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(aka "A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate" or "Destiny" or "Immortal Women" or "Public Opinion")
Remarkable for its psychological nuance and its boldly modern perspective on an independent woman’s search for fulfillment, Charlie Chaplin’s long-overlooked silent masterpiece A Woman of Paris is a revelation. Chaplin confounded 1923 audiences with this unexpected foray into serious drama, and by ceding the spotlight to his longtime screen partner Edna Purviance. She is captivating as the vivacious Marie St. Clair, a “woman of fate” who leaves behind her small-minded village for the glamour of Paris, where she finds herself at the center of a Jazz Age whirl of champagne soirees, luxurious pleasure-seeking, romance, and tragedy. Putting aside his Little Tramp persona, Chaplin’s second feature proved that, beyond being a comic genius, he was an artist of immense sensitivity and human understanding. *** At the
height of his success (after making
The Kid and
The Pilgrim), the most famous
entertainer in the world wanted to direct a different kind of picture. He left
First National and helped form United Artists. The first film he made for the
new company was this off-beat portrait of a Paris courtesan, part romantic
tragedy, part comedy of manners. It is only one of two Chaplin films in which he
does not star. Excerpt from Chris Dashiell's review at CineScene.com located HER |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: September 26th, 1923
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review:
Criterion - Region FREE - Blu-rayBox Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Criterion Spine #1253 - Region FREE - Blu-ray | |
Runtime | 1:22:20.602 | |
Video |
1. 33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 47,657,905,736 bytesFeature: 24,648,185,856 bytes Video Bitrate: 3 5.82 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit |
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Subtitles | English intertitles | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion
1. 33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 47,657,905,736 bytesFeature: 24,648,185,856 bytes Video Bitrate: 3 5.82 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • Alternate score from 2005 created by conductor Timothy Brock, based on music by Chaplin, presented in uncompressed stereo (1:29:51) • Introduction by Chaplin scholar David Robinson (5:20) • New video essay by Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance (22:47) • Chaplin Today: “A Woman of Paris,” featuring interviews with actor Liv Ullmann and filmmaker Michael Powell (26:31) • Archive Commentary: About “A Woman of Paris,” a documentary by Arnold Lozano, managing director of Roy Export S.A.S. (9:16) • Excerpts from an audio interview with Chaplin Studios cinematographer Roland Totheroh (4:39) • Deleted shots from the original 1923 film (13:56) • Archival footage • Trailers (3:14 / 2:40 / 1:26) PLUS: An essay by critic Pamela Hutchinson and notes by Brock on the 2005 score
Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 16 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
Further text screens inform us "The 4K restoration of A Woman of Paris (1923) used a second-generation full-frame dupe negative, deposited by Roy Export S.A.S. with Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna and selected as the best available element. The film was restored by Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna at L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in 2019 in association with Roy Export S.A.S. as part of the Chaplin Project. Music by Charles Chaplin. The present orchestra accompaniment is conducted by Timothy Brock and based upon Chaplin's 1976 score for A Woman of Paris and on a selection of his 1952-1969 composition sketches, restored and orchestrated by Brock - recording by the Orchestra Città Aperta." Back in 2000 we reviewed Image Entertainment's interlaced DVD that included A King in New York and A Woman of Paris HERE. It showed rounded corners and was not from this newer restoration with faded contrast. This new 1080P is a significant improvement, deeper black levels - more balanced contrast - and we have compared a few captures below to indicate that. This new HD presentation looks wonderful on my system - let's consider this film is over 100 years old.
NOTE: We have added 66 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Criterion use linear PCM mono track (24-bit) with original English
intertitles. No original Chaplin-composed score existed - silent films
relied on live accompaniment, with theaters using cue sheets Chaplin
provided suggesting mood and tempo (e.g., romantic themes, dramatic
swells). These varied by venue. In 1976, nearing the end of his life,
Chaplin revisited A Woman of Paris for a re-release through
United Artists. He re-edited the film slightly and composed an original
orchestral score - the first time he personally scored it and is
considered by the estate to be the definitive. This starts with a text
screen stating "Sound restoration used the DAT tapes recorded from
the original 35mm magnetic tracks and preserved by Roy Export S.A.S." A Woman of Paris
also
has the version with the Timothy Brock score. In 2004, Brock transcribed
13 hours of previously unheard compositions by Charlie Chaplin from a
rediscovered acetate recording of Chaplin improvising on piano. This led
to the creation of a new score for A Woman of Paris, a film
Chaplin originally directed without composing its music (unlike his
later works). Brock’s score, premiered in 2005 at Cinema Ritrovato in
Bologna, Italy, reimagines the film’s emotional landscape - its tale of
Marie St. Clair’s love, loss, and redemption - through Chaplin’s own
musical voice, unearthed decades later. It is in linear PCM stereo here
on this Blu-ray. He’s since
conducted it multiple times, including a 2011 performance at Kino
Babylon in Berlin and a studio recording with Orchestra Citta Aperta in
Rome and London. This restoration aligns with his role as a custodian of
Chaplin’s musical legacy, a relationship that began in 1998 when the
Chaplin estate tapped him to restore the score for
Modern Times. His work bridges historical preservation and
modern performance, making him a key figure in reviving the art of
silent cinema music. Audio quality is superb via the lossless. Criterion
include the English intertitles on their
Region FREE
Blu-ray.
The Criterion
Blu-ray
1923's A Woman of Paris
is Charlie Chaplin's feature-length silent drama, notable as one of his
few directorial works where he doesn’t star. It was produced by his
company, United Artists, and it’s a departure from his slapstick Tramp
comedies, showcasing a sophisticated, melancholic narrative about love,
sacrifice, and societal expectations. Chaplin appears only in a brief,
uncredited cameo as a train porter. The story follows Marie St. Clair
(Edna Purviance - discovered as a pretty stenographer spotted sipping
coffee at Tate's Café on Hill Street in Noe Valley and would appear in
33 of Chaplin's productions,) a young woman in a small French village
who plans to elope to Paris with her lover, Jean Millet (Carl Miller),
an aspiring artist. A misunderstanding - Jean’s father prohibits their
marriage, and Marie’s stepfather locks her out - leads Marie to leave
for Paris alone on a train. Jean, delayed by his father’s sudden death,
misses her departure, and their lives diverge. In Paris, Marie
transforms into a glamorous kept woman, mistress to the wealthy, cynical
Pierre Revel (Adolphe Menjou.) A year later, she reconnects with Jean,
now a struggling artist in Paris with his mother. The film’s subtitle, "A
Drama of Fate," was Chaplin’s push for gravitas, but its working
title, Public Opinion, hints at an unfulfilled critique of
societal judgment that got softened in the final cut. The Criterion Blu-ray
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Menus / Extras
Criterion - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Criterion (2005 Score version) - Region FREE - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Criterion (1976 Re-release version) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 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 Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Criterion Spine #1253 - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
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