Reviews & Columns |
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
DVD Talk Forum |
|
Resources |
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
Columns
|
|
Gilda
Gilda is a classic film noir starring actress Rita Hayworth in the title role as Gilda. The film was produced by Virginia Van Upp (Cover Girl). It is directed by directed by Charles Vidor (Love Me, Or Leave Me).
The story begins by introducing the character Johnny (Glenn Ford). Johnny is a crooked gambler who wins big as a casino. The casino is owned and operated by Ballin (George Macready), who initially decides to try and have Johnny shot-dead for stealing from the casino before taking him up on an offer to work with him.
Ballin and Johnny start a partnership and friendship that eventually leads to them living together. Things become more complicated between the two of them when Ballin decides on a whim to marry a girl he just met the day before, named Gilda (Rita Hayworth). Gilda is beautiful and mysterious. The film is largely remembered for the impressive performance from the lovely Hayworth. Gilda was one of her most famous roles. The performance is a strong one and she is entirely memorable in the role.
Both Gilda and Johnny find themselves living with Ballin. The relationship between the three complicates further. Romantic tension begins to brew between Gilda and Johnny. As the film progresses, things become continually more complex as the character's relationships are explored. Gilda is a unique film noir in its exploration of the relationship between both Johnny and Ballin.
The film is a impressive production. It features a strong music score by Hugo Friedhofer (Casablanca). The cinematography by Rudolph Mate (The Passion of Joan of Arc, Foreign Correspondent) is one of the best aspects of Gilda. It is an amazing effort. The creativity of the cinematography is immense. The costume design by Jean Louis (From Here to Eternity, A Star Is Born) is essential to the filmmaking. The costumes of Gilda are absolutely exquisite. The film also has many impressive song and dance numbers. Rita Hayworth carries these sequences with her unique style.
The screenplay was written by Marion Parsonnet (Cover Girl) from an adaptation by Jo Eisinger (The Sleeping City), based on a story by E.A. Ellington. The film is unique in the canon of film noir. The themes and storyline are quite a bit different from other films made in Hollywood at the time.
Directed by Charles Vidor, Gilda impresses with its stylistic flourishes. Yet it's also sometimes poorly paced and the film-noir approach sometimes doesn't work as well in Gilda as one might hope. Nonetheless, Gilda offers an interesting cinematic experience which is worthwhile for Rita Hayworth's memorable performance.
The Blu-ray:
Video:
Gilda arrives on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection with an impressive 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition presentation. The film is presented in its original theatrical 1.34:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The release is presented with a impressive 35mbps bit-rate encode. This is a generally strong 2K restoration effort from a 35mm source. The film looks strong throughout with excellent clarity and depth. It is a naturally filmic presentation with fine film grain.
Audio:
The audio is presented in uncompressed PCM lossless 1.0 mono. This is a strong lossless audio presentation which preserves the original sound design. The audio is presented in 24 bit depth. Dialogue clarity is excellent throughout. This is a good audio presentation for Gilda.
Extras:
Criterion has provided a printed leaflet featuring an essay on Gilda. On-disc supplements include:
Audio Commentary with film critic Richard Schickel.
Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann (17 min.) is an appreciation on the film from acclaimed filmmakes Scorsese (Hugo, Goodfellas) and Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet).
Hollywood and the Stars: The Odyessy of Rita Hayworth (26 min.) is a vintage documentary episode from a television series which focused on legendary Hollywood actors. This episode focuses upon the star of Gilda, Rita Hayworth.
Eddie Muller Interview (23 min.) is an interview on Gilda with film historian Eddie Muller about the story of Gilda, the filmmaking, and the Hollywood studio system of the time. Muller gives a in-depth analysis of the film and discusses the themes of Gilda.
Original Theatrical Trailer
Final Thoughts:
Gilda is a distinctive classic Hollywood film noir highlighted by the performance by Rita Hayworth. Hayworth is fantastic in the film. Criterion has done an excellent job with the restoration effort and the Blu-ray release includes some worthwhile (and fascinating) supplements. Fans of Gilda will certainly want to add this Blu-ray to their collections.
Recommended.
Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema. He aspires to make movies and has written two screenplays on spec. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas.
|
Popular Reviews |
Sponsored Links |
|
Sponsored Links |
|
Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices
|