Scent of Green Papaya dvd Full Screen?
01-02-02, 11:18 AM
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Scent of Green Papaya dvd Full Screen?
Has anyone bought the Columbia/Tristar release of The Scent of Green Papaya? They recently released this and Vertical Ray of the Sun but they released Scent of Green Papaya as a full screen edition and Vertical Ray w/anamorphic widescreen. Does this make sense to anyone? Why would Columbia release a full screen edition like that. I'm almost positive the film's OAR isn't full screen. If anyone has this dvd please give me a review. Thanks for any info!
01-02-02, 12:46 PM
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Nope, releasing one film with a gorgeous anamorphic transfer while the other gets butchered with a pan and scan treatment makes no sense. It's especially disconcerting, because Tran Anh Hung is an exceptional composer of images -- I'd go so far as to say that there's no active filmmaker who takes such care in the way he constructs his shots.
I haven't seen the Columbia/TriStar edition of The Scent of Green Papaya, but the trailer for it found on The Vertical Ray of the Sun DVD shows a picture that's heavily cropped. That's ruinous to a film whose story is communicated primarily through its images.
There's a nice widescreen edition of Green Papaya available from France, so anyone capable of playing R2 discs should seek that out instead of suffering through the inexplicably botched R1 edition.
I haven't seen the Columbia/TriStar edition of The Scent of Green Papaya, but the trailer for it found on The Vertical Ray of the Sun DVD shows a picture that's heavily cropped. That's ruinous to a film whose story is communicated primarily through its images.
There's a nice widescreen edition of Green Papaya available from France, so anyone capable of playing R2 discs should seek that out instead of suffering through the inexplicably botched R1 edition.
01-02-02, 01:11 PM
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Donald-does the french edition have eng subs? Did you view Vertical Ray of the Sun? How does this movie look? I haven't seen it yet but saw the trailer at the local indie theater and thought it looked beautiful.
Spider-are you sure because i was looking for the OAR before, it's not listedo n imdb but I though i saw somewhere else that it was 1:85. Plus if it's out on widescreen in France I would assume they would keep the OAR since Europeans seem to be smarter than Americans when it comes to releasing dvd's : )
Spider-are you sure because i was looking for the OAR before, it's not listedo n imdb but I though i saw somewhere else that it was 1:85. Plus if it's out on widescreen in France I would assume they would keep the OAR since Europeans seem to be smarter than Americans when it comes to releasing dvd's : )
01-02-02, 01:19 PM
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...the French DVD (which carries an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer of Cyclo on the flip side) is letterboxed at 1.85:1 - which , if you watch the "Making of..." also included on the disc, is clearly the intended AR...
...optional French, English, Dutch & German subtitles...
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=1074
NOTE 1: I own the previously released two-disc edition - the 'new' release is a repeat of the first, but without the two short movies by the director
NOTE 2: both films feature an MPEG2(*) 1.0 soundtrack (not DD)
(*)...since - mercifully! - abandoned by all but the most knuckleheaded European DVD-makers...
...the Vertical Rays... disc is anamorphic 1.85:1, French subtitles only...
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=3031
. . .
. . .
...optional French, English, Dutch & German subtitles...
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=1074
NOTE 1: I own the previously released two-disc edition - the 'new' release is a repeat of the first, but without the two short movies by the director
NOTE 2: both films feature an MPEG2(*) 1.0 soundtrack (not DD)
(*)...since - mercifully! - abandoned by all but the most knuckleheaded European DVD-makers...
...the Vertical Rays... disc is anamorphic 1.85:1, French subtitles only...
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=3031
. . .
. . .
Last edited by Hendrik; 01-02-02 at 01:29 PM.
01-02-02, 01:26 PM
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Does it have Eng subs though. Okay, so maybe the Europeans aren't better, just seems like they put out some movies that get overlooked here. At any rate I would still like to have the dvd with the OAR as long as it has eng subs. Please let me know. Thanks, biggen
01-02-02, 01:40 PM
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The French edition does have English subs, and as Hendrik mentioned, it also includes Tran's masterful Cyclo. This 2-disc set also includes a making-of documentary for each film, two short films by Tran, and a commentary track for Cyclo. Unfortunately, all of the extras are without English subs.
The Vertical Ray of the Sun DVD is stunning -- great sound, perfect contrast, spot-on color.
Again, The Scent of Green Papaya was most definitely filmed in widescreen. The R1 disc isn't an open-matte transfer, it's cropped, pan-n-scanned, butchered, as a simple comparison between Columbia's trailer and the French DVD reveals. There's more info seen on the letterboxed French disc, while there's no more info at the top and bottom of the Columbia version. It's clear what's happened.
The Vertical Ray of the Sun DVD is stunning -- great sound, perfect contrast, spot-on color.
Again, The Scent of Green Papaya was most definitely filmed in widescreen. The R1 disc isn't an open-matte transfer, it's cropped, pan-n-scanned, butchered, as a simple comparison between Columbia's trailer and the French DVD reveals. There's more info seen on the letterboxed French disc, while there's no more info at the top and bottom of the Columbia version. It's clear what's happened.
