Essential Art House: Kapò

[Matt]

Kapò

[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2638/EAH5_Kapo_Box_348x490_w128.jpg[/img]

Before he left his mark on cinema forever with The Battle of Algiers, Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo directed this uncompromising World War II drama about a young Jewish woman (Susan Strasberg) in a Nazi concentration camp who saves herself from death by assuming another’s identity and becoming a ruthless warden. The Oscar-nominated Kapò was one of the first films to depict the horror of the Holocaust, and it does so with brutality and daring emotional complexity.

[kaujot]

This has been in the "Forthcoming" list for ages. Glad to see it's finally going to be released, even if on EAH. Algiers was my first taste of Pontecorvo, and he certainly left me wanting more.

Anyone here seen it?

[Napier]

Anyone here seen it?

Yes, and it belongs in the main line, along with Burn.

[Oedipax]

A shame this won't have a Serge Daney / Jacques Rivette extra called That Darn Tracking Shot!

[TMDaines]

I'm going to pick up the Dolmen/Cristaldi release when I'm in Italy this year: Review. This definitely should have been main line, especially when the extras are already there.

[HerrSchreck]

Pontecorvo on the Dump Line, Ang Lee on the main?

(Waiter! Double Ibuprofen with an espresso trippio chaser!)

[Highway 61]

Pontecorvo on the Dump Line, Ang Lee on the main?

(Waiter! Double Ibuprofen with an espresso trippio chaser!)

Make it two, s'il vous plaît.

[hangman]

Been wanting to see this for a long time, ever since I read Serge Daney's piece on Kapo's tracking shot. Happy as I am to finally get the chance to see Kapo but I do think its a waste that its not on the main line. Oh well at least the film will be available.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Pontecorvo on the Dump Line, Ang Lee on the main?

(Waiter! Double Ibuprofen with an espresso trippio chaser!)

Make it two, s'il vous plaît.

I'm with you guys. Once I get my copy of War Trilogy, I'll write to CC thanking them for the Rosellini release but noting my disappointment viz Kapo. Just to do one better than Ride with the Devil, I think it's crazy that The Night Porter is mainline while Kapo is EAH. The Night Porter's notoriety aside, Kapo on the mainline would be much better considering the care that CC has taken for other historical films such as Che, Battle of Algiers, and War Trilogy (Rosellini and Wajda). Because of the extras on these films, one could easily use these releases in class rooms and term papers as well as personal libraries for those of us who are history buffs. Granted, Night Porter is barebones, but what makes it "worthier" than Kapo? What makes Ride with the Devil "worthier" than Kapo? As they've done with other films including Pontecorvo's own Algiers, CC could do so much better with Kapo. Sorry to indulge again in "Why can't Criterion release what I want?" but I find this a valid point of interrogation given my reasons here and CC's deliberate release of this on EAH. This won't stop me from buying it for myself or others or even recommending the EAH edition to friends and teachers, but it also won't stop me from expressing my disappointment with this edition.

[fiddlesticks]

To express a contrary viewpoint, this title will most likely be the only one from this month that I will buy, and that is largely because it is in the EAH line. In my penury, I have to pick and choose my purchases wisely, and it's always a thrill to see a very appealing title like Kapò show up in a more-affordable version. I love EAH.

[HerrSchreck]

So you're always just a little disappointed when a great title comes out on CC?

(Hee hee.. sorry-- it was such a soft, slow pitch. Hadta swing.)

[perkizitore]

If they didn't find any worthy extras, why should they put it on the main line? In the same fashion, i like that Pygmalion now is EAH only.

[fiddlesticks]

So you're always just a little disappointed when a great title comes out on CC?

(Hee hee.. sorry-- it was such a soft, slow pitch. Hadta swing.)

Well, uh... 8-[ ...sorta, yes. You see, most of the time, I don't care about the extras. Or maybe I should say, I don't think the extras are usually worth $10 or whatever they end up adding to the purchase price. There's exceptions, of course, but if what I care about is the feature itself, and it's in good condition, I'd rather it end up in Eclipse or EAH than the main line.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

If they didn't find any worthy extras, why should they put it on the main line?

