MovieChat Forums > Peter Brook's the Mahabharata (1990) Discussion > If Ever A Movie Deserved A Re-Master? Th...

If Ever A Movie Deserved A Re-Master? This is it!

posted 9 years ago by mail-2217
3 replies | jump to latest

This is hands down my -fave- piece of filmed theatre. EVER. It's the only '10' I've ever given on IMDB.

If anyone knows of a Blu-Ray or re-mastered version I'd -love- to hear about it. I currently have the 2002 5-1/2hr version and it's in 'standard' format. No subtitles.

This thing -deserves- the full treatment. Commentaries, widescreen, reminiscences from the cast, etc.

Why? I came into this game for the action, the excitement... Listen, kid, we're all in it together.

[–] bluecoronet77 8 years ago

I agree, Peter Brook's THE MAHABHARATA needs to be remastered by someone like Criterion. The UK dvd release from BFI has English Subtitles, which definitely help at some points since some of the actors learned English specifically for their part in The Mahabharata.

My biggest question is what is the original aspect ratio? The dvds are all full screen and the mini-series is often listed as having been shot in video for television BUT the edited 3-hour movie version (edited from the mini-series) is listed as being shot in 35mm -- which implies that the whole mini-series may be wide-screen, we just have never seen it!

[–] mail-2217 8 years ago

Glad to read that there's at least one other person out there who appreciates this thing.

The 'making of' documentary seems to show the crew using standard 35mm film cameras.

My version has no subtitles. I agree that many of the characters' diction is pretty rough---it took me a looooooong time to get some of the words because so much is poetry and not 'normal' sentences. But of course, that's why I love it.

I have seen how other movies have sparked 'crowd source' campaigns to get DVDs re-mastered, but I have NO idea how one starts such a movement. If I did? I'd be doing it. And soon... Brook is no spring chicken and I assume that if it doesn't happen while he's alive it won't happen. (Who knows if he even -cares- about such a thing?)

Why? I came into this game for the action, the excitement... Listen, kid, we're all in it together.

[–] bluecoronet77 8 years ago

Yes, I'm glad as well. The US dvd release has no subtitles and includes the documentary "The Making of The Mahabharata". The UK dvd release has English subtitles, but no documentary -- though it does have an informative booklet with "introductory and explanatory text written by Brook and Carrière, as well as synopses of the three stories and full production credits".

The Criterion Collection (https://www.criterion.com/) issues restored films on dvd, regardless of whether the director is living or not, often with supplementary material such as archival interviews and dvd commentaries. You can email them at [email protected] to suggest they restore and release Peter Brook's The Mahabharata. Criterion has released a restored version of Brook's film The Lord of the Flies (1963).

Interestingly, Brook's latest play "Battlefield" returns to the Mahabharata.