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

ADDITION: Radiance Blu-ray (April 2024): Radiance have transferred Luigi Comencini's Misunderstood to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New 2024 2K restoration from the original negative". It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There are some artistic lens touches in the beginning - a kind of haziness - a possible representation of memory or sadness. Overall the 1080P is clean and provides a very pleasing HD presentation. Radiance has never let us down.  

NOTE: We have added 74 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Radiance use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original Italian language. Misunderstood has few aggressive moments that come through with modest depth and a strong piano score by Fiorenzo Carpi (The Howl.) Many will recognize classical pieces like Mozart's Piano concerto #23 in A and Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. Audio is flat but clean in the uncompressed transfer. Radiance offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Radiance Blu-ray offers a 24-minute 2021 interview, filmed in Paris, with critic Michel Ciment discussing Misunderstood, why Comencini is an atypical Italian filmmaker, and how Italian popular cinema was later reclaimed and championed by French critics. We also get a 35-minute video from 2008 that has Luigi Comencini's daughter Cristina discussing the making of Misunderstood with co-screenwriter Piero de Bernardi, examining his experiences of working with Comencini on and off-set, and the enduring legacy of the film. There is also a newly created (November 2023), 25-minute, exclusive video essay, filmmaker David Cairns looks at Comencini's work and his affinity for childhood stories. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original promotional materials and a limited edition booklet featuring new writing by critic Manuela Lazic and a newly translated archival interview with Comencini.

Luigi Comencini made films from the 1940's through to 1991 and his Bread, Love and Dreams featured Vittorio De Sica and Gina Lollobrigida which was regarded as a quintessential example of neorealismo rosa ('pink neorealism' or a "sweet comedy / romance") a sub-genre of already popular Commedia all'italiana. I think I have only seen one of the director's films; The Sunday Woman with Marcello Mastroianni, Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Louis Trintignant - which I found unique and I enjoyed. Misunderstood is a heart-breaking portrait of maternal loss and absentee parenting by a career-dominated father. The film focuses almost entirely on the two sons who don't carry any awareness of the trappings of an adult existence, although the eldest Andrea (Stefano Colagrande) comes across as quite mature with inscrutable eyes. He always shows patience for his younger brother. Andrea is seeking his father's approval - a connection. Without it - he is becoming rebellious. Yes... melodrama - but impacting-ly effective with childhood innocence involved. There was a lackluster 1984 remake of Misunderstood with Gene Hackman. I was surprised by my strong reaction to Luigi Comencini's Misunderstood - an extremely touching and artfully made film. We strongly recommend the Radiance Blu-ray and hope they can bring more of this director's work to the format. Absolutely recommended.

Gary Tooze