Il Sorpasso (1962)

[pro-bassoonist]

Spectacular film! Do not miss.

See a clip from the film here:
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=12994

Il Sorpasso Blu-ray REVIEW

The ultimate Italian road comedy, Il Sorpasso stars the unlikely pair of Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant as, respectively, a waggish, free-wheeling bachelor and the bookish law student he takes on a madcap trip from Rome to rural Southern Italy. An unpredictable journey that careers from slapstick to tragedy, this film, directed by Dino Risi, is a wildly entertaining commentary on the pleasures and consequences of the good life. A holy grail of commedia all'italiana, Il Sorpasso is so fresh and exciting that one can easily see why it has long been adored in Italy.

Special Features:

New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
New interviews with screenwriter Ettore Scola and film scholar and professor Rémi Fournier Lanzoni
Interview from 2004 with director Dino Risi by film critic Jean A. Gili
Introduction by actor Jean-Louis Trintignant from a 1983 French television broadcast of the film
A Beautiful Vacation, a 2006 documentary on Risi featuring interviews with the director and his collaborators and friends
Excerpts from a 2012 documentary that returns to Castiglioncello, the location for the film's beach scenes, featuring rare on-set color footage
Trailer
New English subtitle translation
One Blu-ray and two DVDs, with all content available in both formats
PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critics Phillip Lopate and Antonio Monda, as well as excerpts from Risi's writings, with an introduction by film critic Valerio Caprara

Pro-B

[Blu Titan]

Really looking forward to watching this film. A blind buy, but a movie I am sure to love .

[bigbadwoppet]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Spectacular film! Do not miss.

See a clip from the film here:
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=12994

Il Sorpasso Blu-ray





Pro-B

Il Sopasso is one of my ten fave films of all time. I've dreamt of Criterion releasing for years (I think I actually e-mailed them about it a long time ago). So imagine my extreme disappointment when I see the specs on their website and it shows the aspect ratio as 1.37:1. Sorpasso is not and has never been full frame. Hope it turns out to be a mistake.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by bigbadwoppet

Il Sopasso is one of my ten fave films of all time. I've dreamt of Criterion releasing for years (I think I actually e-mailed them about it a long time ago). So imagine my extreme disappointment when I see the specs on their website and it shows the aspect ratio as 1.37:1. Sorpasso is not and has never been full frame. Hope it turns out to be a mistake.

This is an error on their site.

Pro-B

[bigbadwoppet]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

This is an error on their site.

Pro-B

Thanx! I can breathe easier.

[Le Samourai]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, looks fun.

[Get2Me]

This is a blind buy for me, too. But it looks really interesting, both for the time period in which it was made and the fact that it's billed as an Italian "road film." Italy in any decade is, indeed, a worth the trip and the scenery alone should elevate Il Sorpasso to something highly enjoyable, bordering on brilliant.

I just read the plot synopsis on Wikipedia. Uh oh, Il Sorpasso sounds like it has a bit of a downer ending, despite being a prime example of the commedia all'italiana genre. Perhaps it's handled in a darkly comic way. Time will tell. I'm still excited for this release.

[chucktatum]

I just saw this tonight at the Silent Movie Theater. What an incredible film. Hilarious and sad and poignant. It feels so fresh! They showed a DCP - it was stunning. And it certainly wasn't in full frame.

[bigbadwoppet]

Exceptional transfer and excellent extras. Criterion should only release vintage films which deserve to be restored like this. I've dreamt of them doing Scola's C'eravamo Tanto Amati.

[Brad1963]

My copy has shipped. I'm looking forward to this one.

[Get2Me]

Got my copy tonight. It's a beautiful set with a hefty booklet. Looks great with a ton of photos throughout the packaging. I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie for the first time - especially after the glowing Blu-ray.com review!

[Badas]

^

I'm really looking forward to this.

[pro-bassoonist]

Parlons Femmes DVD



Reposting one recommendation, though I am unsure if this disc can still be purchased. You will have to look around.

Note: The great director Ettore Scola began his career as a screenwriter. (We have reviewed all English-friendly Blu-ray releases of his films). A couple of years after Dino Risi's Il Sorpasso, he directed his first film (omnibus) - Let's Talk About Women, again with Vittorio Gassman playing a character as wild as the one in Il Sorpasso. If you can still find it on DVD, pick up a copy for your library





Pro-B

[pro-bassoonist]

PACKAGING

Additional photos in the review





Pro-B

[Scottie]

My copy arrived the other day and I'm really looking forward to checking it out this weekend.

It seems like it will be an entertaining watch.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by iScottie

My copy arrived the other day and I'm really looking forward to checking it out this weekend.

It seems like it will be an entertaining watch.

Hopefully you will like the film, iScottie

(And spend some time with the supplemental features. They are outstanding ).

Pro-B

[I KEEL YOU]

Love the early 60s themed graphics of the packaging.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iScottie

My copy arrived the other day and I'm really looking forward to checking it out this weekend.

It seems like it will be an entertaining watch.

Same here, except I'm waiting until July to get it at B&N with several others.

I'd be surprised if both of us didn't find it entertaining.

[Dan8700]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Let's Talk About Women, again with Vittorio Gassman playing a character as wild as the one in Il Sorpasso. If you can still find it on DVD, pick up a copy for your library


Pro-B

Yeah, Se permettete parliamo di donne is entertaining. In the segment with Koscina, the car has the same hooter sound of the one featured in Il Sorpasso, and the whole segment is a kinda spin-off. But it's not at all as effective as other films of those years where Gassman plays a similar character, like I Mostri (the last segment is a sarcastic masterpiece) or Il Mattatore, both highly recommended.

ps. does that French DVD actually run for 93'? Because if it is, it'd be a cut version...

[Adrock]

Originally Posted by iScottie

My copy arrived the other day and I'm really looking forward to checking it out this weekend.

It seems like it will be an entertaining watch.

Same here. Really looking forward to watching it this weekend.