I’ve made Best Movies section earlier this year.
For the longest time I’ve owned the Koch Lorber, 2-Disc DVD edition of La Dolce Vita, continuously awaiting the day Criterion would be given the chance to add it to their esteemed collection with a transfer the film most definitely deserved. I speculated as to whether it would finally happen once Paramount had been granted exclusive rights last June and lo and behold, it is finally here and the result is exactly what fans of this film have been waiting for with visuals and sound so rich it will be almost as if you are seeing it for the first time.
When it comes to the film itself, I’ll point you to my January 2014 essay as I think that says more than enough if you’re looking for my personal opinion/review of the movie, but instead I’ll use this time to focus exclusively on this new Blu-ray and the features it holds.
To begin, when it comes to the 4K digital restoration, there’s a vibrancy, richness and far greater texture to the image than any single frame on my Koch Lorber DVD despite the fact that DVD isn’t actually all that bad. As for how the transfer was accomplished, an introductory text screen gives us the following information:
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.
The audio also received an upgrade and, while my ears are aging, I was able to notice a crispness, depth and clarity to the audio and Nino Rota‘s classic score. It too receives a text screen detailing the restoration process:
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.
When it comes to supplementary material, this is where I’m happy I now own both the Koch Lorber DVD and the new Criterion Blu-ray as none of the features overlap. The most noticeable feature absent from the Criterion edition is an audio commentary so I guess I’ll have to just listen to Richard Schickel’s DVD commentary if I ever feel the need to go down that road again, but Criterion’s batch of features are well worth checking out.
[amz asin=”B00LUSUWB8″ size=”small”]First we have a new interview with Lina Wertmüller who served as an assistant director on the film. She discusses working with Fellini as well as the film’s ending, which is explored rather extensively in a new visual essay by filmmaker :: kogonada (whose work I’ve my review) in terms of breaking the fourth wall and changing perspectives. It’s wonderful.
Another new interview is with scholar David Forgacs discussing the period in Italian history when the film was made and a great conversation with Italian journalist Antonello Sarno who draws a lot of comparisons between this film and Paolo Sorrentino‘s Oscar-winning The Great Beauty (La grande bellezza).
Archival material includes a 1965 interview with Fellini from NBC discussing a myriad of topics ranging from his disinterest in analyzing or even critiquing his own work, working with others and the work of other directors. There’s also a great audio interview with the film’s star, Marcello Mastroianni, in which he discusses his relationship with Fellini as well as his first time meeting the director, which consequently is the source of his best story.
The first time Mastroianni met Fellini was to discuss his possible involvement in La Dolce Vita. During the meeting and after saying he would take the role of Marcello Rubini, he asked Fellini if he had a script he could read. Fellini told him there was and asked co-writer Ennio Flaiano, who was also in the room, to show him. Flaiano handed him a few pieces of paper, which had drawings of women at the bottom of the ocean with men floating at the top with penises (which Mastroianni refers to as “dongs”) long enough to reach the ocean floor. Make of that what you will, but the entire interview is wonderfully candid and a joy to listen to.
Finally, a gallery feature titled “Felliniana” previews a series of collectible material from the collection of Don Young and there’s also an included booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins.
I can’t praise this release enough, even while Fellini’s 8 1/2 may be my favorite of his films (and I would never exclude Amarcord when discussing his classics either), La Dolce Vita is an absolute must own for fans of classic cinema, though I have feeling I don’t need to tell you that. Click here and do yourself a favor, buy yourself a little present.
