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(aka 'The Swindle' or "The Swindlers"')
In Fellini's sardonically humorous, yet powerfully dramatic "Il Bidone", three
small-time crooks impersonate priests in Rome to con poor people out of their
money. The middle chapter of Fellini's "trilogy of loneliness" (between "La Strada" and "Night of Cabiria") this is no doubt the weakest of the three, but
still holds deep compassion. Broderick Crawford is top notch and one of the best
performances of his career. Masina is too limited in the plot for her
characterizing magic to work its spells on you and Basehart is mediocre. Fellini
fans and serious film buffs should be keen. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: September 9th, 1955 - Venice Film Festival
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL vs. Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
1) Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - LEFT 2) BFI - Region 2- PAL- MIDDLE 3) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT
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Box Cover |
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Distribution |
Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC |
BFI - Region 2 PAL |
Masters of Cinema - Spine #66 Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime |
1:31:12 |
1:48:08 (4% PAL speedup) |
1:52:47.761 |
Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.6 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.14 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 38,369,618,904 bytes Feature: 33,056,978,304 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.98 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: Image |
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Bitrate:
BFI |
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Bitrate:
Blu-ray |
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Audio | Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby) | Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby) | LPCM Audio Italian 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit |
Subtitles | English (non-removable) | English, None | English, None |
Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • none |
Release Information: Edition Details:
• interview with Fellini's assistant director Dominique Delouche
(39:46)
• 12-page liner notes booklet
DVD Release Date: September 6th, 2005 |
Release Information:
1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 38,369,618,904 bytes Feature: 33,056,978,304 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.98 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• Interview with Dominique Delouche (39:49) |
Comments: |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (December 2013): Firstly, great title for Masters of Cinema to release in 1080P. There are notable advantages over both SDs. We get the longer Italian cut with no PAL speed-up and the image is clear of many of the artifacts and weaknesses of the lesser format. The Blu-ray improvement is more distinct in-motion. It shows more information in the frame (side edges), has more layered contrast and a higher level of detail. There are some grain textures visible. Audio gets the lossless treatment with a linear PCM in original mono. Nino Rota's (8 1/2, I Clowns, Purple Noon, The Leopard etc.) score seems to benefit from the lossless rendering with some prevalent depth unnoticeable on the DVDs. There are optional subtitles on the region 'B' Blu-ray. We get the same 40-minute interview with Dominique Delouche as found on the BFI, plus an original theatrical trailer and the package contains a 36-page booklet featuring the words of Federico Fellini, rare imagery etc.
With Fellini's oeuvre being so strong, this title seems to have been unjustly forgotten and is very much deserved of this definitive digital release from MoC. I'm so glad to have it in the newer format and strongly endorse this film and Blu-ray.
***
ADDITION: BFI - PAL (August 05) : They've blown out contrast and poor subtitles of the Image DVD are very apparent next to the BFI. The good news is that this BFI DVD contains the longer Italian cut, the American (Image) release running some 17 minutes shorter. Everything is superior in the BFI edition and is presently the definitive to own. The extensive interview with Dominique Delouche is wonderful with a lot of good information being imparted. We recommend the BFI to Fellini and cinema fans alike.
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Image
Entertainment:
A fairly weak DVD production - the
chroma-filled image is not
its worst failing - non-removable subtitles (and awful yellow) and no
extras, with barely even a menu. Now, to be fair it did come out almost
5 years ago. The images
tell the story of the DVD folks (sporadic sharpness and slightly boosted
contrast), but this is the type of Image Entertainment DVD that can go
out of print and not return (fetching bucks on EBay), so for Fellini
fans - I recommend picking up a copy. There are no alternatives that I
can find. It is quite suitable to watch in order between
"La Strada" and "Night of Cabiria"
on a rainy weekend. |
Menus
(Image Entertainment - Region 1-
NTSC - LEFT vs. BFI - Region 2- PAL- RIGHT)
Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample
1) Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - TOP
2) BFI - Region 2- PAL- MIDDLE
3)
Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM
Screen
Captures
1) Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - TOP
2) BFI - Region 2- PAL- MIDDLE
3)
Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM
1) Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - TOP
2) BFI - Region 2- PAL- MIDDLE
3)
Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM
1) Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - TOP
2) BFI - Region 2- PAL- MIDDLE
3)
Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM
1) Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC - TOP
2) BFI - Region 2- PAL- MIDDLE
3)
Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM
More
Blu-ray Captures Report
Card: Image:
Blu-ray Sound:
Blu-ray
Recommended Books
on Federico Fellini (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
Image Entertainment - Region 1- NTSC BFI - Region 2 PAL Masters of Cinema - Spine #66 Region 'B' -
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Extras:
Blu-ray
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
Box
Cover
Distribution
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r