The Informer (Arthur Robison)

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MichaelB · #1 Post by **MichaelB** » Thu Jan 19, 2017 4:23 pm

The Informer is one of the finest British films of the silent era. This new restoration by the BFI National Archive includes a new score by violist/composer Garth Knox. This Dual Format Edition also includes the sound version that was made alongside the silent version in 1929.

Released on 24 April.

Drucker · #2 Post by **Drucker** » Thu Jan 19, 2017 4:27 pm

Wonderful!

FrauBlucher · #3 Post by **FrauBlucher** » Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:17 pm

I second the wonderful.

TMDaines · #4 Post by **TMDaines** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 9:40 am

Love these BFI silent releases. Wonder what else could be in the pipeline.

We must surely be getting a Blu-ray of Dartmoor at some point given the HD restoration and broadcast on ARTE.

MichaelB · #5 Post by **MichaelB** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 10:43 am

If they do, I hope they include the alternative Swedish cut, which is one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen - it's basically Asquith's footage edited by someone else (presumably) with none of the inventiveness. On its own, it's worthless (and will clearly never merit a separate release) but if you're familiar with the Asquith version it's absolutely riveting.

FrauBlucher · #6 Post by **FrauBlucher** » Fri Jan 20, 2017 12:46 pm

antnield · #7 Post by **antnield** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:37 pm

SPECIAL FEATURES

- A new restoration presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
- The sound version of The Informer (1929, 84 mins)
- Restoration Demonstration (2016, 5 mins)
- Shaping the Silence (2017, 10 secs)
- A selection of Topical Budget films from newly independent Ireland: I Want Peace (1921), Is It The Dawn? (1921), Historic Unionist Conference At Liverpool (1921), Irish Peace Imperilled By Extremists (1921), Further Pictures Of The Irish Peace (1921), Surrender of Dublin Castle (1922), British Evacuate Ireland after Hundreds of Years of Occupation (1922) and Dublin's Civil War (1922)
- Illustrated booklet with full film credits and essays by Bryony Dixon, Garth Knox and Michael Brooke

FrauBlucher · #8 Post by **FrauBlucher** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:02 pm

Sounds wonderful.

MichaelB · #9 Post by **MichaelB** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:17 pm

My contribution was a biography of Liam O'Flaherty plus a piece about the novel and how it differs from the three film adaptations (1929, 1935, 1968 - the last of these being Jules Dassin's Uptight).

FrauBlucher · #10 Post by **FrauBlucher** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:23 pm

Cool, I was hoping there was a cross reference to Ford's film.

Ovader · #11 Post by **Ovader** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:42 pm

antnield wrote:SPECIAL FEATURES
- Shaping the Silence (2017, 10 secs)

Wow that must be the shortest bonus feature ever!

knives · #12 Post by **knives** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:14 pm

Is the selection a clip show or a collection of shorts?

antnield · #13 Post by **antnield** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:19 pm

knives wrote:Is the selection a clip show or a collection of shorts?

The Topical Budget items were typically about a minute long. You can sample a Topical Budget playlist via the BFI's YouTube channel.

knives · #14 Post by **knives** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:27 pm

Sweet!

MichaelB · #15 Post by **MichaelB** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 8:34 pm

FrauBlucher wrote:Cool, I was hoping there was a cross reference to Ford's film.

Ford's film is much closer to the novel, although I speculate that a lot of the changes made in the 1929 version were down to BBFC strictures about tackling controversial political issues - they're fairly oblique in the novel, all but expunged from the 1929 film, but but more explicit in the 1935 film. (One example being that what were merely "policemen" on the page are obviously Black and Tans in the Ford film, which is set in early 1922 as opposed to a vague "192-" and so on).

MichaelB · #16 Post by **MichaelB** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:07 pm

Full specs announced:

The Informer
A film by Arthur Robison
New score by Garth Knox

Newly restored by the BFI National Archive, with a new score from acclaimed violist/composer Garth Knox and premiered at the 2016 BFI London Film Festival, The Informer is one of the finest British films of the 1920s and deserves a place alongside other silent greats such as Blackmail, A Cottage on Dartmoor and Piccadilly.

The film now comes to DVD and Blu-ray in a Dual Format Edition, released by the BFI on 24 April 2017. It contains the silent version alongside the rare sound version which was produced at the same time.

Based on Liam O’Flaherty’s popular novel, this gripping thriller is set among a group of revolutionaries in the newly independent Ireland of 1922. When one of their number, Francis, kills the chief of police he goes on a run but when he returns to Dublin he is cruelly betrayed by his onetime friend, Gypo.

Special features
• A new restoration presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
• The sound version of The Informer (1929, 84 mins)
• Restoration Demonstration (2016, 5 mins)
• Shaping the Silence (2017, 10 mins)
• A selection of Topical Budget newsreels documenting Irish independence:
- I Want Peace (1921)
- Is it the Dawn? (1921)
- Historic Unionist Conference At Liverpool (1921)
- Irish Peace Imperilled By Extremists (1921)
- Further Pictures of the Irish Peace (1921)
- Surrender of Dublin Castle (1922)
- British Evacuate Ireland after Hundreds of Years of Occupation (1922)
- Dublin’s Civil War (1922)
• Booklet with credits, and essays by Bryony Dixon, Garth Knox and Michael Brooke

Product details
RRP: £19.99/ Cat. no. BFIB1242 / Cert PG
UK / 1929 / black and white, tinted / 100 mins / silent with music / original aspect ratio 1.33:1
BD50: 1080p, 24fps, DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 PCM stereo audio (48kHz/24-bit)
DVD9: PAL, 25fps, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (48kHz/16-bit) Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (224kbps)

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