Douglas Broehl

Facsinating Film on Picasso, Sep 5 2003

This is a nice DVD edition. The images are clear and the color is rich and natural. The commentaries are also quite good. Peggy Parsons talks about the film as a film and about Picasso's showmanship, and the commentary by Archie Rand analyzes the paintings and is quite insightful. His commentary is a bit dry, and since he is a professor, he's a little too into himself and his big words. One annoying aspect to his commentary is his constant reference to Picasso's "courage" in the act of creating art. No, sorry! Someone suffering from cancer and living through hellish treatments shows courage, not a wealthly perfectly healthy artist in a studio making a painting! But overall… Read more

Excellent & Interesting Movie, Aug 6 2003

I saw this film in 1982 and remember it making quite an impression on me back then. I recently viewed the DVD and was equally impressed again. One of the great things about this film is that the director is able to tell a story without the use of dialogue. The acting alone tells the story, and that is quite a task. The story it tells is interesting and filled with human drama. One of the virtues of this film is that our ancestors are shown to be real humans; they have feelings like us, they react like us, they desire a better life, like us. By the end of the film you realize that humanity and all its aspirations and failings, has not really changed much; the archetypes remain the same,… Read more

Excellent Story, Great DVD, Feb 25 2003

The New Version is great. The added scenes in which Toto meets his teenage love, Elena, are wonderful and add a soulful richness that was lacking in the US version. The resolution of their relationship completes the film as a whole and makes the final scene where Toto watches the missing kissing scenes even that more powerful. The film is filled with such a warmth and genuine feeling of nostalgia; like so many great Italien films, this movie is very moving and touching on many levels. Simply put, this is a great film watching experience. The DVD transfer is excellent; it is extremely sharp, and the color is rich and very natural. If you loved the US version released in 1989, I highly… Read more