Is Paris Burning? (1966)

[James Luckard]

Is Paris Burning? Blu-ray

Coming soon from Kino Lorber:

Coming Soon on Blu-ray!

Digitally Restored in 2022 – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by Paramount Pictures in Association with American Zoetrope and Francis Ford Coppola.

Is Paris Burning? (1966) Starring in Alphabetical Order: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, George Chakris, Bruno Cremer, Claude Dauphin, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas, Pierre Dux, Glenn Ford, Gert Fröbe, Daniel Gélin, Georges Géret, Hannes Messemer, Harry Meyen, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli, Wolfgang Preiss, Claude Rich, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Pierre Vaneck, Marie Versini, Skip Ward & Orson Welles – Shot by Marcel Grignon (Taxi for Tobruk) – Music by Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago) – Screenplay by Gore Vidal (Suddenly, Last Summer) & Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation) – Additional Dialogue by Marcel Moussy (The 400 Blows) – Directed by René Clément (Forbidden Games, Purple Noon, Joy House, Rider on the Rain).

Oscar Nominee: Best Cinematography & Best Art Direction-Set Decoration

This was one of the first films Coppola wrote, excited to see him involved in the restoration!



I really hope they include both the standard English audio track and also the French track, like the DVD had. If they also include the German track, that would be spectacular!!

This film is a bit like Paramount's The Tenant, filmed ten years later. It has a largely French cast, so those scenes play best in French, but there are significant chunks of the film in English, with American stars, so those scenes play best in their own language.

Much like The Tenant, playing the conventional American English track leaves probably 90% of the actors speaking dubbed.

In this film, there are also scenes with German actors. There's a German audio track, it's on the German DVD, but has never been released in the US.

Obviously, the ideal modern presentation would be everyone speaking in their own languages, nobody dubbed, but that wouldn't be accurate to the intent of the filmmakers in 1966, and I think there are a few scenes where characters speak multiple languages, so I don't know which track you'd use during those scenes.

[James Luckard]

My fantasy ideal version would include:
- English audio
- French audio
- German audio
- English SDH subtitles, of course, but ALSO standard English subtitles

The Tenant included both the French and English tracks, after fan campaigning I was a part of, but they only included English SDH subtitles, which describe every sound onscreen in addition to the dialogue. This became unintentionally funny when they constantly described, with a distractingly modern vocabulary, how "chill music plays" and "creepy music plays" and such during suspenseful scenes.

[pross]

Hope this restored version includes the Roadshow Overture, Entr’acte and Exit Music.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by pross

Hope this restored version includes the Roadshow Overture, Entr’acte and Exit Music.

It's been years since I watched my DVD, but I think it did, right?

[Gacivory]

I’m really excited about this! I think this disc has been waiting in my “Saved Section” of my Netflix Queue since maybe I’ve had the account!

[Mister VistaVision]

Was able to snag the end credits in 35mm IB-Tech Scope 30 years ago and still watch it just to hear Maurice Jarre's phenomenal theme.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Mister VistaVision

Was able to snag the end credits in 35mm IB-Tech Scope 30 years ago and still watch it just to hear Maurice Jarre's phenomenal theme.

I'm with you. As weird as it sounds, the end credits are the best part of this movie.

[Biniaris]

this has been on my watchlist for awhile and i'd been eyeing the JPN blu-ray but didn't wanna shell out the $50+ it. nice to see this finally get a US release.

[MifuneFan]

Dated for August 15th:

August 15th

Is Paris Burning? (1966) Digitally Restored from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by Paramount Pictures in association with American Zoetrope and Francis Ford Coppola

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Dated for August 15th:

Very nice. Where did this show up from? I didn't see it on the August dates that were posted like a week ago here.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Very nice. Where did this show up from? I didn't see it on the August dates that were posted like a week ago here.

I checked the schedule at HTF, and it was updated with that one, and a couple others.

[MifuneFan]

Kino has officially announced it. Great cover art for this release.

