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TITLE CAPTURE - (MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL TOP vs. Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

(aka "Nineteen Hundred (USA)" or "1900 - Gewalt, Macht, Leidenschaft (West Germany) (first part title)" or "1900 - Kampf, Liebe, Hoffnung (West Germany) (second part title)" )

 

directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
Italy 1976

 

1900 is an epic film of massive scope, power and controversy. It is both a vast history of the 20th Century Italy and an intimate portrait of two friends, both born on January 1, 1900. the son the socialist peasant farmer (Gerard Depardieu) and the son of the fascist landowner (Robert De Niro). The two young men pass through the upheavals of the modern world, as their personal conflicts become an allegory of the political turmoil of twentieth century Italy. 1900 features and award-winning international cast that includes Burt Lancaster, Donald Sutherland, Sterling Hayden, Dominique Sanda, Alida Valli and Stefania Sandrelli. Photographed by legendary cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now) with a beautiful and haunting score by Ennio Morricone (The Mission). Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor).

***

An epic historical drama and meditation on class warfare Bertolucci's 1900 is also a metaphoric chronicle of the rise and fall of Facism in Italy during first half of the 20th century. Two men born on the same estate on the same day in 1901 portrayed by Robert De Niro as the landowner's heir and Gérard Depardieu as the son of a peasant grow up as friends and later become rivals during the time leading up to WW2.


This a very ambitious film that is highly flawed but still manages to convey its message and remain a compelling story thanks to some standout performances, beautiful cinematography and a typically rich score by Ennio Morricone.

Excerpt from Channel 4.com review located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 15, 1976 - France

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Comparison:

MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL vs. Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC vs. Olive  (3-disc) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

1) MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL LEFT

2) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE

3) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray RIGHT

 
Box Cover

 

 

 

Distribution

MGM Home Entertainment

Region 2, 4 - PAL

Paramount Video

Region 1 - NTSC

 Olive Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 5 hours 2 minutes (4% PAL Speedup) 5 hour 15 minute

Disc 1: 2:42:24.609

Disc 2: 2:34:07.988
Video

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.89M mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.89M mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1080P / 23.976 fps

Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 30,512,884,470 bytes

Feature: 30,294,681,600 bytes

Video Bitrate: 20.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

1080P / 23.976 fps

Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 30,161,416,846 bytes

Feature: 29,943,195,648 bytes

Video Bitrate: 21.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate MGM

Bitrate Paramount Disc 1

Bitrate Paramount Disc 2

Bitrate Blu-ray Disc 1

Bitrate Blu-ray Disc 2

Audio English, German, French, Italian (All Mono) English, French, Italian (All Mono) DTS-HD Master Audio English 1581 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1581 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio Italian 814 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 814 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio French 813 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 813 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles English, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish and none. English, none English, none
Features Release Information:
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• No Extras

DVD Release Date: May 17, 2005
Keep Case

Chapters 32

Release Information:
Studio: Paramount

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• "1900: The Story, The Cast" featurette
• "1900: Creating an Epic" featurette

DVD Release Date: Dec 5th, 2006
Double Standard Keep Case

Chapters 24

 Release Information:
Studio: Olive Films

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

1080P / 23.976 fps

Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 30,512,884,470 bytes

Feature: 30,294,681,600 bytes

Video Bitrate: 20.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

1080P / 23.976 fps

Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 30,161,416,846 bytes

Feature: 29,943,195,648 bytes

Video Bitrate: 21.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
• Bernardo Bertolucci: Reflections on Cinema (51:40)

Blu-ray Release Date: May 15th, 2012
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12 + 12

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were ripped directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Olive - Region 'A' Blu-ray - May 2012: Yes - a good upgrade! The new Olive Film 1080P release supports the scheme of the previous Paramount DVD but the image is brighter, sharper, has better skin tones and showcases some depth. Grain remains fairly fine but intact adding some appreciated texture to the visuals. There is no intrusive digital noise. Unfortunately - and typical of Olive - the 1.85:1 aspect ratio has been moved to 1.78. I don't see that we have lost anything ion the frame that may actually have opened-up a shade. Regardless, it looks very good in-motion.

Technically the 5 1/4 hour film has been transferred, in 2-parts, to 2 dual-layered Blu-ray discs with supportive bitrates. These share the space with no supplements (the lone extra is housed on an included DVD). Audio offers lossless track in the form of DTS-HD Masters in stereo, for English, Italian and French languages. The Ennio Morricone score receives the benefit from the upgrade sounds crisper with a shade more depth. There are smallish white subtitles available (see sample) on the Region 'A'-locked disc.

The supplement is available on an included DVD. 'Bernardo Bertolucci: Reflections on Cinema', is a 51-minute, 2002 documentary, directed by Sandro Lai, spanning the career of the master director. It is described as "A profile of Bernardo Bertolucci drawn exclusively from stock footage in the RAI Archives. The director's rich and often controversial career is carefully reconstructed by means of dozens of interviews, specials, backstage clips and awards ceremonies. What emerges is the portrait of a complex artist whose work is constantly evolving; a thinking man who enjoys talking about himself and his experiences." This is the same documentary available in Arrow's Blu-ray of The Conformist.

Monumental film experience that greatly benefits from the HD bump in both audio and video. I think, for the price offered, this is one of the deals of the year. Certainly a contender for our Year End Poll. Strongly Recomended!

***

ADDITION: - Paramount - Region 1 - NTSC (Dec 2006): This is all good news. The new Region 1 release is sharper, no distracting haze, better colors and more information in the frame, plus it has two decent documentary featurettes (about 14 minutes each).... and it is the longer European cut! Tack onto this the price and it becomes an essential DVD. Strongly recommended!

 - Gary Tooze

***

ON THE MGM DVD: This is the same transfer of the longer European cut that the Bravo channel aired in the US in the early 90's. The print is relatively free of scratches and dirt but is very soft and fuzzy with oversaturated color, especially on the red end of the spectrum. In addition there are some artifacts and a bit of ghosting that crop up now and then, particularly in the second half of the film. (See the last two screen captures for examples)

Due to the mixed critical reaction to the film this might be the best we can expect from MGM for the time being. Its a shame because, despite its many flaws, one of the major strengths of 1900 is its sumptuous visual style.

That said, it is good to finally have the longer version of 1900 on DVD. Previous video releases of the 225 minute cut in the US on VHS and Laser Disc look even worse than the one presented here. It is also somewhat better looking than the Artisan R1 transfer of another Bertolucci epic, The Last Emperor (see HERE). If you're a Bertolucci fan and/or a fan of historical epics this is worth having. out of

 - Gregg Ferencz

 

Recommended Reading (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

Menus

 

(MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL LEFT vs. Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC RIGHT)
 

 

 

 

Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

 

Included DVD (part of the Blu-ray package)

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL TOP

2) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE

3) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

NOTE: Not Exact Frame

 

 

1) MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL TOP

2) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE

3) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL TOP

2) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE

3) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) MGM (2-disc) - Region 2, 4 - PAL TOP

2) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE

3) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC TOP

2) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC TOP

2) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC TOP

2) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC TOP

2) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC TOP

2) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Paramount (2-disc) - Region 1- NTSC TOP

2) Olive - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

Box Cover

 

 

 

Distribution

MGM Home Entertainment

Region 2, 4 - PAL

Paramount Video

Region 1 - NTSC

 Olive Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 




 

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