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Woman of the Year [Blu-ray]
(George Stevens, 1942)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Video: Criterion Collection Spine #867
Disc: Region: 'A' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:54:32.323 Disc Size: 49,029,519,384 bytes Feature Size: 25,004,390,400 bytes Video Bitrate: 25.40 Mbps Chapters: 23 Case: Transparent Blu-ray case Release date: April 18th, 2017
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.37:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras: • New interview with George Stevens Jr. (6:13) • 1967 audio interview with George Stevens (16:54) • New interview with George Stevens biographer Marilyn Ann Moss (14:23) • New interview with writer Claudia Roth Pierpont on actor Katharine Hepburn (20:08) George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey, a 112-minute 1984 documentary by George Stevens Jr. (1:51:30) • The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn, an eighty-six-minute documentary from 1986 (1:26:34) • Trailer (2:29) • PLUS: An essay by critic Stephanie Zacharek
Bitrate:
Description: George Stevens’s Woman of the Year, conceived to build on the smashing comeback Katharine Hepburn had made in The Philadelphia Story, marked the beginning of the personal and professional union between Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, who would go on to make eight more films together. This tale of two newspaper reporters who wed and then discover that their careers aren’t so compatible forges a fresh and realistic vision of what marriage can be. The freewheeling but pinpoint-sharp screenplay by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin won an Academy Award, and Hepburn received a nomination for her performance. Woman of the Year is a dazzling, funny, and rueful observation of what it takes for men and women to get along—both in the workplace and outside of it.
The Film: Tracy and Hepburn were a great team, and this, their first outing together, set the seal on the pattern to follow into the next decade. He's a sports journalist, she's an influential political columnist, and after they marry he wants her to be a woman as well. The comic byplay between opposites - everyday guy Spence and haughty Kate - is a consistent pleasure, even if its sexual politics are ambiguous: Spence scores many more points than Kate, and the whole film is geared toward the climax when she cooks him breakfast like a good little housewife. Produced by Joseph L Mankiewicz, the film has that MGM glitter and literary sparkle. Excerpt from TimeOut Magazine located HERE
Among the many film collaborations between Katharine Hepburn and Spencer
Tracy, Woman of the Year (1942) is especially significant because it was
the first film in which they appeared together. In fact, during the
filming of the movie, the two fell in love, sparking a relationship that
would last more than 25 years, right up until Spencer Tracy's death in
1967.
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Woman of the Year looks excellent on Blu-ray from Criterion and is cited as a "New 2K digital restoration". Contrast is at Criterion's usual high standards showing adept layering and a beautifully nuanced black and white image. The, pleasing, grain is balanced by some tight, detailed lines - notable in close-ups. There were only a very few light vertical scratches that were barely visible in one sequences. The 1080P visuals breathe new, digital, light into this classic, advancing well beyond SD. This dual-layered Blu-ray, with a supportive bitrate, reproducing a very strong HD presentation. It looks wonderful in-motion.
NOTE: I wouldn't be surprised, at all, if this makes it to the UK on Blu-ray from Criterion.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Typically flat, linear PCM mono track at 1152 kbps (24-bit) - where dialogue actually sounds a bit echo-y in spots. The Franz Waxman (Dark Passage, Rebecca, Bride of Frankenstein, Rear Window, Sunset Boulevard) score adds soft touches to the film, supporting humor and romantic interludes. It sounds wonderful via the uncompressed. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A' disc.
Extras : Criterion include plenty of extras starting with a new 6-minute interview with George Stevens Jr., son of the Woman of the Year director George Stevens recorded by Criterion in Washington D.C. in January 2017. In a 1967, 17-minute, audio interview with George Stevens he discusses working on Woman of the Year. We get a new, 1/4 hour interview with George Stevens biographer Marilyn Ann Moss author of Giant: George Stevens, a Life on Film. She discusses the director's early career and making of Woman of the Year. In another new interview with author and journalist Claudia Roth Pierpont discusses the significance of Woman of the Year on actor Katharine Hepburn's acting career and the evolution of Hepburn's status as a feminist icon. It runs over 20-minutes and was recorded by Criterion in December of 2016. Written and directed by George Stevens Jr., George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey, is a 112-minute 1984 documentary portrait of the life of one of the greatest Hollywood filmmakers of the twentieth century. From Swing Time to Gunga Din to Shane and Giant, George Stevens helped shape American cinema. This, almost 2 hour, documentary includes interviews with filmmakers Frank Capra and John Huston, actors Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy and many others. The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn, is an eighty-six-minute documentary from 1986 celebrating the work of the iconic actor. Narrated by Hepburn, this features interviews with filmmakers Stanley Kramer and Joseph Mankiewicz and actors Sidney Poitier, among others. There is also a trailer plus the package contains a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic Stephanie Zacharek.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze March 11th, 2017
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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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