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| Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison, Joan
Greenwood, Dorothy Tutin, Margaret Rutherford, Edith Evans, Miles Malleson |
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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
5.1 |
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
/ storyboards |
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Multi-angle
feature |
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Lady
Bracknell (Edith Evans): Are your parents living?
Jack Worthing (Michael Redgrave): I have lost both my parents.
Lady Bracknell: To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded
as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.
Two
friends each maintain alternate identities, which leads to unexpected
romantic complications.
 Frequently
celebrated as the finest example of the wit and versatility of the English
language, Oscar Wilde's most famous play remains as good as its reputation
would suggest. The razor-sharp dialogues may have been quoted a few
times too many, but within the context of the play and delivered so
impeccably by a once-in-a-lifetime cast, they regain a freshness and
humor that belies their age upon each new viewing. Director Anthony
Asquith wisely makes only a bare minimum of alterations to the play's
stage directions, resulting in a film that falls somewhere between the
cinematic and the straightforward registration of a theatrical performance.
He uses many long takes, in tribute to the actors' extraordinary timing
and effortless delivery, but has a keen eye for accentuating the right
moments by cutting in for an effective close-up. His casting, staging
and editing choices are finally what make this adaptation the definitive
film version of the classic play, and one likely to remain so for quite
some time. |
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A
Region 2 release is available in the UK. The Region version from the
Criterion Collection served as a basis for this review.
The
fullscreen image is framed at its original Academy aspect ratio of approx.
1.33:1. The opening credits suffer from severe haloing effects and severe
graininess, but this thankfully improves as the film gets going. The
source print is in terrific shape thanks to the sterling restoration
efforts undertaken by the Criterion Collection, though fleshtones are
on the pinkish side and there is some color fading noticeably throughout.
Grain levels remain acceptable and for a Technicolor film this age,
it's an excellent presentation.
The monaural sound mix is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0, free of any
clutter or overdue hiss. Dialogues remain intelligible at all times.
Aside
from the badly aged theatrical trailer, the only extra feature
on board this release is the selection of still images and text screens
titled images in context. This excellent collection of production
stills, poster designs and behind-the-scenes photographs has been divided
into three major section, offering excellent mini-biographies of cast
and crew members and a short production history.The
beautifully designed 16:9 widescreen menu screens offer easy, pleasing
access to the DVD's features.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed: July
17, 2002
Click
here for IMDB info on The
Importance of Being Earnest.
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