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There is a new article in the recent BFI's Sight & Sound magazine about the newly restored version of Cabiria onto DVD.... just wondering if anyone else has heard anything.

While I was in Italy at one of the silent film festival over there, I was able to speak to one of the heads of the restoration project and he was in talks with Eureka (Masters of Cinema) in bringing it out over in the UK.

I do remember him saying also, that it would be a 2 disc set with quite a lot of extras...

Anyone else heard anything at all??

Monsieur Verdoux wrote:Anyone else heard anything at all??

Yes, here, but that Eureka/MoC news is very welcome!

That would be an automatic no brainer. Second half of 06 heading into 07 is shaping up to be a return to our former silent film on dvd excitements...

HerrSchreck wrote:That would be an automatic no brainer. Second half of 06 heading into 07 is shaping up to be a return to our former silent film on dvd excitements...

Ok no worries... can't wait for both tho. =D>

In his latest Great Movie Essay, Roger Ebert writes about the silent classic, Cabiria. At the end of the essay, he states that The Criterion Collection is preparing an edition of the film. My first post, as I saw this was not posted. Hope it's a scoop of sorts! I am a huge Criterion buff, and own every film in the DVD collection with the exception of three OOP titles, and four recent titles I haven't gotten a chance to purchase yet.

Very interesting, to say the least.

Wasn't there some news recently that internationally prepared special editions of this film were in the works?

Oh JESUS yes... that's beautiful news. Signs of some cojones there behind Beckerian closed doors. Now hoping that this doesn't fall thru the cracks like other silents i e Pabst, Eisenstein, and Dreyer's (semisilent) VAMPYR.

The news the above poster heard is that original reels of more complete material were found in Turin (place of original production co). Thus the showing of the film this year at Cannes & it's presentation by Scorsese.

Between this news and the persistent rumors from Kino staff "guaranteeing" that Criterion will release Pandora's Box within the year, it seems encouraging that Criterion hasn't entirely given up on silents. Now where's that silent Eisenstein box?

I'm surprised by this news. This is the first time Criterion has released something that's still in print from Kino, right? And can we expect this to be a longer cut of the film?

Gregory wrote:And can we expect this to be a longer cut of the film?

Kino's is 123 minutes; the restoration is 180 minutes (out of 183 originally).

While waiting the 4 or 5 years until this is actually released, you can enjoy the pressbook by going here and clicking on the still.

Thanks for the link zedz, very nice press kit!

zedz wrote:While waiting the 4 or 5 years until this is actually released.

hopefully by end of 2007.

zedz wrote:Kino's is 123 minutes; the restoration is 180 minutes (out of 183 originally).

Yes but I just wasn't sure whether it was definite Criterion would be presenting it in restored form. It makes sense that they would, but I didn't want to get my hopes up prematurely.

sendmetothebadlands wrote:May I ask where you got this information?

I have never heard of a 180 minute version, nor a 183 minute version, for that matter.

please clarify.

According to Roger Ebert, the restoration was "compiled from prints found in Moscow, Paris, London, New York and Pastrone's estate, and restored to within three minutes of its original running time."

From the Cannes pressbook:

A restoration by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema of Torino, in association with PresTech Film Laboratories Ltd. of London.

The restoration has been carried out by João S. de Oliveira, with the collaboration of Silvio Alovisio (Library of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema) and Ivano Bellino (Film Library of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema).

Production: Itala Film, Turin, 1914
Format: 35mm, 1:33, 16 fps
Length of the original film: 3364 metres (183' 50â€

Kino's website claims the film is 110 minutes

Their site says 123 minutes, (as do others I checked). The link you gave is for Pandora's Box.

To confuse the matter more, this is from the Eastman House's listing regarding their screening last month:

On Friday, June 23 at 7 p.m., in conjunction with the 2006 graduating class of The L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at George Eastman House, we will proudly present a brand-new 35mm restoration and preservation of the movie that started it all, CABIRIA (Giovanni Pastrone, Italy 1914, 162 min.). This special screening of CABIRIA will be preceded by a special videotaped introducion from this new edition's supporter, filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

The cinema's first epic-length feature film is set in the Roman Empire at the time of the wars with Carthage. Young Cabiria is kidnapped and sold as a slave, later to be rescued by a Roman nobleman, and his giant slave Maciste. A colossal international success in its day, Cabiria's lavish settings and technical virtuosity - including a volcano eruption - still dazzle, especially in this all-new restoration by Turin's Museo Nazionale del Cinema in collaboration with London's Prestech Film Laboratories. The museum's Head of Programming, Stefano Boni, will also appear in person to present this very special screening. The screening will feature live piano accompaniment by the great Philip C. Carli. Please note the special start time. Regular admission prices apply!

I didn't go, so I can't attest to what the actual running time may have been.

Just watched Kino's version, and apparently Criterion's release will be a whole new revelation.

Yes, the Kino version was the hitherto most-complete version that seemed to be handed down to us which itself resulted from scattered elements which were closely analyzed and assembled in order by NYU. For years this was all we had, and Kino was the only co who put it out in the cinemas and on vhs & disc (one of their older ones.. one of those old discs that launches right into the movie--actually a restoration pre-film series of paragraphs describing the films history and incomplete state of the elements & restoration-- once you put it in).

The version on the coming CC is a result of a recent discovery in Pastrones personal archive as well as original elements discovered in the cellars of the building where Films Turin (the co name if memory serves) operated from, or something along those lines. They I believe were able to then reconstruct the full length version of the original CABIRIA minus just a few minutes, which was then premeired at Cannes, and introduced in person by Scorcese. I can't tell you how anxiously I'm awaiting this-- I L O V E this film. The overkill in the title card poetry, the density of the story and the size of it's sweep, the ancient superstition in the story, the beautiful cinematography, camera movements, the titanic sets, special effects, the location shoots all over the region from the alps to the african desert, just pure gloriousness.

I didn't go, so I can't attest to what the actual running time may have been.

Well, the Cannes info says the film was projected at 16 FPS, so if the print was projected at Eastman House at the more conventional/convenient (for today) 18 FPS, it would have a shorter running time.

Criterion have said they're not doing this, right?

Right.

Ah-- the company cajones that I thought I whiffed in my first post on this CC-related thread have now gone back to the original ethereal from their temporary upgrade to potential.

Has anyone heard any further news about the 180 minute restoration?

Sadly, no. That was one of the most disappointing "Rocket fired up-------------->hopes-let-down" scenarios I've been through in a long time.

Any further rumor on whether the 2006 restoration of Cabiria will ever see light of day (or dark of screening room) as a home video release? The most recent news I've seen was regarding a 100th anniversary screening in 2014 with live orchestra at Il Cinema Ritrovato.

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