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The Rose [Blu-ray]
(Mark Rydell, 1979)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Video: Criterion Collection Spine #757
Disc: Region: 'A' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 2:14:39.362 Disc Size: 48,657,862,626 bytes Feature Size: 35,459,635,200 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.17 Mbps Chapters: 17 Case: Transparent Blu-ray case Release date: May 19th, 2015
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 3887 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3887 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras:
• Audio commentary featuring director Mark Rydell
Bitrate:
Description: Bette Midler exploded onto the screen with her take-no-prisoners performance in this quintessential film about fame and addiction from director Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond). Midler is the rock-and-roll singer Mary Rose Foster (known as the Rose to her legions of fans), whose romantic relationships and mental health are continuously imperiled by the demands of life on the road. Incisively scripted by Bo Goldman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) and beautifully shot by Blow Out’s Vilmos Zsigmond (with assistance on the dazzling concert scenes by a host of other world-class cinematographers, including Conrad L. Hall, László Kovács, Owen Roizman, and Haskell Wexler), this is a sensitively drawn and emotionally overwhelming melodrama that made the popular singer into a movie star as well.
The Film: Bette Midler stars as Rose in this somber drama loosely based on the life of the late Janis Joplin. She plays an ill-fated singer who succumbs to the pressures of performing by indulging in drugs and alcohol. Her sweetheart Dyer (Frederic Forrest) is the former chauffeur who naively tries to save her from self destruction, while her British manager Rudge (Alan Bates) is ultimately blamed for not preventing her inevitable fall. The story mirrors any one of a number of popular singers who have fallen victim to the excess of success. Midler and Forrest were nominated for Oscars for their performances, with Best Editing laurels given to Timothy O'Meara and Robert Wolf. The Rose was a box office smash and was the plum role that elevated Midler to star status in the eyes of the public and Hollywood. Excerpt from MRQE located HERE
By the time you realize what's wrong with "The Rose," it will
have you hooked anyhow. There are so many finely drawn episodes, so much
brittle, raunchy humor, and such an unexpectedly alluring performance
from Bette Midler in the title role that the movie maintains its
momentum even after it's gone off the track. Its strengths may only be
those of a good show-business soap opera, and its structure is
disjointed beyond repair. But "The Rose" has an earnest,
affecting character at its core. Even at its most preposterous, it never
feels like a fraud. Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. The Rose has come to Blu-ray from, none other than, Criterion. The image has plenty of delicious textured grain. It offers bright colors and a minor sense of depth in the heavy thick-looking 1.85:1 frame. This is dual-layered with a high bitrate for the 2 1/4 hour film and we can guess that it is a solid representation of the theatrical appearance. Obviously, it has no glossiness and I could see no artifacts or noise. This Blu-ray has no discernable flaws and supplies an authentic 1080P presentation.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Criterion pack a powerful audio transfer as well with a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround bump at 3887 kbps. Concert mania and crowd cheering come through with separation but the key is the songs. Obviously the music is all Bette Midler performing pieces written by Kenny Hopkins, Sammy Hagar and Bob Seger with memorable songs like Midnight in Memphis, When a Man Loves a Woman and, of course, The Rose - one of the biggest selling vinyl singles of 1980. It sounds amazing augmented by the 'live' feel. There are optional English subtitles and m y Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A' disc.
Extras : Criterion include the 2003 audio commentary featuring director Mark Rydell detailing specifics of the production and performances. We get a new, 17-minute, interview with actor Bette Midler conducted by Criterion in march of 2015. She reflects on how she became involved, other memories of working with Rydell, and reminiscences of the production. Also new, from Criterion, is a 16-minute conversation between Rydell and film historian and, his friend, filmmaker Charles Dennis from December 2014 in Los Angeles discussing the making of the film. Many will be keen to see the new 1/2 hour conversation between DoP Vilmos Zsigmond and cinematographer John Bailey talking about the work on The Rose. Also included are archival interviews with Midler and Rydell, with on-set footage from The Today Show for 20minutes and Bette with Gene Shalit for a 1/4 of an hour. There is also a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic Paula Mejia.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze May 11th, 2015
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
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