criterionforum.org

denti alligator wrote:Time to retire as Coppola Killer and get rid of my "motto"!

Ribs wrote:The link doesn't seem to say that the BD/DVD will be this year - it says that the theatrical release will be in November, which to me indicates it's more likely for Q1 next year on home media.

Criterion/Janus have to be a partner on this, right?

From Autumn 2016, for the first time ever, audiences across the UK will be able to experience this extraordinary cinematic masterpiece with Carl Davis’ magnificent score when the film goes on theatrical release in UK cinemas and is available on BFI DVD/Blu-ray and BFI Player.

...

The simultaneous BFI Blu-ray/DVD release of the film is the first, of this full version, anywhere in the world and will include the recording of the score and a significant package of extras.

Ribs wrote:The link doesn't seem to say that the BD/DVD will be this year - it says that the theatrical release will be in November, which to me indicates it's more likely for Q1 next year on home media.

Criterion/Janus have to be a partner on this, right?

The BFI today announces a new chapter in the epic history of one of the world’s greatest films: Abel Gance’s Napoleon (1927). In the culmination of a 50-year project, Academy Award-winning film historian Kevin Brownlow and the BFI National Archive have completed a new digitally restored version of Abel Gance’s cinematic triumph. From Autumn 2016, for the first time ever, audiences across the UK will be able to experience this extraordinary cinematic masterpiece with Carl Davis’ magnificent score when the film goes on theatrical release in UK cinemas and is available on BFI DVD/Blu-ray and BFI Player.

This legendary 5 ½ hour film was first presented, partially restored, at the BFI London Film Festival in 1980. The latest digital restoration of Napoleon will have its premiere screening with a live performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra of Carl Davis’ score (the longest ever composed for a silent film) in early November 2016 at the Royal Festival Hall.

This project has been achieved thanks to major work undertaken by the experts of the BFI National Archive and Photoplay Productions working with Dragon DI post-production in Wales, and to the generosity of Carl Davis and Jean Boht, who have made possible the recording of the score by the Philharmonia. The original restoration of the 35mm film elements in 2000 was funded by the generous support of the Eric Anker-Petersen charity, with the support of many archives around the world but especially the Cinémathèque Française and the Centre Nationale de la Cinématographie in Paris.

Heather Stewart, Creative Director, BFI said, “Several generations of staff at the BFI have worked on this project. Napoleon is a landmark in the history of cinema and we are grateful to all of the great talents who have helped us along the way but especially, of course, Kevin Brownlow for his indefatigable championing of the film and Carl Davis for his amazing score.”

Kevin Brownlow, Photoplay Productions said, “'This is a tremendous step forward for film history.'

Carl Davis, composer said, ““Thanks to the BFI we have this splendid DVD (Blu-ray). In the words of Napoleon ‘At last!’ “

This new version of Napoleon will allow audiences to see the film’s original tinting and toning, including colour combinations which could not be achieved in the existing 35mm print. Integration of sections sourced from a wide range of elements have also been improved by detailed digital image repair and alignment.

The film has been entirely re-graded and received extensive digital clean-up throughout, all of which offers significant improvements in overall picture quality. This is the most complete version of the film available, compiled by Academy Award-winning film-maker, archivist and historian Kevin Brownlow who spent over 50 years tracking down surviving prints from archives around the world since he first saw a 9.5mm version as a schoolboy in 1954. Brownlow and his colleagues at Photoplay, initially the late David Gill, and then Patrick Stanbury, worked with the BFI National Archive on a series of restorations. The film version has been screened only 4 times in the UK since the year 2000 at memorable events with full orchestra performing the original score by composer Carl Davis.

Running at over 5½ hours on screen, the film demands a huge investment of resources, from projectionists, musicians, conductor and audiences; in a live performance with intervals the experience adds up to over 8 hours from start to finish. Napoleon offers one of the most richly rewarding and thrilling experiences in the history of cinema, a brilliant pairing of music and film, comparable to grand opera in its intensity, offering dazzling scenes of unparalleled brilliance, with full scale historical recreations of episodes from the personal and political life of Napoleon from the French Revolution to the heroic arrival of French troops in Italy marking the beginning of the First Italian campaign of 1796.

Following the premiere of the digital restoration of Napoleon it will be released in cinemas UK-wide in its music-synched version. The simultaneous BFI Blu-ray/DVD release of the film is the first, of this full version, anywhere in the world and will include the recording of the score and a significant package of extras. Napoleon will also be available to view on BFI Player.

Roscoe wrote:At long last, a reason for me to buy a region-free Blu-Ray player. If Coppola fucks this up he's going to find a lot worse than a horse's head in his bed.

NABOB OF NOWHERE wrote:There are already rumblings of discontent at the 6 1/2 hour restoration being prepared by CNC (with Coppola's blessing? Input?). Perhaps a more informed soul like Ann Harding or Clé du ciel could give amore authoratative resumé of the state of play

Asked restoration expert Robert A. Harris if BFI's plans affect the previously-announced NAPOLEON restoration he is undertaking with Francis Coppola and Cinematheque Francaise. His reply:

"The two are not connected. We donated the UK rights to the BFI and Photoplay (Kevin Brownlow and Patrick Stansbury) back in the early days of the project, in recognition of the work they had done over the years.

Zoetrope/Film Preserve [Coppola and Harris' companies] own all world rights with the exception of the UK and France, which was donated to the Cinematheque by Claude Lelouch.

A few years ago, the Cinematheque did an inventory of Napoleon elements, many unseen since 1971, and discovered portions of the original camera negative, as well as other missing elements.

While we applaud the BFI's latest efforts, we have been working with the Cinematheque toward the preparation of a more cohesive, and higher quality presentation, based upon Abel's Apollo version of the film.

We anticipate to be complete in 2017."

criterion10 wrote:If Criterion releases this, does it still seem like Coppola will insist on his score and only his score being included? If the latter, then the BFI is the easy winner.

McCrutchy wrote:I think we can already infer that the 240-minute cut isn't pleasing anyone anymore, since Coppola has had umpteen chances to release it on DVD, and surely could have had it remastered and released on Blu-ray. As far as I know, the last time it saw a release, beyond a couple quietly released Australian and German DVDs, was back in 1986 (LD) and 1991 (VHS).from Zoetrope and MCA Universal.

MichaelB wrote:

McCrutchy wrote:I think we can already infer that the 240-minute cut isn't pleasing anyone anymore, since Coppola has had umpteen chances to release it on DVD, and surely could have had it remastered and released on Blu-ray. As far as I know, the last time it saw a release, beyond a couple quietly released Australian and German DVDs, was back in 1986 (LD) and 1991 (VHS).from Zoetrope and MCA Universal.

It was due to come out in the UK a few years ago, via StudioCanal, but got torpedoed by rights issues - presumably the BFI complained.

Although the release was cancelled after review copies went out, so I can confirm that it was definitely the Coppola version - and, bizarrely, the whole thing was in anamorphic 1.37:1 apart from the final triptych, a very unsatisfactory way of presenting the vast majority of the film. In fact, I was revving up to give the transfer both barrels when my piece got spiked.

TMDaines wrote:I look forward to the forced IDs on the Harris version.

A bouquet for Napoleon.