"A Brief Vacation" Home Vision

(aka "Amargo despertar" or "A Brief Vacation" or "Las Vacaciones" or "Una Breve vacanza")

Italy 1973

From director Vittorio De Sica (The Bicycle Thief, Umberto D.) comes a story based on the premise “sickness is the vacation of the poor” (Apollinaire). A Brief Vacation, starring Florinda Bolkan (Visconti's The Damned) as Clara, is the story of a woman victimized by society, and by her husband’s family. As the only family member that can maintain a job, Clara must drag herself to and from a local factory where she one day collapses from lung damage. With orders from the factory doctor, Clara is sent to a sanatorium in the mountains where—so long as she is considered “ill”—she finds solace and companionship with new and interesting friends, and even the elusive possibility of romantic love.

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Theatrical Release: September 7th, 1973 - Italy

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Recommended Books on Italian Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present by Peter E. Bondanella	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

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DVD Review: Home Vision - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Home Vision - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:45:44
Video	1.70:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.33 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Home Vision / Criterion Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.70:1 DVD Release Date: December 16th, 2003 Keep Case Chapters: 23	Edition Details: • Includes excerpts from De Sica’s 'Woman Times Seven', starring Shirley Maclaine, Peter Sellers, and Michael Caine • Two page liner notes essay from Ronald Falzone

Comments:

Strong DVD from HomeVision, but not in the Criterion stratosphere. The film itself though is worthy to be in that lofty grouping. Solid anamorphic image if a shade soft, especially in the darker scenes. Colors are bright. Subs are well done. I don't see the significance of the Extras - two clips from De Sica's 'Woman Times Seven' but it is watch-able. For the film and HomeVision bringing this to DVD, I give this out of