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The latest update from Criterion's FB page:

I know the war trilogy is coming, but what of Europa 51?? Criterion do you have any plans to release this?

If the War Trilogy doesn't kill us, we'll get to the Bergman set next...

They been holding on these for years, but I think it's worth the wait. Too bad it's probably not going to be a Blu-ray set.

From their brief comment it seems the War Trilogy has been a very demanding project of which is understandable from what I have read of the questionable elements they must have researched through which explains the long wait. Actually I don't know if the Bergman films have similar issues with their elements so who knows how long of a wait for that set after the eventual release of the War Trilogy set.

Ovader wrote:From their brief comment it seems the War Trilogy has been a very demanding project of which is understandable from what I have read of the questionable elements they must have researched through which explains the long wait. Actually I don't know if the Bergman films have similar issues with their elements so who knows how long of a wait for that set after the eventual release of the War Trilogy set.

Judging by the BFI's edition of Voyage in Italy, and TCM's presentations of both Stromboli and Europa '51 from a few years ago - all in nice prints - I would assume the elements exist to release these films without much restoration needed (not sure about the other Bergman films he directed).

An eventual Rossellini-Bergman set would be one of the highlights of the Criterion library, especially if the set contained loads of extras examining the context in which these films were made.

I would love to see Mr. Scorsese get involved in this release.

They'll also have to live with the poor synch of the dubbing on EUROPA '51 etc, but that's Rossellini that we love and cherish....

Wittsdream wrote: Judging by the BFI's edition of Voyage in Italy, and TCM's presentations of both Stromboli and Europa '51 from a few years ago - all in nice prints

???- The BFI Voyage to Italy is horrible.

Do you think they would include Joan at the Stake ? More Eclipse area imo.

If Criterion is going to do a Bergman set, it only makes sense to include Joan at the Stake and Fear, even though they've traditionally been seen as secondary (actually a rather hard line to maintain re. Fear). Plus, as an extra, her segment of Siamo donne (the only Rossellini / Bergman I haven't seen).

I was lucky enough to catch all these at the NFT season a couple of years back, and although it was a bumpy ride (in terms of variable print quality, language versions and my response to the individual films) it's a fascinating body of work that really deserves to be considered in total. And with Isabella R and Martin Scorsese on tap, not to mention Tag Gallagher, who I hope they strap in for visual essays an any and all Rossellini they release, there's a wealth of valuable extras available.

For all that the War Trilogy is an arthouse icon, I imagine the Bergman set done right would have major crossover potential.

david hare wrote:Zedz I think Joan is just as important as Fear - if only for the Honegger score and the whole staging and perfromance aspect. I think it relates very interestingly forward to some of the later History pictures. And backwards to the Voce Humana half of L'Amore (which also always gets ignored.)

I'm not dissing Joan, it's just that it's clearly the odd one out among the collaborations, whereas Fear is much of a muchness with the other features. Actually, Joan is a bit of an odd one out among 50s cinema in general, which is one of the things that makes it so interesting.

And it's getting off topic, but what the hell: I watched Era notte a Roma last night and it's an interesting 'missing piece' in my gradually progressing Rossellini jigsaw. You can see why he was getting frustrated with filmmaking at this time if he was ending up with projects like this. In many respects it's a trad late 50s war drama, and in others it revisits / retreads his early work (specifically Roma citta aperta and Paisan). However, you can also see some early explorations of the potential of the zoom lens and there's an absolutely masterful shot towards the end of the film where the camera, in a single long shot, pans and zooms to follow a number of people in turn within a church. The technique here evokes a restlessness and paranoia that's absolutely in keeping with the mood of the scene (there's a spy among them who Rossellini carefully preserves at the edges of the frame, in the background) and it's an early glimpse of what Rossellini would later bring to this problematic technology.

I haven't posted too much on these boards in recent months, so I'm not sure if it's already been addressed, but I finally got around to viewing last month's TCM showing of Europa '51 on my DVR last night and, lo and behold, it's got the Janus touch.

This is not surprising. Criterion hinted a while back that a Rossellini/Bergman box was a a possibility.

mikeohhh wrote:the Janus touch.

That made my morning. Thanks.