听 Lavished with awards wherever shown and winning the hearts of many, "Cinema Paradiso" is a film lover's movie, so it's hardly surprising it's getting a Collector's Edition release. It's just that this still isn't the definitive type of DVD we've been waiting for. This two-disc set features both the original theatrical release and Tornatore's 174-minute director's cut.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Picture The theatrical version of the film seems to come with a moderately better picture than the director's cut. There's a touch more minor print damage, but otherwise the colours are rich, and detail is good for both versions.
Sound Sound is mono for both discs, and while adequate, it does strain a little during louder moments. Given that the US release comes with a 5.1 sound mix, this UK effort is hardly progress.
SPECIAL FEATURES
On the theatrical disc you can also access a chaptered gallery of scenes that were added for the director's cut, so you can view these on their own. That way you can decide if the addition of the extra 51 minutes was emotional overkill or not. There's also a filmography for Giuseppe Tornatore.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Region: 2
Chapters: 24/28
Ratio: 1.66:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono)
Audio Tracks: Italian
Subtitles: None
Captions: English
Menus: Animated, with music.
This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.
