Two Women Blu-ray - Sophia Loren

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Paysanne aux pieds nus" or "Two Women" )

Italy 1960

American cinema never learned how to exploit Loren's voluptuously earthy appeal, as revealed here in her Oscar-winning performance - the only actress to win this award for a foreign-language film. The performance and the powerful narrative made the film one of the few foreign pictures to enjoy real success in the USA. It told the story, set in Italy in 1943, of a widowed mother and her teenage daughter surviving enemy attack, deprivation and rape by Allied Moroccan soldiers. The film is actually a rather old-fashioned melodramatic star vehicle, meant originally for Magnani as Loren's mother, but Magnani flatly refused.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release Date: December 22nd, 1960 - Italy

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Recommended Books on Italian Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present by Peter E. Bondanella	Italian Film in the Light of Neorealism by Millicent Marcus	Vittorio De Sica: Contemporary Perspectives (Toronto Italian Studies) by Howard Curle, Stephen Snyder	Italian Film (National Film Traditions) by Marcia Landy, David Desser	Italian Movie Goddesses: Over 80 of the Greatest Women in Italian Cinema by Stefano Masi, Enrico Lancia	Italian Cinema by Maggie Gunsberg	I, Fellini by Charlotte Chandler, Billy Wilder	Vittorio De Sica: Director, Actor, Screenwriter by Bert Cardullo

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Comparison:

Koch Vision - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Medusa - Region 2 - PAL vs. Cult Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Ole of DVDBasen for the PAL Screen Caps!

1) Koch Vision - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Medusa - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Cult Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	Koch Region 0 - NTSC	Medusa Region - PAL	Cult Films Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:39:09	1:37:20	1:40:26.041
Video	1.33:1 Cropped Average Bitrate: 5.56 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.89 PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.85:1 Disc Size: 32,850,367,140 bytes Feature Size: 18,581,243,904 bytes Total Bitrate: 19.99 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Koch
Bitrate: Medusa
Bitrate: Cult Films Blu-ray
Audio	DUB English (Mono)	Italian (Dolby Digital 1.0)	LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles	None	Italian and none	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Koch Vision Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Static screen bio of Loren ( 3 pages) Part of the 4 disc Koch Boxset - Cinema Sirens DVD Release Date: October 22, 2002 Keep Case Chapters 8	Release Information: Studio: Medusa (Italy) Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Presente di Maurizio Porro (6:00) • Documentary "Cinema Forever" (6:00) • Documentary "La Ciociarra 40 ani doppo" (7:33) • Three trailers • Behind the Scenes (5:20) • Deleted Scene (:41) • Cast and Credits Italian subs only on Extras Features DVD Release Date: May 28th, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Cult Films 1.85:1 Disc Size: 32,850,367,140 bytes Feature Size: 18,581,243,904 bytes Total Bitrate: 19.99 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC Edition Details: • Interview with Sophia Loren (54:06) • Vittorio D - featurette on Vittorio De Sica (1:31:32) Cult Film Trailers Blu-ray Release Date: October 24th, 2017 Transparent Blu-ray case (thick - UK) Chapters: 16

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Cult Films - Region FREE- Blu-ray - August 17': Obviously, Two Women slumped into the Public Domain and there are a number of very sloppy DVDs available. Cult Films 1080P/24 fps transfer come from a new restoration and is very 'light' but it advances in detail over the English-unfriendly Medusa SD. It actually can look quite pleasant at times but has some jitter in scenes shifts and I suspect some unfortunate digital transfer anomalies or it's simply an overly aggressive restoration. The BD shows more information in the frame - mostly on the side edges. The jitter exists but it didn't hinder my viewing - others, more sensitive, may find it an issue. Detail rises - lines are tight, there is plenty of depth, but some of the grain is blotchy. It is inconsistent, and overall it is still disappointing for the format's capabilities. I'd love for Criterion to take the helm in a North American Blu-ray release.

Cult Films offer linear PCM (16-bit) mono transfers for both original Italian and the English DUB. There are a few effects - train, military vehicles etc. but they only carry modest depth. The score is by Armando Trovajoli (The Valachi Papers, A Special Day,Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style, La Vista) and works well with the film but shows some weakness, probably inherent in the original production. There are optional English subtitles and the Blu-ray disc is Region FREE.

There are supplements. Cult Films include a revealing, almost hour-long, interview with Sophia Loren plus the 1.5 hour Vittorio D - the 2009 documentary by Mario Canale and Annarosa Morri that was included on a DVD in the Lorber films Blu-ray package of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. It covers the life and legacy of De Sica mentioning many of the Loren films they collaborated on. It has some English and foreign languages are subtitled.

This is a powerful film with a tortuous subject and Loren is at her best. Master storyteller De Sica has created another masterpiece but there are imperfections in the HD presentation although it appears the best available at present. We may compare to the upcoming German Blu-ray HERE (that is cited as having the English DUB).

***

ON THE DVDS (2003): Perhaps our most lop-sided comparisons ever. Vittorio De Sica's "Two Women" is a film that snuck into the public domain and the English dubbed version has been transferred on DVD in some of the most ghastly productions ever by both Koch and Madacy. Medusa have now released this film in its proper aspect ratio and with original Italian audio, but most unfortunately, they did not include English subtitles. Everything about the Medusa DVD is obviously superior but I suppose one could use DVDSubber or a similar software to obtain a written transcript of the films dialogue in English. It would be worth it. If anyone takes the trouble to do this, could they please email me, I would appreciate it.