Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter sent to your Inbox every Monday morning!
2) Patron-only Silent Auctions - so far over 30 Out-of-Print titles have moved to deserved, appreciative, hands!
3) Access to over 20,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you very much.


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Storia di una donna")

 

Directed by Leonardo Bercovici
Italy / USA 1970

 

From Leonardo Bercovici, the co-writer of The Bishop’s Wife, Kiss the Blood off My Hands and Portrait of Jennie, comes this passionate love story starring Ingmar Bergman regular Bibi Andersson (Duel at Diablo, Persona). While studying to be a concert pianist in Rome, a Swedish girl named Karin (Andersson) falls in love with a handsome medical student named Bruno (James Farentino, Me, Natalie, Dead & Buried). When she discovers that Bruno is married to an older woman, she heads home to Sweden and marries an American diplomat (Robert Stack, The Tarnished Angels, Airplane!). The diplomat is then assigned to Rome, where Karin becomes torn between the two men. This beautiful romantic drama features a wonderful supporting turn by Annie Girardot (Vice and Virtue, Dear Inspector), costumes by the great Edith Head (The Emperor Waltz, The Sting) and a musical score by the legendary John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars).

***

Rome, 1953. Aspiring Swedish pianist Karin Ullman has an affair with Bruno Cardini, a brash Italian medical student, until Bruno's wife, Liliana, drives Karin away. Returning to Stockholm, Karin meets American diplomat David Frasier; they eventually marry and move to Washington, D. C. At the same time, Liliana and Bruno are involved in a car crash, which takes her life and maims Bruno's right hand, ending his medical career. Four years later, after the birth of a daughter, David is assigned to Rome, and Karin again meets Bruno, who is now that city's most popular soccer player. 

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 13th, 1970

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:30:04.399        
Video

1.78:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,528,234,009 bytes

Feature: 21,802,450,944 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.77 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1828 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1828 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Code Red

 

1.78:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,528,234,009 bytes

Feature: 21,802,450,944 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.77 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Theatrical Trailer (2:22)


 Blu-ray Release Date: September 9th, 2021
 Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Code Red Blu-ray (September 2021): Code Red have transferred Leonardo Bercovici's Story of a Woman to Blu-ray. It is on a single-layered disc with a supportive bitrate. This is transferred at 1.78:1 aspect ratio slightly bastardized (4%) from the original 1.85:1. The 1080P is quite strong - plenty of rich grain texture and deep colors (reds.) Depth is not predominant. There are a few inconsistencies (infrequent softness) but they seem part of the source - no fault of the pleasing, straight forward, HD transfer. There are a few speckles but no heavy damage.

NOTE: We have added 47 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Code Red use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original English language (with some Swedish.) Story of a Woman has no aggressive moments, aside from a soccer stadium of enthusiastic fans. Dialogue is consistent and clear. The score is by the iconic John Williams (The Eiger Sanction, The Secret Ways, The Rare Breed, Fitzwilly, The Missouri Breaks, War Horse, The Fury, Images, Sleepers, The Cowboys, Conrack, 1979's Dracula etc.) subtlely accentuating romantic moods to the film. The lossless transfer is solid. Code Red offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Code Red Blu-ray offers only a trailer for Story of a Woman as an extra.

Leonardo Bercovici's Story of a Woman is adeptly realized if reminding one of a Harlequin romance novel. Bibi Andersson is hypnotic and classy - Stack and Farentino - young and studly. It seems a fairly honest expression - with attractive people dealing with love, pain and affairs of the past. There is a Euro-centric air that is very certainly appealing. Once into the story - I enjoyed it very much although it doesn't venture in any grand directions. The Code Red Blu-ray is bare bones but I had not seen this film before and there is a strong appeal to the cast, locations and story. 'Love story' and Bibi fans should find this attractive.

Gary Tooze

 

Menus / Extras

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!