One of my few regrets moving so far away from my beloved NYC is that I cannot attend Film Forum anymore. Has anyone out there seen the Cohen Media Group release of the film at FF and if so, what did you think of it?
shareI did not attend the Film Forum presentation of "Intolerance" but I recently purchased the Cohen Media Group Blu-ray (also on DVD) and my advice is do not hesitate getting a chance to see the miraculous restoration of this incredible film. The movie has never looked better than this, a significant upgrade from the KIno DVD which I thought was very good. The Carl Davis score is the icing on the cake, which makes watching the film an entirely new experience. I previously had the BBC Thames Video VHS tape from the late '80s of which this is the same presentation but this present restoration is truly astonishing. This version is not as long (the Kino DVD features the film at well over three hours whereas the Cohen release clocks in at approximately 167 minutes but some of that may be due to film speed and excision of certain scenes (there has never been an "official Director's Cut" as Griffith was known to tinker with the film's running length over the years but watching this new release I can vouch for the fact that the movie feels very complete). In my opinion this rates as one of the great epic films. Let me know what you think! sincerely, Mike
shareAbsolutely spectacular -- I've never seen a silent movie so beautifully restored -- and the spectacle and action in the movie as well as Carl Davis' brilliant score, it would play very well in theatres even today (once you get past the mind-numbing set up of each story)
For the record, the bluray is region free and playable in all bluray players all over the world (I'm in Australia, region B)
I have this copy at home. The restoration is quite good. The Carl Davis score does the job very well.
There is at least one scene that is not in this version. It's this one, at approx. 44m into the movie :
"Belshazzar, shepherd of the mighty nation, purified by the sacred baths and a Sabbath of rest, visits the temple of the moon god." With his entourage, Belshazzar walks through the archway of the temple to Bel-Marduk, where the Mountain Girl murmurs and sighs lovingly at him: "My masu, my hero-love." Next to her in the crowd, "another agent of the High Priest of Bel" is "agitating against Belshazzar," still fearing the loss of his religious power. To defend her loved one, the Mountain Girl grabs the High Priest by the throat and cries out: "Lies! Lies! Lies!" For her angry assault and affrontery on a priest (and the Priesthood itself), she is dragged off by soldiers: "...The High Priest orders that she be beaten to death with a rod of iron." In the temple court, she kneels before Belshazzar and pleads that she speaks the truth:
Mountain Girl: I swear, oh Sar, this priest spoke evil of thee.
Belshazzar: Since when has the High Priest of Bel the power of death over my subjects?
After Belshazzar intervenes on the girl's behalf - a second time, the High Priest bows and apologizes to Belshazzar, who "again gives the girl her freedom."