criterionforum.org

I'm sure there's fansubs though.

LA CALDA VITA can be previewed online here...

Perkins Cobb wrote:The only English option is a dub, though, right? What a waste.

Yes, the DVD features both English and French dubs, but no subs.

LA CALDA VITA can be previewed online here...

Totally illegally, of course

Absolutely... I'd go for the DVD anyway if it touched my interest... Very pleased indeed with IL CRISTO PROIBITO, what a film, what an opening aerial swoop of a shot!...

LA CALDA VITA isn't bad, at all, though the film's strongest point is certainly the gorgeous photography of the beach locations. Jacques Perrin is very good, as usual, and Catherine Spaak is at her most intoxicating, but Fabrizio Capucci does try the patience (both in characterization and performance). Spaak liked him enough, though. They eventually married.

Note: the English dub is replaced by Italian dialogue during two or three brief scenes cut from the American release. (Not sure about the French audio.) And there are some rather good fansubs at opensubtitles.org.

In Italian version there a couple of scenes where Spaak sings or speaks French, but I assume this was intended.

the film's strongest point is certainly the gorgeous photography of the beach locations

I very much liked the bleak greenish/grey look of the urban landscape, too. This contrast with the sunny beach location reminded me of Preminger's Bonjour tristesse alternation of colour and black-and-white.

Fabrizio Capucci does try the patience (both in characterization and performance).

I think his performance (and even his unpleasantness) suited the character pretty well.

the film's strongest point is certainly the gorgeous photography of the beach locations

I very much liked the bleak greenish/grey look of the urban landscape, too. This contrast with the sunny beach location reminded me of Preminger's Bonjour tristesse alternation of colour and black-and-white.

Yes, Roberto Gerardi's photography is, overall, very striking. He's not an especially well-known cinematographer (at least, to me), but he did some really nice work around the same time as "La Calda Vita": "The Condemned of Altona", "Madame" and "Marriage, Italian-Style", all with Sophia Loren; and "The Empty Canvas", "Tre notti d'amore" and "Madamigella di Maupin", all again with Spaak.

Fabrizio Capucci does try the patience (both in characterization and performance).

I think his performance (and even his unpleasantness) suited the character pretty well.

Perhaps, Capucci's performance works better in Italian (or even French), than the English dub I watched it in, but there's something especially annoying and unsympathetic about his portrayal that I can't seem to get beyond. Maybe it's that ugly brown jersey he never seems to remove. The fact that I like Spaak, Perrin and Gabriele Ferzetti so much in this film, and as performers in general, only makes Capucci stand out even more as the rotten apple in the bunch, so to speak. Admittedly, the character is written in a certain way, and Capucci does have his good moments, but I wish he came across in a more attractive fashion, so that, at least in the end, I felt more sympathy for his plight.

Roberto Gerardi's photography is, overall, very striking. He's not an especially well-known cinematographer (at least, to me), but he did some really nice work around the same time as "La Calda Vita": "The Condemned of Altona", "Madame" and "Marriage, Italian-Style", all with Sophia Loren; and "The Empty Canvas", "Tre notti d'amore" and "Madamigella di Maupin", all again with Spaak.

In the '60s he was known as a "glamorous" dop, Sophia Loren's favourite cameraman. According to Wikipedia, he also worked on Stromboli as assistant camera operator, so perhaps... Stromboli + L'avventura = La calda vita?

La tarantola dal ventre nero (The Black Belly of the Tarantula, 1971) by Paolo Cavara
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... black.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Il Federale (The Fascist, 1961) by Luciano Salce
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... -1961.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"A modest anecdote that blossoms beautifully into stature and significance" (Andrew Sarris).

Abbasso la ricchezza! (Peddlin' in Society, 1946), starring Anna Magnani & Vittorio De Sica
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... ciety.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ad ogni costo (Grand Slam, 1967) by Giuliano Montaldo, starring Edward G. Robinson, Janet Leigh and Klaus Kinski
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... -1967.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cristaldi Film seem determined to get as many new Italian films out on DVD as possible this year. Bravo! I've seen some rips and the transfers of these are as good as ever too.

Assassination (1967)
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... -1967.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very Roy Lichtenstein, isn't it?

I have recently received 3 discs I purchased from Amazon's Italy site.

They included:

Blu Ray for Bella Addormentata (Marco Bellocchio). Beautiful transfer with English subtitles (sometimes on the top of the screen during the scenes of Isabelle Huppert speaking French, which appear with the Italian subtitles on the bottom). There is a making-of extra - not subtitled;

Blu Ray for Reality (Matteo Garrone). I haven't watched this yet but I did flick through the film and visually it's true to the cinema image. Very bright and saturated in colour. A number of extras but I haven't had time to check them out yet.

DVD for Me & You (Bernardo Bertolucci). No Blu Ray release in Italy but the DVD is luminous . I didn't care much for the film and will be selling it to my local second hand dealer this week.

All the discs appear to be Region Locked B & 2 respectively. All three features have optional English subtitles.

Saimo wrote:

the film's strongest point is certainly the gorgeous photography of the beach locations

I very much liked the bleak greenish/grey look of the urban landscape, too. This contrast with the sunny beach location reminded me of Preminger's Bonjour tristesse alternation of colour and black-and-white.

Again on La calda vita, courtesy of RHV's facebook:

Gelosia (Jealousy, 1953) by Pietro Germi
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... -1953.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

La cagna (Love to Eternity, 1972) by Marco Ferreri
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... -1972.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A luci spente (Lights Off, 2004) by Maurizio Ponzi
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... -2004.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Loosely inspired by Vittorio De Sica's La porta del cielo backstory.

Ma l'amor mio non muore! (Love Everlasting, 1913) by Mario Caserini
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... sting.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tried ordering the Ma l'amor mio non muore! DVD from the Cineteca di Bologna store. 20,00€ for the postage .

Hopefully the Italian Amazon (for example) will sell this as well.

I think the DVD will be available at other stores from September 20.

La Calda Vita is a wonderful movie! An even better Catherine Spaak film, in my opinion, is I Dolci Inganni. Neither of these seem to be known to any degree outside of Italy.

I have read your blog and I do agree with your remarks about La calda vita, a little-known film that would deserve better luck. By the way, I have recently written a piece about Dolci inganni (Italian language only).

"Parole dipinte" (1940-2009), a nice boxset featuring 20 documentaries by Luciano Emmer.
http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/ ... -2009.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(Special guest stars: Jean Cocteau and Picasso.)