The Last Emperor - Four Disc Criterion announced

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 17 Nov 2007, 12:14

From Imports Forum:

Synopsis

Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor won nine Academy Awards, unexpectedly sweeping every category in which it was nominated—quite a feat for a challenging, multilayered epic directed by an Italian and starring an international cast. Yet the power and scope of the film was, and remains, undeniable—the life of Emperor Pu Yi, who took the throne at age three, in 1908, before witnessing decades of cultural and political upheaval, within and without the walls of the Forbidden City. Recreating Qing dynasty China with astonishing detail and unparalleled craftsmanship by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, The Last Emperor is also an intimate character study of one man reconciling personal responsibility and political legacy.

Special Features

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FOUR-DISC SET FEATURES:
# - All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
# - All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer of the extended television version
# - Audio commentary by director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, and screenwriter Mark Peploe
# - The Italian Traveler, a documentary by Fernand Mozskowicz, exploring Bertolucci's journey from Parma to China
# - The Making of "The Last Emperor," a new documentary featuring Storaro, editor Gabriella Cristiana, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestre
# - Postcards from China, video images taken by Bertolucci while on preproduction
# - The Late Show: Face to Face, a 30-minute BBC interview with Bertolucci from 1989
# - New video interviews with composers David Byrne and Sakamoto
# - Theatrical trailer
# - PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by David Thomson and excerpts from script supervisor Fabien Gerard’s journals from the production
# - More!

Definitely getting this at some point I think.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 17 Nov 2007, 16:00

The UK DVD already looks pretty decent and will be much cheaper than this but even it looks like a decent release. The current R1 is a mess though so this is needed.

Info on UK release: http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=459

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 17 Nov 2007, 23:17

I bet the transfer will be better though - the DC picture quality on the UK set isn't outstanding but is as you say a decent set.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 17 Nov 2007, 23:58

True. I bet it will look the best of the bunch.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 18 Nov 2007, 10:37

Its released in February.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 18 Nov 2007, 13:17

Oops I made a mistake, its actually a 4 disc set!

Could be expensive.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Nov 2007, 13:57

4 discs crikey. Those extras don't really look like they could fill 2 discs but I guess they will.

Is there anything wrong with the UK SE picture wise? If not I'd probably still opt for that one. As you say this will be expensive.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 18 Nov 2007, 14:58

The DC didnt look a very good print from what I remember.

jimmyscab · Post by **jimmyscab** » 04 Dec 2007, 09:54

Oh boy. I visited the Forbidden City just last week and was thinking of this movie.

Can't wait, definate buy for me.

jimmyscab · Post by **jimmyscab** » 05 Dec 2007, 07:07

Hmm wait, what is this extended TV cut?

Is the DC not included in this set?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Dec 2007, 15:18

The Forbidden City is great isn't it. Thankfully the god awful Starbucks has now gone. It's so wrong to have a cafe (particularly a multinational one) in such a place.

The Extended TV Cut is what's also been called the Director's Cut. That would imply the Theatrical Cut is the Director's Cut.

jimmyscab · Post by **jimmyscab** » 05 Dec 2007, 18:14

Nevermind the starbucks, I want to know what kind of restorations they are applying to a lot of the places in Beijing. Some are overdone, I even saw fake bamboo at one of the temples making it look toylike. Beijing needs to improve its public toilets first ready for next year

Actually I was reading some criterion forums today and people are speculating that it might not contain the theatrical cut since Bertolucci never approved of it. It could be the DC and the TV cut if they are different.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Dec 2007, 20:02

I thought the TV Cut and Director's Cut were the same?

I saw a documentary about the restoration in Beijing ready for the Olympics. Hundreds/Thousands of poor people are losing their homes and there is nothing they can do to stop it.

Many are trying to fight back so the companies literally sabotage sewage pipes. It wasn't a pretty site. The compensation the government is paying out is pitiful.