Day for Night (Widescreen): Amazon.ca: DVD: DVD

Product Description

Amazon.com Essential Video

François Truffaut's lavish and fun 1973 comedy-drama about a film production is a clever hall of mirrors, with Truffaut himself playing a director, and his most important actor in real life, Jean-Pierre Léaud (The 400 Blows), portraying Jacqueline Bisset's immature costar. Day for Night is full of tales undoubtedly told out of school and repeated here in camouflage, and one can't help but be impressed with the stylistic and technical means by which Truffaut captures the adventurousness of a full-budget shoot. The cast is very good all around, with actors in some cases playing fictional thespians and in other cases playing members of the crew. A sequence set to thrilling music by Georges Delerue celebrates the whole art of filmmaking as seen from an editor's perspective--it makes one want to drop everything and shoot a film of one's own. --Tom Keogh

Video Details

The leading lady is recovering from a nervous breakdown, another performer is soused on the set, unions threaten to walk, shooting must finish before the insurance lapses and a cat can't hit its mark. Is this any way to make a film? FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT's sly, humorous OscarO-winning Best Foreign Language Film (1973) that speaks the language of everyone who loves movies. JACQUELINE BISSET, JEAN-PIERRE AUMONT, VALENTINA CORTESE, NATHALIE BAYE and Truffaut star.

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER VOTE FOR A SUBTITLED VERSION, July 28 2002

By

quaco (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Day for Night (VHS Tape)

In giving a star rating, I'm torn between rating the film itself and rating the video in its dubbed state. So lest anyone criticize me for "giving it one star just because of the dubbing"...

I am not a cinema expert by any means, but I have seen the subtitled version and I have seen the dubbed version, and the subtitled version is much funnier and more enjoyable. So you have to read a little, so what? I am curious why they chose to release the dubbed version on video and not the subtitled one. Probably thinking that, since it is such an immediate and enjoyable movie about movies, it might actually sell to English-speaking audiences as a "Player"-esque comedy, romp, etc.

I can understand this, but can we please please see a release with subtitles?

I know a lot of information gets lost in the subtitling, so it's far from perfect either, but at least it's not actively disturbing, like when hackneyed American voices with little (or the wrong) feeling come out of mouths that are moving completely differently. Also, I like hearing the language be spoken. I like the sound of French voices in French movies. It's what the movie is supposed to sound like. Just as westerns sound right with American voices.

Maybe I'm weird, but I can barely watch the subtitled version. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend it (2 stars perhaps). But the movie itself is wonderful! Don't buy the video, but do go see it in the theater if you get the chance.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Finally Here With Subtitles!, Mar 26 2003

By

Michael Weber "fairportfan" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Day for Night (Widescreen) (DVD)

For years i have been not watching this film -- one of my very favourites -- because it was only available on VHS in an abysmally-dubbed version.

Well, now it's on DVD with the original French track and subtitles in English, and it's just as great as i've been remembering it from the last chance i had to see it theatrically.

The video transfer looks excellent, the sound is good, and the film is the film.

And there are goodies galore on the DVD as well; i haven't finished all of them yet.

If you haven't seen this film, now is the time to do so.

((The dubbed track is included for people who simply can't deal with subtitles.))

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this now, while you still can., July 18 2004

By

James Luckard (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Day for Night (Widescreen) (DVD)

If you're thinking about it at all, you should buy this DVD as soon as possible, because it looks likely to go out of print. I read a news article this week saying that the estate of Truffaut has sued Warner Bros. to stop making this DVD.

Apparently Warner had the rights to the film for 30 years, which ended May 24, 2003. Warner released this DVD in the US on March 18, 2003, and the Truffaut heirs say this was knowingly done to get in before the deadline. Apparently excess stocks of books and movies are usually allowed to be sold even after rights have been lost. However, the Truffaut estate claims Warner released this DVD so close to the expiration of their rights that they are abusing this. They want a large amount of money and for the DVD to be pulled from stores, because they say Truffaut and his estate never got much if any money from Warner Bros.

However this gets resolved, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see this well made DVD, which finally offers the film in the original French, just quietly disappear from the market at some point soon. If you want it, pick it up now, before it's going for $100 at ebay.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The best film about filmmaking...
If you have any interest in filmmaking, just buy this film. Don't even debate the question. Day for Night is the best film about filmmaking there is. Read more

Published on Mar 7 2004 by JR Pinto

5.0 out of 5 stars If your French is poor, be ready to read a lot!
As the film began, I was annoyed (because I'm not a great fan of Truffault). By the end I was in grateful tears. A truly inspiring film about making art. Read more

Published on Feb 25 2004 by jumpy1