"The Leopard" Criterion Collection - Region 0

(aka 'Le Guépard')

directed by Luchino Visconti
Italy / France 1963

An epic of the grandest possible scale, Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard recreates, with nostalgia, action, and opulence, the tumultuous years of the Risorgimento—when the aristocracy lost its grip and the middle classes rose and formed a unified, democratic Italy. Burt Lancaster stars as the aging prince watching his culture and fortune wane in the face of a new generation, represented by his upstart nephew Tancredi (Alain Delon) and his love for the beautiful daughter of a Sicilian merchant (Claudia Cardinale). Awarded a special Palme d’Or at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, The Leopard translates the original novel, and the history it recounts, into a truly cinematic masterpiece. out of

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Theatrical Release: March 28th, 1963 - Italy

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DVD Review: Criterion (3 Disc) - Region 0 - NTSC

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Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine # 235 - Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	3:05:54 (original) - 2:41:25 (American Release)
Video	2.16:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrates: 5.33 mb/s (original ) 5.85 mb/s (US) NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
Bitrate:	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Original:
American:
Audio	Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) on original, English on US version
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection / Home Vision Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.16:1 Edition Details: • Theatrical trailer • Special Edition Three-Disc Set features • New transfer of of the 161-minute American release, with English-language dialogue (including Burt Lancaster's actual voice) • Audio commentary by film scholar Peter Cowie • A Dying Breed, a new hour-long documentary featuring interviews with Claudia Cardinale, screenwriter Suso Ceccho D'Amico, cinematographer Guiseppe Rotunno, Sydney Pollack, and many others • An exclusive video interview with professor Millicent Marcus of the University of Pennsylvania on the history behind The Leopard • Stills gallery of rare behind-the-scenes production photos DVD Release Date: June 8, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: Original - 32 , American - 25

Comments:

It seems as I review recent Criterion releases that I am running out of adjectives to support my enthusiasm. If I mention a perceived fault, it always sounds later like 'nit-picking'. I believe that this could be termed Criterion's major releases of the year. A 3 disc DVD package extravaganza. An Epic film in two forms (both original Italian and US) a host of extra features including a 2 hour documentary and commentary. The image is quite stunning - tight, sharp, grandiose colors, deep penetrating black levels. My only minute flaw is the subtitles which are slightly larger and more intrusive than I have seen in the past from Criterion. This may well be a candidate for DVD of the Year - out of

Gary W. Tooze

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