01-02-02, 01:40 PM
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Thanks Hendrick. I'll probably stick with the Columbia/tristar version of Vertical Ray of the Sun but I'm going to have to get this french double set for Scent and Cyclo. What is the edition you have like? Is it just a se of Scent of green papaya? Is it still available anywhere? Thanks again for all your help and steering me in the right direction. big
01-02-02, 01:43 PM
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Donald-thanks for your help as well. Since I don't speak a lick of French are there any good e-tailers I can buy this from that have sites in English or just Amazon.fr? Can you buy through dvdfrance or is that just a reference site? Thanks again for all help? ps. I hate it when they don't include subs on extras-i just don't understand unless it's a "rights" issue. big
01-02-02, 01:58 PM
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Sweet, thanks Donald. I guess while i'm looking at French sites are there any other good french dvd editions of asian movies w/english subs. note-I'm waiting for the Criterion of In the mood for Love. big
01-02-02, 02:04 PM
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AHA!!! ...so it appears CinéStore still has copies of the 'old' two-disc (=one DVD-10 plus one DVD-5) Film Office release in stock... (the 'new' release, from arte is one DVD-10 with the two features - only)
. . . . . .
. . .
. . .
01-02-02, 02:22 PM
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Hendrick-where is the old version listed? I did not see it, only the new one w/cyclo on it. Or are both movies on both editions and i'm not looking at it right? Thanks, big
01-02-02, 02:31 PM
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...ahh... BOTH movies are on one DVD-10, one title to a side... look again at the fiche http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=394 which mentions both titles Cyclo and L'Odeur de la papaye verte...
...the 'old' (TWO-DISC) version is (still) available from CinéStore, the site previously indicated by Donald Brown...
Right? Right!
. . .
. . .
...the 'old' (TWO-DISC) version is (still) available from CinéStore, the site previously indicated by Donald Brown...
Right? Right!
. . .
. . .
Last edited by Hendrik; 01-02-02 at 02:38 PM.
01-02-02, 08:34 PM
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I bought my copy of the old version early last November from cinestore. They were out-of-stock on this title for awhile but somehow were able to procure a few more copies from Arte.
01-02-02, 11:23 PM
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Originally posted by Donald Brown
[B]Nope, releasing one film with a gorgeous anamorphic transfer while the other gets butchered with a pan and scan treatment makes no sense. It's especially disconcerting, because Tran Anh Hung is an exceptional composer of images -- I'd go so far as to say that there's no active filmmaker who takes such care in the way he constructs his shots.
B]
[B]Nope, releasing one film with a gorgeous anamorphic transfer while the other gets butchered with a pan and scan treatment makes no sense. It's especially disconcerting, because Tran Anh Hung is an exceptional composer of images -- I'd go so far as to say that there's no active filmmaker who takes such care in the way he constructs his shots.
B]
While I like Tran's works, he's no Bela Tarr.
The sumptuous photography in The Vertical Ray of the Sun is atrributed to Mark Li-Ping Bin, Hou Hsiao Hsien's favorite photographer. The same luminous quality can be seen in Hou's "Flowers of Shanghai", as well as In the Mood for Love, both of which Mark Li-Ping Bin was involved in.
01-17-02, 11:18 PM
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I am looking for the 2 DVD set also.
Anyone know for sure if it's still available?
Cinestore says 2 weeks for delivery, but is it in stock?
Link here
Alapage seems to list it, but the specs does not show 2 DVDs
Alapage link
any comments of these links?
J.T.
Anyone know for sure if it's still available?
Cinestore says 2 weeks for delivery, but is it in stock?
Link here
Alapage seems to list it, but the specs does not show 2 DVDs
Alapage link
any comments of these links?
J.T.
01-18-02, 03:11 AM
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So what is it now???
Now, is it "FULLSCREEN", that this film is intended to be seen in or 1.85:1 Widescreen?
Hendrik, are you able to capture a screenshot and someone that has the R1 release does the same at the same spot so we could see which one actually looks "right"?
Thank you very much,
Sebastian.
PS: Vertical Ray Of The Sun is in the correct AR, right?
Hendrik, are you able to capture a screenshot and someone that has the R1 release does the same at the same spot so we could see which one actually looks "right"?
Thank you very much,
Sebastian.
PS: Vertical Ray Of The Sun is in the correct AR, right?
01-22-02, 11:34 PM
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Cinéstore.... L'ordeur de la papaya verte et Cyclo avec 2 courts métrages...
Juss got mine in the mail yesterday evening!!!! watched it this morning.... lovely LOVELY stuff. will go watch more of Tran....
simply spectacular... Every self-respecting film aficionado should have this in his collection..... Kudos to ARTE! ARtE is cool enuff to despatch this to me 1st despite the delay for my TRAFFIC is only 3 days!!!!! Im a pleased client.
and yes, it is wif the 2 SHORTS!!!! Get it while it lasts, no?
simply spectacular... Every self-respecting film aficionado should have this in his collection..... Kudos to ARTE!
ARtE is cool enuff to despatch this to me 1st despite the delay for my TRAFFIC is only 3 days!!!!! Im a pleased client. and yes, it is wif the 2 SHORTS!!!! Get it while it lasts, no?