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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/powell.htm
UK 1945

 

In Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's stunningly photographed comedy, romance flourishes in an unlikely place—the bleak and moody Scottish Hebrides. Wendy Hiller stars as a headstrong young woman who travels to these remote isles to marry a rich lord. Stranded by stormy weather, she meets a handsome naval officer (Roger Livesey) who threatens to thwart her carefully laid-out life plans.

***

One of the best loved of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's films, I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) is a dizzyingly delirious blend of romance, comedy, adventure, mythology, mysticism and folklore. Ambitious Joan Webster (Wendy Hiller) knows where she's going - to one of Scotland's remote Hebrides islands, to marry a rich industrialist, whom she doesn't love. Nature has other plans for her, however. Bad weather prevents her from reaching her destination, leaving her stranded on another island, and throwing her together with a dashing naval officer Torquil MacNeil (Roger Livesey), and an assortment of eccentric islanders.

I Know Where I'm Going! might never have been made if it hadn't been for wartime restrictions. In 1944, Powell and Pressburger were planning to make a big-budget Technicolor film to cement Anglo-American relations, but couldn't get access to Technicolor cameras because the U.S. Army was using them to make training films. While they were waiting, they decided to make a smaller, personal film. In his memoirs, Powell writes that Pressburger said he had always wanted to make a film about a girl who wants to go to an island, but is delayed by weather, and once the weather clears, she no longer wants to go. Powell asked why she wanted to go to the island in the first place. "Emeric smiled one of his mysterious smiles. 'Let's make the film and find out.'"

Excerpt from TCM located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 30th, 1945 (trade showing)

Reviews                                                                  More Reviews                                                                  DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Carlton - Region 0 - PAL vs. Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

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

 

Box Covers

 

 

  

Distribution

Criterion Collection Spine # 94

Region 1  - NTSC

Carlton Visual Entertainment
Region 0 - PAL
Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:31:36 1:27:12 (4% PAL speedup) 1:31:33.833
Video

1.33:1Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.11 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.81
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

Disc Size: 21,752,996,552 bytes

Feature Size: 17,280,356,352 bytes

Total Bitrate: 21.93 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Criterion

 

Bitrate:

Carlton

 

Bitrate:

Blu-ray

 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1815 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1815 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles English, and none English, and none French, and none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Criterion Collection

Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Audio essay by film historian Ian Christie
• Behind-the scenes stills, narrated by Thelma Schoonmaker Powell
• The 1994 documentary, I Know Where I'm Going! Revisited, by Mark Cousins
• Excerpts from Michael Powell's 1937 Feature The Edge of the World and 1978 documentary, Return to the Edge of the World
• Photo essay by I Know Where I'm Going! aficionado Nancy Franklin, who explores the locations used in the film
• Home movies of Michael Powell's Scottish expedition, narrated by Thelma Schoonmaker Powell

DVD Release Date: February 20, 2001
Keep Case

Chapters 23

Release Information:
Studio: Carlton Visual Entertainment

Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• None

DVD Release Date: July 7th, 2003
Transparent Keep Case

Chapters 10

Release Information:
Studio:
Elephant Films

 

Disc Size: 21,752,996,552 bytes

Feature Size: 17,280,356,352 bytes

Total Bitrate: 21.93 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

 

Edition Details:
• 
Le Film Par Jean-Pierre Dionnet (9:58)

• Stills Gallery (0:51)
• Credits / trailer
• Second disc DVD included!
 

Blu-ray Release Date: December 5th 2017

Transparent Blu-ray case inside cardboard slipcase

Chapters 13

 

 

 

Comments:

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

 

ADDITION: Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray (January 18'): This is such a wonderful film. In my last meeting with critic Robin Wood - he stated to me that it was his favorite Powell and Pressburger film. 

 

This 1080P, CNC-derived (advertised as 'new restoration), transfer. is on a single-layered disc with a supportive bitrate and does excel over both SDs but the improvement will be more apparent by the size of your system. It looked quite good on my 43" but the 60" system was notable in the image superiority over the DVDs when I sampled. The 1080P has far more layered contrast and shows much more detail.  Some, occaional, light vertical scratches are still there.

 

Perhaps a bigger update is in the lossless audio (24-bit) and the memorable score by Allan Gray (The African Queen, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, A Matter of Life and Death) that adds a layer of depth to the film experience via the uncompressed transfer. There are optional French subtitle (via remote button - not menu) and the Blu-ray disc is region FREE!

 

Essentially a bare-bones Blu-ray with Jean-Pierre Dionnet's 10-minute intro in French only, a stills gallery, similar Elephant Films advert trailer and 'Credits'. A second disc, PAL DVD, is included.

 

Definitely a film I want in the best available presentation. It was such an immense pleasure seeing I Know Where I'm Going again after many years and seeing it looking (and sounding) so much better. Room for improvement? Sure - some extras? - a commentary? would be ideal but as it's the only game in town at present - absolutely recommended!

***

ON THE DVDs: Although both prints used have slight scratches/damage, I actually think the brighter Criterion may have more - or it is more visible, but it's contrast and sharpness far outweigh the image of the Carlton disc. The Extras go far in favor of Criterion as well. The Carlton is cropped a little on al sides. Not much decision making here. Criterion is a the winner.

 - Gary W. Tooze


DVD Menus

(Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)


 

 

 

Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray


 


 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM


 


1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Carlton - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 


Hit Counter


Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Extras: Criterion

 


Associated Reading (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

Box Covers

 

 

  

Distribution

Criterion Collection Spine # 94

Region 1  - NTSC

Carlton Visual Entertainment
Region 0 - PAL
Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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