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An American in Paris [Blu-ray]
(Vincente Minnelli, 1951)
NOTE: Aside from the packaging the US edition is exactly the same as the Japanese release (as we suspected) - the exact same region free 1080P, VC-1 encoded Blu-ray disc. Our comments below still hold true. The good thing about the US edition is the price - a significant savings!
Review by Gary Tooze
Studio: Warner Brothers Video: Warner Home Video
Discs: Region FREE Feature Runtime: 1:53:32 Chapters: 34 Feature film disc size: 21.7 Gig One dual-layered Blu-ray Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: November 5th, 2008
Video: Aspect ratio: 1:33 matted onto 1.78:1 Resolution: 1080p Video codec: VC-1
Audio:
Supplements: • Commentary by Patricia Ward-Kelly with producer Arthur Freed, Gene Kelly, director Vincente Minnelli, screenwriter Alan Jay Lerner, co-musical director Saul Chaplin, Leslie Caron, Nina Foch, musician Michael Feinstein, co-musical director and head of MGM music department Johnny Green, art director Preston Ames, and costume designer Irene Sharaff.• 'S Wonderful: Creating "An American in Paris" (42:26) in HD! • 2002 PBS Documentary - Anatomy of a Dancer (1:24:48)
•
7 audio Outtakes (Alternate Main Title, But Not for Me
Guétary, But not for Me Levant Piano Solo
•
3 radio interviews (Johnny
Green, Kelly, Kelly + Caron)
Product Description: A GI (Gene Kelly) stays in Paris after the war to become an artist, and has to choose between the patronage of a rich American woman (Nina Foch) and a French gamine (Leslie Caron) engaged to an older man. The plot is mostly an excuse for director Vincente Minnelli to pool his own extraordinary talent with those of choreographer-dancer-actor Kelly and the artists behind the screenplay, art direction, cinematography, and score, creating a rapturous musical not quite like anything else in cinema. The final section of the film comprises a 17-minute dance sequence that took a month to film and is breathtaking. Songs include "'S Wonderful," "I Got Rhythm," and "Love Is Here to Stay."...
The Film: Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is an ex-GI and struggling artist in postwar Paris. His friend Adam Cook (Oscar Levant) is a piano player in a nearby cafe, a sarcastic and morose individual who offers nothing but discouragement to Jerry. However, another friend, Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary), a successful revue singer, is more encouraging. Henri informs his pal that he's going to marry a wonderful girl, an 18-year-old dancer whom he rescued from the Nazis during the war. Jerry, meanwhile, is discovered by Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), a wealthy patroness who purchases his paintings and encourages her friends to do the same. Innocently enjoying his newfound success, Jerry visits a nightclub and meets Lise (newcomer Leslie Caron, discovered by Kelly in the Ballets des Champs Elysees), falling for her immediately. She fends off his advances but laters agrees to a date, then informs him that she's engaged to Henri. Though they are in love, Jerry and Lise do the noble thing and decide not to meet again.
Excerpt from TV Guide located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
This Blu-ray image is beautiful. Although I don't own the 2-disc SE I have compared a number of captures with the original snapper-cased SD-DVD. The improvement, in all areas, borders on spectacular. Beyond detail, which we expect to be superior, colors are more vibrant (closer to the Technicolor ideal), contrast and black levels are pristine and there is even more information in the frame. On my system it had some breathtaking moments - even showing some depth that one wouldn't expect for a 58-year old film. Grain is visible - but not overly so. It is also surprisingly clean - fully restored a few years back. In a word 'Wow'. Technically it is dual-layered with the feature size being a reasonable 21.7 Gig. I don't see evidence of any digital manipulations like DNR or edge enhancements. The VC1 encode has done an impressive job of recreating the theatrical feel of An American in Paris through this 1080P transfer. Hopefully, the expandable screen captures below will give you an idea of what it will look like on your system. I expect most will swoon at the presentation.
NOTE: Thanks to Dennis K. for sending captures of the 2-disc SE! (Thanks Dennis!)
Spine packaging difference between US and Japanese Blu-rays
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
June 2000 Snapper-cased SD-DVD NTSC TOP vs. 2-disc Special Edition MIDDLE vs. Warner Region FREE Blu-ray BOTTOM
June 2000 Snapper-cased SD-DVD NTSC TOP vs. 2-disc Special Edition MIDDLE vs. Warner Region FREE Blu-ray BOTTOM
June 2000 Snapper-cased SD-DVD NTSC TOP vs. 2-disc Special Edition MIDDLE vs. Warner Region FREE Blu-ray BOTTOM
June 2000 Snapper-cased SD-DVD NTSC TOP vs. 2-disc Special Edition MIDDLE vs. Warner Region FREE Blu-ray BOTTOM
June 2000 Snapper-cased SD-DVD NTSC TOP vs. 2-disc Special Edition MIDDLE vs. Warner Region FREE Blu-ray BOTTOM
June 2000 Snapper-cased SD-DVD NTSC TOP vs. 2-disc Special Edition MIDDLE vs. Warner Region FREE Blu-ray BOTTOM
More Blu-ray
Audio & Music:
Extras:
Bottom line:
Gary Tooze November 6th, 2008
NOTE: Aside from the packaging the US edition is exactly the same as the Japanese release (as we suspected) - the exact same region free 1080P, VC-1 encoded Blu-ray disc. Our comments abovestill hold true. The good thing about the US edition is the price - a significant savings!
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