Coming August 15th!
https://kinolorber.com/product/is-pa...pecial-edition

Is Paris Burning? (1966)
• Digitally Restored from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by Paramount Pictures in Association with American Zoetrope and Francis Ford Coppola
• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Daniel Kremer and Howard S. Berger
• 5.1 Surround/Lossless 2.0 Stereo English Audio and Lossless 2.0 Mono French Audio
• Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase
• Optional English Subtitles

B&W/C 173 Minutes 2.35:1 Not Rated
Acclaimed filmmaker René Clément (Forbidden Games, The Day and the Hour, Rider on the Rain) brings you the explosive, courage-filled story of the Allied Resistance and the Paris Liberation of 1944. As the Nazi jackboot marches through Europe, the freedom fighters of Paris mount a brave resistance. An insane and desperate Hitler sends a top general to determine if the Nazis can hold the city. If not, Paris will be burned. With a powerful script by Gore Vidal (Suddenly, Last Summer) and Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation); and a rousing score by legendary composer Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago). This epic film boasts an international cast of screen legends, including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, George Chakris, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Gert Fröbe, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Orson Welles. Is Paris Burning? is a staggering portrait of heroism and brotherhood, and one of the most riveting stories to come out of World War II.

[Gacivory]

I like that cover art!

[James Luckard]

STUNNING cover art!!! I believe that's the original French keyart.

And YES!!!!!!!!!!!! French audio included!

The film is mostly in French, though some scenes are in English. When I've watched it in the past, I toggle between languages for the various scenes. It's just a shame the German track couldn't be included, since there are a few German scenes, but the DVD didn't have it either.

[Deciazulado]

Is Paris Burning? Blu-ray

[James Luckard]

Wow, I just noticed this hilarious logline/summary from Rotten Tomatoes:

Near the end of World War II, Gen. Dietrich von Choltitz (Jean-Paul Belmondo) receives orders to burn down Paris if it becomes clear the Allies are going to invade, or if he cannot maintain control of the city. After much contemplation Choltitz decides to ignore his orders, enraging the Germans and giving hope to various resistance factions that the city will be liberated. Choltitz, along with Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling (Leslie Caron), helps a resistance leader (Alain Delon) organize his forces.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/is_paris_burning

I mean the summary itself is accurate, but someone got all the actors wrong.

Apparently this is international sex symbol Belmondo:


And Leslie Caron is the hefty gentleman on the left in this photo, seated next to an unknown woman...

[Shanghai Express]

The English subtitles slip out of sync starting midway through the scene of Gert Frobe moving into the Hotel Meurice, roughly 22 minutes in. Subtitles start to appear nearly two seconds after a line is spoken, sometimes after the speaker has finished speaking. Very distracting when viewing with the original French soundtrack.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Shanghai Express

The English subtitles slip out of sync starting midway through the scene of Gert Frobe moving into the Hotel Meurice, roughly 22 minutes in. Subtitles start to appear nearly two seconds after a line is spoken, sometimes after the speaker has finished speaking. Very distracting when viewing with the original French soundtrack.

Yeah, noticed that as well. Felt more like a second behind. Also, the subtitles are only for the English audio right? There is is no subtitles for the French audio?

PQ was fantastic though. The movie honestly was slightly a let down. I've been looking forward to this for a long time, with such a cast I thought it would be great, but it's just weird seeing so many major stars for a minute or two. Movie also felt a bit disjointed and never very cohesive.

Still an interesting view overall.

[Shanghai Express]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Also, the subtitles are only for the English audio right? There is no subtitles for the French audio?

There are; I watched it with French audio and English subtitles. There are no French subtitles, if that's what you mean.

Hopefully Paramount puts this out themselves in the UK or France, or maybe Indicator. I'd double-dip for a version that isn't compromised.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Shanghai Express

There are; I watched it with French audio and English subtitles. There are no French subtitles, if that's what you mean.

Oh what I meant is that the subtitles are for track one which is the English track. When I click subtitles two, nothing shows up with the subtitles at all. So when I was watching it in French I was watching the first subtitle option which is for the English audio.

There are times where there are lines in English that aren't there in the French audio, so there would be an extra line of subtitles even though no one is saying in the French audio.