Despite getting its start way back in 1954, it is surprisingly risqué, dealing with illegitimate children, premarital sex and adultery.
The ending, as it is, much like the rest of the film, serves a higher, societal purpose. There´s relatively little drama about the decisions Fanny or Marius make. Simply, they are there, prompting everyone else to do the best they can in support of Fanny, since she is the one left behind. Whether by design or coincidence, "Fanny" demonstrates the world does not come to an end when the norms are questioned or even broken. People can live productive, happy lives even under less than ideal circumstances. There´s also an unmentioned theme of creating a family out of disparate parts. Panisse loves Cesario as his own son, though he is not. This group chooses to keep a secret between them for the betterment of one-Cesario.
In the final analysis, all the comic moments or other social tweaking doesn´t stand up to the ultimate story of a bond which runs thicker than blood or water. A bond of people who genuinely care about one another and decide to be in each others lives because of it. Families, in a perfect world, can have any complexion, any makeup and be legitimate.
VIDEO:
During the opening credits, with an ariel view of France in the background, I was stunned to see black bars on both sides of the picture. All the information I had indicated "Fanny" had been anamorpically enhanced. My fears were soon assuaged the moment director Logan´s name left the screen. The picture expands, giving us a pleasant enough transfer from Image Entertainment. I´m giving both technical specs a wide berth, considering the age and relative obscurity of film.
The 1.85:1 picture looks good, not great and definitely not horrible. Overall, the transfer has a layer of grain on it, mostly evident in outdoor scenes. Black levels are fairly consistent throughout; I didn´t notice any enhancement or "jaggies" in any sequence. Caron is given classic "soft focus" shots in a number of scenes near the end of the picture-they look hideously out of place. White spots rear their heads early and somewhat relatively often. Overall, I´m pleased with the presentation. Not perfect…but we can´t have an expectation of perfection, either.
AUDIO:
There´s two options and I´ll even go as far as to tell you which one to listen to. The options: English 5.1 and mono. Now, consider "Fanny" as made in 1961. Which do you think is my preference? Yes, the mono track is more alive and nuanced than the enhanced mix can ever hope to be. A side by side comparison is rather unnecessary, though I toggled through both options repeatedly through the film. In a nutshell, the mono version condenses the sound, channeling it as an audience might have heard upon original release. Plainly, it also sounds better.
An audio sync problem appears to be confined to Honorine´s character in that the words, obviously, never match up completely with the mouth movements. My first thought is that Anys was dubbed by another actress, though I haven´t found any information to corroborate this theory. Caron, at times, suffers the same problem. It´s not jarring enough to take us out of the picture. I´m not marking down for these potential issues. Surprisingly, no subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
The real surprise here? How much Image isn´t giving us in the way of bonus material. All we have is the 4:35 trailer featuring Chevalier and Boyer telling us about the film. No restoration work has been done to the material, obviously, with scratches, pops and other defects plainly visible. It makes me appreciate the video presentation all the more.
There is a second disc to this set containing fourteen tracks from the soundtrack composed by Harold Rome. This appears to be a longer version of an LP issued by Warner Brothers for the film. Track names popped right up in iTunes the minute I put the disc into my computer. Although it sounds a touch hissy, the score remains a sweeping, almost ballroom-inspired piece of work.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Lest it seem like I am souring on "Fanny," let me be clear: it is not a perfect production by any means. There are story problems and complete 180 degree flip near the end. Despite those issue-and others, I´m sure-this remains a light, fun and enjoyable experience. Chevalier, of whom I can´t speak highly enough, is a more than pleasant discovery for me. And with the location shooting in France, most of my concerns can be overlooked. This is a wonderful gem of a movie and not a bad DVD to boot.
In the final analysis, all the comic moments or other social tweaking doesn´t stand up to the ultimate story of a bond which runs thicker than blood or water. A bond of people who genuinely care about one another and decide to be in each others lives because of it. Families, in a perfect world, can have any complexion, any makeup and be legitimate.
VIDEO:
During the opening credits, with an ariel view of France in the background, I was stunned to see black bars on both sides of the picture. All the information I had indicated "Fanny" had been anamorpically enhanced. My fears were soon assuaged the moment director Logan´s name left the screen. The picture expands, giving us a pleasant enough transfer from Image Entertainment. I´m giving both technical specs a wide berth, considering the age and relative obscurity of film.
The 1.85:1 picture looks good, not great and definitely not horrible. Overall, the transfer has a layer of grain on it, mostly evident in outdoor scenes. Black levels are fairly consistent throughout; I didn´t notice any enhancement or "jaggies" in any sequence. Caron is given classic "soft focus" shots in a number of scenes near the end of the picture-they look hideously out of place. White spots rear their heads early and somewhat relatively often. Overall, I´m pleased with the presentation. Not perfect…but we can´t have an expectation of perfection, either.
AUDIO:
There´s two options and I´ll even go as far as to tell you which one to listen to. The options: English 5.1 and mono. Now, consider "Fanny" as made in 1961. Which do you think is my preference? Yes, the mono track is more alive and nuanced than the enhanced mix can ever hope to be. A side by side comparison is rather unnecessary, though I toggled through both options repeatedly through the film. In a nutshell, the mono version condenses the sound, channeling it as an audience might have heard upon original release. Plainly, it also sounds better.
An audio sync problem appears to be confined to Honorine´s character in that the words, obviously, never match up completely with the mouth movements. My first thought is that Anys was dubbed by another actress, though I haven´t found any information to corroborate this theory. Caron, at times, suffers the same problem. It´s not jarring enough to take us out of the picture. I´m not marking down for these potential issues. Surprisingly, no subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
The real surprise here? How much Image isn´t giving us in the way of bonus material. All we have is the 4:35 trailer featuring Chevalier and Boyer telling us about the film. No restoration work has been done to the material, obviously, with scratches, pops and other defects plainly visible. It makes me appreciate the video presentation all the more.
There is a second disc to this set containing fourteen tracks from the soundtrack composed by Harold Rome. This appears to be a longer version of an LP issued by Warner Brothers for the film. Track names popped right up in iTunes the minute I put the disc into my computer. Although it sounds a touch hissy, the score remains a sweeping, almost ballroom-inspired piece of work.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Lest it seem like I am souring on "Fanny," let me be clear: it is not a perfect production by any means. There are story problems and complete 180 degree flip near the end. Despite those issue-and others, I´m sure-this remains a light, fun and enjoyable experience. Chevalier, of whom I can´t speak highly enough, is a more than pleasant discovery for me. And with the location shooting in France, most of my concerns can be overlooked. This is a wonderful gem of a movie and not a bad DVD to boot.
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[release]24096[/release]