Verdi - La Traviata DVD

Advantages: Greta Garbo... excellent cast and directing
Disadvantages: none... seriously... none...

...aux Camelias"... of the romantically tragic life of a courtesan dying of tuberculosis in the mid 19th century... sound familiar..?? damn straight it does... but lets hold off on that now... It is also rumoured that Verdi based his classic opera "La Traviata" on Dumas Fils` book... George Cukor... the director who brought us My Fair Lady ... also directed Camille ... and he was adamant about Greta Garbo having the role of the doomed courtestan Marguerite Gautier... and in doing so.. Cukor gave up his chance to pick the lead male actor... which ended up to be Robert Taylor... About 20 years before Cukor and Garbo's Camille... Ohio born silent film siren Theda Bara was Marguerite in the non-talkie version... but because her voice was not up to par for the movie with sound... Greta received the role... @-|----ABOUT THE MOVIE... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Amazing film: a total masterpiece
Disadvantages: Extras are disappointing

...This is not the sort of movie I'd usually rent or buy, but I was given a copy of it as a Christmas gift and was totally spellbound by it. It's clever, twisting plot and it's intelligent casting leave the lines between good and bad guys blurred and keeps the movie intriguing until its climax. I felt that the extras were a bit of a let-down, though, in comparison to other DVDs I've watched. Specifically, I felt that they were lacking in cast interviews. Nevertheless, L.A. Confidential is in a class of its own. It is hard to think of a modern comparison to this film. Gritty, cool and intelligent, with outstanding and memorable performances it is a definate must have for a film lover's DVD collection.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Superb production, fascinating footage, great music
Disadvantages: None whatsoever apart from wanting more

...at Tanglewood in 1949 which is as vivid as if you were actually sitting there playing - a real highlight of the DVD for me! Other complete pieces include Felix Weingaertner conducting Weber's "Die Freischuetz Overture" in a very sonically impressive film considering it dates from 1932. It is always much more satisfying to enjoy some longer sections of music than just having short extracts all the time, especially when this archive material is so precious and revealing. Anyone who has wondered what it is like to play in an orchestra will find the footage in several of these archive films absolutely riveting. As an orchestral violinist myself I was engrossed in Verdi's Overture to "La Forza del Destino" where even though it was filmed in 1944, the flesh-penetrating, tempestuous and passionate laser-beam gaze of legendary Italian maestro Arturo... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful