translation of the Italian words 'mi ricordo' in the dialect of Emilia-Romagna, the birthplace of director Federico Fellini, where the film takes place. It means "I remember" in English) was one of their first 10 DVDs - way back in 1998. It was actually spine #4 - non-anamorphic and may not have even been progressively transferred. It desperately needed updating. In the interim Warner (in both France and Germany) put out anamorphic PAL DVD packages that were an improvement. How it looks - to compare I watched about 15 minutes of the same scene of each of the four discs on a plasma system and the Criterion is definitely the better edition image-wise. It has far less artifacts - colors are brighter (I don't necessarily know that they are more accurate - although they certainly look more true to my eye). The screen captures that seem to best identify this superiority and the very last ones (see below) - look at the pink/mauve in the flag and the blue sky (upper right). Also the first capture - the lady at the right in the white sweater and blue blazer. The Criterion has improved immensely from its initial release with a strong anamorphic, progressive upgrade. Probably the most noticeable difference is how much cleaner it is - and slightly sharper. There is some movement in the frame (picture from the original Criterion has shifted left a bit at times) but any observed cropping was not an issue. The Criterion also has the highest bitrate of the four editions. On the Criterion website it states: 'This new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. To maintain optimal image quality through the compression process, the picture on this dual-layer DVD-9 was encoded at the highest-possible bit rate for the quantity of material included. The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from a magnetic track print...' The off-white-black-bordered subtitle font on the Criterion is the most appealing to me. It is large enough to be easily read (the Warners were a shade on the small side) and not as large an cumbersome as on the original release. How it sounds - the Criterion track again adds an optional English DUB - the European Warner DVDs offer different selections of language DUBs as well. The REISSUE Criterion audio sounded very clear and consistent to me. It states on their website: 'The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from a magnetic track print, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle.' Supplements - well the Criterion have vastly exceeded their competitors yet again. The Brunette and Burke commentary is excellent - very thorough and interesting. Although alternately named there is one overlap featurette with the French edition (see Magali Noël capture), but Criterion add so much more including a book featuring a new essay by scholar Sam Rohdie, author of Fellini Lexicon, and the full text of Fellini’s 1967 essay, “My Rimini". I won't discuss the other features in detail as discovering them is a joy - but personally I really enjoyed 'Fellini’s Homecoming'. NOTE: For the audio commentary menu on the Criterion REISSUE they list film scholar Frank Burke affiliated with "Queen's College, Ontario". That should read "Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario." Conclusion: the
Criterion package is another beautiful keepsake and it is the one to own
for just about every reason I can think of. Only the issue of color
variances from the other three would crop up as a negative if
I could verify it - which I cannot. It looks greatly improved - the
extras are endless - a devastating digital tribute.
- Gary W. Tooze *** ADDITION: Warner (French) - June - 2005 - Firstly there are differences between this and the 2 PAL Warner's in film portion, but the image seems to be the exact same. There are differences in subtitle and audio DUB options (noted above). If my contribution sources are correct the UK/German is region 2,5 and the French 2,4,5. Upon reflection, and some extensive zooming in, I notice some edge enhancement on the non-anamorphic Criterion - meaning the colors of the Warner are probably more accurate. To my eye though the Warner does look a little vertically stretched and is still slightly cropped next to the Criterion. The big bonus' of the French DVD are the valued featurette extras on the second disc - all with English subtitles. Regardless of our continued debate on the image the French DVD is a must own for Fellini fans. *** There is negligible cropping - by Criterion on the left and top edges and by the Warner on the bottom and right edges. The Criterion is sharper than the anamorphic Warner. The Warner looks to have deeper blacks and better contrast. I would say as colors are only minutely different (the Warner haze may affect appearance - Criterion ocean looks greener- walls look browner), that the sharpness would be the deciding factor. It is enough in this case to chose the Criterion. It is possible that widescreen and projection viewers may notice a benefit to owning the Warner, but it would really depend on the specifics of the system. As it stands the Criterion has the best image. I prefer the less intrusive font of the Warner. The Warner also has more subtitle and dub options. if this is important. The Criterion restoration demo is interesting and beats out the Warner trailer. Both menus seem a little gaudy, but there you go. Even though the Criterion was only there 4th via spine number and came out in 98', and is not anamorphic, I would still say it is the edition to own. Price may be a consideration, but the Criterion is still sharpest. - Gary W. Tooze |
DVD Menus
(Criterion (REISSUE) - Region 1- NTSC LEFT vs. Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 RIGHT)
Criterion (re-issue) - Region 1- NTSC DISC 2
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Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 DISC 2
(Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs.
Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
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Criterion (2010) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Screen Captures
1) Criterion
- REISSUE - Region 1- NTSC TOP
2) Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL SECOND 3) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - FOURTH 5) Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - FIFTH 6) Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Criterion
- REISSUE - Region 1- NTSC TOP
2) Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL SECOND 3) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - FOURTH 5) Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - FIFTH 6) Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Criterion
- REISSUE - Region 1- NTSC TOP
2) Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL SECOND 3) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - FOURTH 5) Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - FIFTH 6) Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Criterion
- REISSUE - Region 1- NTSC TOP
2) Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL SECOND 3) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - FOURTH 5) Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - FIFTH 6) Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Criterion
- REISSUE - Region 1- NTSC TOP
2) Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL SECOND 3) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - FOURTH 5) Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - FIFTH 6) Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Criterion
- REISSUE - Region 1- NTSC TOP
2) Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL SECOND 3) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - FOURTH 5) Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - FIFTH 6) Criterion (2012) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Criterion
- REISSUE - Region 1- NTSC TOP
2) Warner Home Video (France) - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL SECOND 3) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Warner Home Video (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL - FOURTH 5) Criterion (2011) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - FIFTH 6) Criterion (2020) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
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Box Covers |
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Presently only available in Criterion's Essential Fellini Blu-ray package with 14 films (15-Blu-rays) Bonus Captures: |
Recommended Books on Federico Fellini (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
Federico Fellini by Christopher Wiegand |
Fellini on Fellini by Federico Fellini, Isabel Quigley |
The Cinema of Federico Fellini by Peter Bondanella |
The Films of Federico Fellini (Cambridge
Film Classics) by Peter Bondanella, Ray Carney |
I'm a Born Liar: A Fellini Lexicon by Damian Pettigrew |
Fellini by Lietta Tornabuoni |
Fellini: A Life by Hollis Alpert |
I, Fellini by Charlotte Chandler, Billy Wilder |
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Gary Tooze
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Many Thanks...