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-   -   The Films of Sergei Paradjanov: 4-disc set - 2/5 (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk/516460-films-sergei-paradjanov-4-disc-set-2-5-a.html)

jmj713 11-06-07 12:14 PM
The Films of Sergei Paradjanov: 4-disc set - 2/5
 
Via HTF:

Quote:
SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS (1964) Shadows is a boldly conceived and astonishingly photographed blend of enchanting mythology, hypnotic religious iconography, and pagan magic. And although its unsentimental depiction of the harsh realities of Russian regional history forced visionary director Pararadjanov into direct conflict with bureaucrats then controlling the Soviet film industry, the film became an international sensation when it was released in 1964.

THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES (1969) His baroque masterpiece was banned in the Soviet Union for its religious sentiment and nonconformity to "Socialist realism"; its director, a tirelessly outspoken campaigner for human rights, was convicted on a number of trumped-up charges and sentenced to five years of hard labor in the gulag. A wave of protest from the international film community led to his release in 1978. Aesthetically the most extreme film ever made in the U.S.S.R., Pomegranates, his hallucinatory epic account of the life of the 18th Century Armenian national poet, Sayat Nova, conveys the glory of what a cinema of high art can be like.

THE LEGEND OF SURAM FORTRESS (1984) Inspired by an ancient Russian folk tale and adapted from the novella by Daniel Chongadze, this is a dazzling film by visionary director Paradjanov. As the story opens, repeated efforts by the Georgian people to construct a defensive stronghold continually fail. The building they are laboring to complete collapses, but then a fortune teller remembers an old prophecy: In order for the fortress to stand, the son of her erstwhile lover must be bricked up inside the structure alive. The young man is faced with the prospect of sacrificing himself to save his homeland. Filled with vivid and unforgettable imagery, the film is a surreal ode to the Georgian warriors throughout the ages who died for their country.

ASHIK KERIB (1988) A 19th century romantic tale evocatively brought to life. Lermontov s famous fable tells of Ashik Kerib, the wandering minstrel who is trying to earn enough money to marry the girl he loves. But when the father of his beloved spurns him, Ashik is forced to roam the land for 1,001 nights. In recounting the story, Paradjanov boldly dispenses with conventional storytelling devices. Ashik Kerib is a series of glorious tableaux, exquisitely composed, choreographed and photographed. In addition, Paradjanov combines intertitles with images of early Russian artwork, which are then overlaid with a haunting blend of traditional and contemporary musical forms. Ashik Kerib was Paradjanov s last completed feature film, and it was dedicated to Andrei Tarkovsky, the director s close personal friend, who had died just two years earlier. Stylistically stunning, it is a unique and unforgettable cinematic experience.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WS6YAA/


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61-2YgcTawL.jpg

Quote:
SPECIAL FEATURES - Interview with Svetlana Scherbatyuk, the wife of Sergei Paradjanov (26 min.) - Documentary: Actress Veriko Andzhaparidze (9 min.) - Featurette: The Architecture of Ancient Georgia (6 min.) - Photo Album - Cast and Crew Filmographies - Trailers - DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 - In Georgian with optional ENGLISH, FRENCH or SPANISH subtitles.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61DvN5BEiwL.jpg

Quote:
SPECIAL FEATURES: Documentary: Andrei Tarkovsky and Sergei Paradjanov (2003, 40 min.) - Featurette: Songs of the Ukraine (1985, 8 min.) - Paradjanov Photo Album - Stills Gallery - Cast & Crew Filmographies - Trailers IN UKRAINIAN with optional ENGLISH, FRENCH or SPANISH subtitles - Dolby Digital 5.1
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q2UmhUlWL.jpg

Quote:
SPECIAL FEATURES - Documentary: Sergei Paradjonov (24 min.) - Documentary: Mikhail Lermontov (12 min.) - Featurette: The Minstrel's Song (5 min.) - Biography of Mikhail Lermontov - Cast and Crew Filmographies - Photo Album - Trailers DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1

jwnulife 11-06-07 12:26 PM
Wow, thanks! Looks like it might be worth checking out!

Yakuza Bengoshi 11-06-07 12:28 PM
That's great news. Hopefully, Kino has remastered THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES, THE LEGEND OF SURAM FORTRESS, and ASHIK KERIB for this release. If so, I'm definitely getting this. If not, SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS will be a rental for me.

jmj713 11-06-07 12:30 PM
Unfortunately looks like TCOP is the old release from 2001.

Yakuza Bengoshi 11-06-07 12:53 PM
My biggest complaints were with the existing versions of The Legend of Suram Fortress and Ashik Kerib. THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES isn't too bad all things considered. So it's enough for me that the first two are improved.

jmj713 11-06-07 12:55 PM
I'd read that TCOP looks poor on the existing DVD.

Yakuza Bengoshi 11-06-07 01:12 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmj713
I'd read that TCOP looks poor on the existing DVD.
It doesn't look great, but there's no better version available anywhere else at present, and much of the visual problems are probably inherent in the source material. Short of a major financial investment to restore the source materials this is probably as good as we can expect it to look. The biggest complaint I can attribute to Kino on this release is the low-quality, non-removable yellow subtitles.

Gerry P. 11-07-07 01:04 AM
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is long overdue for a DVD release. I'd almost given up hope that it would ever be released.

Norm de Plume 11-07-07 08:31 PM
Good news. Will they be released individually? I'm only interested in "Shadows..."

jmj713 11-07-07 09:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norm de Plume
Good news. Will they be released individually? I'm only interested in "Shadows..."
Yes.

PopcornTreeCt 11-08-07 12:07 AM
Got my hopes up until I saw that Kino was releasing it.

Gerry P. 11-08-07 01:08 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
Got my hopes up until I saw that Kino was releasing it.
At least it's not Facets. :)

AGameWithStones 11-08-07 05:36 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
Got my hopes up until I saw that Kino was releasing it.
If it is any consolation, the discs seem to be direct ports of the RUSCICO, which are NTSC transfers as far as I've heard. If I've heard correctly, Kino would actually have to put effort into the new discs to mess them up. Though I could be wrong. Beaver says that the RUSCICO disc is R0 NTSC, but the run time is three minutes shorter than the inferior Kino; precisely what it would be if it were a PAL transfer.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.


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