- Colin Zavitz

***

ADDITION: (September 2014) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray: For those questioning the extent exercised in restoring the film - we get an initial screen detailing the following: "This new 4K digital restoration is by Cineteca Di Bologna - Laboratorio L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with The Film Foundation. It was carried out starting with the original camera negative - which was shot in Totalscope (2.35:1) on Dupont film stock and scanned at 4K resolution. Some sections of the film showed clear signs of decay. Some frames, particularly at the beginning of each reel, were seriously damaged and irreparably affected by mold; therefore, a lavender print was scanned for those sections. Following scanning, the images were digitally stabilized and cleaned to eliminate signs of age such as spotting, scratches, and visible splices. In order to bring back the original splendor of the film, the digital grading was executed with particular care, using a vintage copy as a reference, as well as a copy restored in the mid-90s for Mediaset - Medusa under the supervision of Vincenzo Verzini. The contribution of Ennio Guarnieri, DP Otello Martelli's camera assistant, was invaluable at this stage." Contrast is impressive with some very rich black levels. It moves toward moiring but never achieves it although the blacks are piercing at times. There is a thickness and heaviness that smacks of real film texture and this can vary a bit throughout - mostly due to the varied elements used in restoration. On my system it looked amazing - almost hypnotic at times. This is a huge step beyond the SDs.

The audio is transferred via an uncompressed monaural soundtrack (linear PCM). Another screen tells us "The original sound was digitally restored using a 35mm optical soundtrack, from which a positive was printed. Following the acquisition of this element, digital cleaning and background reduction were applied. The restoration generated a duplicate negative and a new soundtrack for preservation. A complete backup of all the files produced by the digital restoration was also made, using several data storage media. The restoration was carried out at L'immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in 2010." It sounds excellent to my ears - very consistent. 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 English subtitles on the region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

Criterion include many extras - we get a new, 7-minute interview with Oscar-nominated director Lina Wertmuller, an assistant director on the film. She worked twice with Fellini, on La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2. In this interview, conducted by Criterion in June 2014, she describes Fellini as she knew him and discusses the ending of La Dolce Vita. There is also a new interview with scholar David Forgacs running about 15-minutes. He discusses the way La Dolce Vita reflects the many cultural changes that were taking place in Italy at the time of production. Another new interview has Italian journalist Antonello Sarno discussing the many facets of Federico Fellini's masterpiece La Dolce Vita with a particular focus on outlandish fashions on display in the film - it runs 15-minutes. There is a very interesting 1/2 hour interview with director Federico Fellini from 1965 conducted by Irving R. Levine for NBC News. In it Fellini discusses a wide range of topics, including his dislike of discussing or analyzing his own films; the work of other directors; the ideal circumstances for making a film; and his approach to collaboration. Criterion add a 45-minute audio interview with actor Marcello Mastroianni from 1963 by film historian Gideon Bachmann, the actor talks about how he met Federico Fellini, how he was cast in La Dolce Vita and how his relationship with the director deepened over the years. Pretty informative is a new, 10-minute, visual essay by filmmaker : : kogonada who explores La Dolce Vita's mobile camera, it's subtly shifting points of view, and its haunting final shot. It is entitled The Eye & The Beholder. Last on the digital list is Felliniana, a presentation of La dolce vita ephemera from the collection of Don Young. The package also contains a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic Gary Giddins.

This is another amazing Criterion Blu-ray release of the year. With almost 2 hours of valuable supplements - this is an essential. Buy with confidence!

***

ADDITION: (Koch Lorber - Sept 2004) - The Koch Lorber looks quite good aside from the noted artifacts. I think it is as sharp as the Medusa if maybe a little softer, and also a shade weaker in contrast. The problem is the very bad banding.  I dislike the default gaudy yellow subtitles but you have an option to change them to white, and the Extras are quite stacked with an audio commentary and a whole second disc of featurettes and interviews etc. The Koch has a bumped 5.1 audio track as well as the original mono. If you can get by the artifacts then this is an okay buy folks... and for lovers of the film - a reason to replace your alternate DVD copy, but only for the extras.

***

The Italian Medusa DVD is far superior. It has almost perfect contrast where as the Universum (German) release has noticeable edge enhancement (hair in the first and third captures are obvious signs). The Universum release also has contrast boosting (see capture #2). The Medusa disc is sharper and has a whole second disc of Extras. The BIG plus for me is that the Italian release has English subtitles where as the German Universum does not. Ohhh yeah, the German release is slightly cropped. Case closed. Medusa all the way. 

- Gary W. Tooze

NOTE: (From Eric Cotenas): When I watched the opening credits (an English version of the Italian sequence over black rather than the AIP cloudscape titles -- with the annoying addition of an "INTERNATIONAL MEDIA FILMS presents A FEDERICO FELLINI FILM" in place of the Cineriz logo), I noticed credits for an English version of the film.  I was not aware that this film had been dubbed in English.  Since the AIP version was subtitled, do you know if the UK version any other English-speaking country releases were dubbed?  Despite these credits the disc only has Italian audio options.  If it was dubbed and Koch did not opt to include it, it was an oversight to use the English title sequence.

NOTE (From Chris) - There's a lot of color banding on the Koch disc and a fair number of compression artifacts. Check the scene where the wife attempts suicide. The walls fairly scintillate with banding where there should be an even color gradation.