Good question, but if the Dolmen/Cristaldi release found good extras for their edition of the film then I'd expect that CC could do the same.

[Tommaso]

And even if you can't find any extras in the narrow sense, you can always find some scholar to write a hefty, MoC-style booklet or do an audiocommentary. There's absolutely no excuse for treating a film like this or "Mayerling" in the barebones-style, even if the disc is cheap. Contextualization is almost mandatory for those old and not too well known films to make their importance visible to people outside a specialist circle.

[perkizitore]

I agree, but Criterion aren't doing huge booklets often, do they? Also, you wouldn't like to pay 8$ more only for watching a professor speaking 10 minutes, would you?
The only bad thing about Kapo being in EAH, is that the picture quality hasn't got the meticulous care that mainline titles receive.

[TMDaines]

I agree, but Criterion aren't doing huge booklets often, do they? Also, you wouldn't like to pay 8$ more only for watching a professor speaking 10 minutes, would you?
The only bad thing about Kapo being in EAH, is that the picture quality hasn't got the meticulous care that mainline titles receive.

The picture has already been restored though for the Cristaldi/Dolmen release.

It's the small things like the consistantly fantastic booklets you get with MoC releases that make them my favourite DVD label by far.

[zedz]

I think it's crazy that The Night Porter is mainline while Kapo is EAH.

But isn't this the wrong example to use, since The Night Porter is barebones and thus identical in features to Kapo? The only difference is an inflated price tag, unless the vanity thing means that much to you.

Actually, I'd be very happy if EAH turns into a US Second Run. I expect that the choice was not between Mayerling and Kapo as no-frills discs or as double disc deluxe editions with commentaries and interviews and lavish booklets, but between Mayerling and Kapo as no-frills discs or not at all. A few years ago, Criterion would be putting them out in a nearly identical edition at twice the price.

[perkizitore]

The Italian DVD has some extras though.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Zedz, I'm aware that both releases are barebones - I noted that in my initial post - but the question is why does one get zip in terms of extras in spite of being the "better" film? As I said, other films like Che and Algiers get some historical context content so why not Kapo? I won't boycott the film, but lack of extras perplexes me. Let me disagree here as Second Run often includes interviews and an essay in their releases. I myself don't need frills for Kapo, but it's a film that could certainly benefit from some frills.

[knives]

Admittedly I only have two early EAH releases, but to my knowledge all of them came with a small essay.

[Cronenfly]

For anyone who owns the Cristaldifilm edition: as far as I can gather the film itself has English subs (as well as including an alternate English audio track), but do the extras?

As well, I hope the 1.33:1 AR posted on the Criterion page is wrong, as Scharphedin's caps from the Cristaldi release here seem to suggest 1.66:1 is the correct ratio (as does IMDB, for whatever that's worth).

[TMDaines]

For anyone who owns the Cristaldifilm edition: as far as I can gather the film itself has English subs (as well as including an alternate English audio track), but do the extras?

Almost certainly not as I've borrowed a couple of their other releases from a language resource centre at uni and they didn't.

[Tommaso]

Admittedly I only have two early EAH releases, but to my knowledge all of them came with a small essay.

My only EAH release is "Mayerling", and yes, it has some rather superficial notes; but I wouldn't call it a small essay, it's more along the lines of the Eclipse notes for each film. Some sort of extended liner notes.

[HerrSchreck]

I expect that the choice was not between Mayerling and Kapo as no-frills discs or as double disc deluxe editions with commentaries and interviews and lavish booklets, but between Mayerling and Kapo as no-frills discs or not at all.

Based on what?

You also can't really say that you know that if these two films were release a couple years ago, they would have come out in barebones editions. Another could turn around and say "if these were released a couple years ago, they would have been 2 disc special editions with a booklet and extras." It's wheedling speculation.

It's quite apparent that something is driving them to put these excellent films on the dump line, and Ride With The Devil on the highline. The idea here is not the identification of that 'something'-- wa la, it's the economics of arthouse in these changing times-- but knowing that I don't know that the best message is "I think the trend away from extras for these kinds of films is fabulous and welcome."

That said, sure it's kinda nice they're finding a way to at least get the films themselves out somehow. Though vs the R2 situation, it's not much to write home about.