The French disc doesn’t look that great to me either… sure the aspect ratio may be the correct one but it is still cropped quite a lot from the bottom (and if it really was filmed in 1.85:1 and the current disc is 1.85:1 then it has to be cropped from one or both sides as well). But I guess maybe still better than the rest.
Although it does look too heavily filtered to me. There is this one website with comparison shots with the Japanese release and couple of images had most of the snowflakes missing from the French disc (surprisingly couple were missing from the Japanese as well…). And one image had really bad compression artifacts but that might be just one very short instance during the whole disc (I would still spot it though when playing ).
EDIT: Here’s the website: Grande silenzio, Il [Velké ticho] ◾︎ Sergio Corbucci ◾︎ 1968
the comparison images are at the bottom, just place your cursor over the version you want to see and it shows it (it might take a while at first because it has to load the image). The last image has the snowflakes, one other image has some of the splinters(?) missing.
And it looks like the French disc is also cropped from the top… or it seems to vary a bit if the cropping is at the bottom, top or both.
[quote=“Sundance, post:51, topic:1926”]The French disc doesn’t look that great to me either… sure the aspect ratio may be the correct one but it is still cropped quite a lot from the bottom (and if it really was filmed in 1.85:1 and the current disc is 1.85:1 then it has to be cropped from one or both sides as well). But I guess maybe still better than the rest.
Although it does look too heavily filtered to me. There is this one website with comparison shots with the Japanese release and couple of images had most of the snowflakes missing from the French disc (surprisingly couple were missing from the Japanese as well…). And one image had really bad compression artifacts but that might be just one very short instance during the whole disc (I would still spot it though when playing ).
EDIT: Here’s the website: Grande silenzio, Il [Velké ticho] ◾︎ Sergio Corbucci ◾︎ 1968
the comparison images are at the bottom, just place your cursor over the version you want to see and it shows it (it might take a while at first because it has to load the image). The last image has the snowflakes, one other image has some of the splinters(?) missing.
And it looks like the French disc is also cropped from the top… or it seems to vary a bit if the cropping is at the bottom, top or both.[/quote]
I have the French disc and had learned about the artifacts in this particular scene (I think on another site, maybe DVDBeaver); I checked the sequence, but didn’t notice the artifacting ‘live’ (but maybe you will)
I don’t know in which format the film was shot, but 1:66 seems more likely to me than 1:85
The missing info top and bottom is not really causing any trouble, except for one moment: it’s when Kinski and Wolff ride through the snow; at one instance, the threaten to sink through the bottom of the movie!
[quote=“Sundance, post:51, topic:1926”]The French disc doesn’t look that great to me either… sure the aspect ratio may be the correct one but it is still cropped quite a lot from the bottom (and if it really was filmed in 1.85:1 and the current disc is 1.85:1 then it has to be cropped from one or both sides as well). But I guess maybe still better than the rest.
Although it does look too heavily filtered to me. There is this one website with comparison shots with the Japanese release and couple of images had most of the snowflakes missing from the French disc (surprisingly couple were missing from the Japanese as well…). And one image had really bad compression artifacts but that might be just one very short instance during the whole disc (I would still spot it though when playing ).
And it looks like the French disc is also cropped from the top… or it seems to vary a bit if the cropping is at the bottom, top or both.[/quote]
Cool website - thanks! Yeh there does appear to be some cropping at the top and bottom on the French disc but isn’t its presence on the SPO and UK/US release a result of seeing what was masked to make the widescreen image - i.e. we’re simply being shown too much image on the top and bottom respectively here?
I thought we’d pretty much concluded it was 1.85:1 on the original topic for this page - particularly thanks to Mike Siegel’s contributions at the SLWB.
But if the SPO and UK/US show too much image, then the film wasn’t shot in 1.85:1 (unless the French disc is cropped from the sides as well) which is what Mike Siegel seems to claim (as far as I remember)? Or maybe he just meant the ratio it was supposed to be shown in? Maybe it was meant to be seen in 1.85:1, if that is the way his print is, but can we be sure?
The french disc image seems exactly 1.85:1… so if you add the cropped parts, it becomes more like 1.66:1. The UK disc btw isn’t exactly 1.66:1, it is 1.60:1 or something like that but if you add the missing sides from the french disc then it probably goes to something like 1.70.1 - 1.75:1.
;D
If it was shot open matte, then maybe we should get a 4:3 release of the full frame and everybody can frame it like they want to…
Mike Siegel has a 1,85:1 35 mm print and thinks that it was masked in the camera. But as Sundance said, then there shouldn’t be a DVD which has more image at top and/or bottom.
I wish now I hadn’t erased all my fullscreen versions on VHS. Then I could see if they were open matte or not.
But if it really is originally a 1,85 widescreen print, why should all the DVD distributors release it in a smaller aspect ratio then necessary? Most DVDs are in 1,56:1.
No, I think it was originally shot in 4:3 aspect ratio for later masking in the cinemas.
Is there a french release with english subtitles or audio? I dont see how the Canal+ release with french subtitles and french/italian audio is good for people who dont know the languages.
Maybe so - in which case I go with the 1.85:1 release out of preference - plus the color seems nicer
Something like that I think - I’ll have to go back and check the SLWB. If only Mike logged on here ever…
No, Italian and French audio, French subs only; I’m just lucky that I happen to be able to read French. I really wish those French discs were more English friendly though - Sonny & Jed and O’Cangaceiro would have been great if they’d included English audio. Although I was surprised to see that they did include English audio with Il Mercenario.
Having said that, some people don’t like the English track to The Great Silence which I actually think is pretty good - especially considering we get some of main actors’ real voices. Seeing as the story isn’t too complex, Silence says nothing, and you’ve no doubt watched it before, you could just buy the French release and watch it in Italian with no subs…
The question is for which aspect ratio it was conceived while shooting it.
Of course 1,85:1 looks also better in my eyes, but 1,66:1 was a common widescreen format in Europe.
[quote=“Stanton, post:61, topic:1926”]The question is for which aspect ratio it was conceived while shooting it.
Of course 1,85:1 looks also better in my eyes, but 1,66:1 was a common widescreen format in Europe.[/quote]
Django, Johnny Oro, What Do We Do in the middle of the Revolution? are all in this aspect ratio on TV or DVD.
Minnesota Clay and I crudeli (and also Massacro at G.C.) were also shot in what is called Panoramico, which should be 1,66:1, but the DVDs of these are in 1,85:1. Don’t know if this is correct or was only done to fill the 16:9 TV screens.
According to my book TGS isn’t contrary to all the above named Panoramico, it’s only called Normal, which must be 1,33:1.
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