The Great Silence (Masters of Cinema) Standard Edition Blu-ray

The Great Silence, Sergio Corbucci's highly influential Spaghetti Western masterpiece arrives on Blu ray for it's 50th anniversary from US based indie label Film Movement. Blessed with a gorgeous new 2k scan from the original camera negative and the choice of either English or Italian audio options this also comes equipped with a decent selection of supplementary material and an insert booklet. It is also worth noting that this is region free and playable on all Blu ray decks worldwide.Synopsis:Thanks to the international success of Sergio Leone's hugely popular Dollars Trilogy and of course Sergio Corbucci's own Django the 60's and 70's were flooded with what would be known as Spaghetti Westerns a term used by critics of the period to separate the more familiar homegrown American products from these often politically charged and unconventional Italian produced and financed pictures. Some like Leone's infamous movies were grand ultra violent widescreen extravaganzas, reinventing the declining western genre for a new generation with an eclectic selection of Italian and American actors shooting it out in an almost mythic landscape all to the tune of hyper stylish Ennio Morricone soundtracks. Others would be nothing more than serviceable time killers or throwaway bottom of the barrel B movie oaters all desperate for a slice of the runaway action. Many of these lower budgeted mini pasta epics would plagiarise their more famous and successful siblings, often cribbing titles so as to sound like direct sequels whilst adding their own eccentric European flavour, colourful characters and quirky soundtracks in what was an extremely over saturated market. As to be expected with so many pictures fighting for space it was often difficult to pick out the good from the bad whilst side stepping the downright ugly but a few standout movies emerged separating themselves from the pack whether it be because of style, atmosphere or craftsmanship with a handful of directors stamping their own unique mark on the genre. This is where Sergio Corbucci's sad but hauntingly beautiful The Great Silence (Il Grande Silenzio) falls perfectly into place distinguishing itself from its desert bound ilk by it's stark snowy landscape, noirish production design and unforgettably bleak finalé. Corbucci's earlier Django may have been the more well known picture but The Great Silence is by far his most interesting.Set during the cold hard winter of 1898 in the snow swept wilderness of Utah (with the Italian Dolomites doubling up for the picturesque mountainous region) the story concerns a band of townsfolk from the aptly titled Snow Hill being driven from their homes by the corrupt Justice Of The Peace Henry Pollicut (Luigi Pistilli) who has branded them outlaws. Freezing and starving in the frozen mountains they take to theft in order to survive which prompts the evil Pollicut to put a price on their heads of a $1000 apiece enlisting the services of a ruthless clique of bounty hunters led by the sadistic Loco (the legendary Klaus Kinski) much to the displeasure of the newly appointed sheriff (Frank Wolff). When Loco murders one of the exiles his wife Pauline (Vonetta McGee of The Eiger Sanction) who still lives in Snow Hill searches out her own hired killer in the form of the mute cool as ice gunslinger Silence (French star Jean-Louis Trintignant) who also appears to have a lifelong score of his own to settle in the small isolated town.The first of the non Leone Spaghetti Westerns I ever saw, Sergio Corbucci's The Great Silence remained etched into my mind so much so I can still clearly remember the night way back in 1990 when it aired on BBC 2 as part of Alex Cox's Metrodome. Even then watching this as a less than perfect TV broadcast I could tell this was something extremely special despite the often rough technical nature of the production and the simple fact I wasn't then used to the style and execution of European cinema. Indisputably this is an unforgettable movie and one which I didn't experience again for a number of years due to the complete and utter unavailability of the title making me wish many times over I had set my video to record on that Saturday night in 1990.Unquestionably most will remember this for its incredibly shocking and downbeat ending but there is so much more permeating through Corbucci's picture preceding this and not just the brief love affair between Pauline and Silence which makes this denouement all the more cruel and jaw dropping. The unrelentingly gritty tone of the movie juxtaposes wonderfully with the beautiful but despairing landscape and the deadly seriousness of the script sets it apart from other westerns of the period. Violence too whilst nowhere near as glamorised as say Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch is fast, brutal and uncompromising especially for the 60's, unconcerned with depicting close-ups of shot off digits and lingering on the bloody aftermath of frenzied shootouts. This is a movie where life is cheap and killing a man and burying him in the snow so as to preserve the body in order to collect the reward money is worth as much as bringing him in alive.There are no real heros in The Great Silence unless you discount the rather naive sheriff with even Silence himself despite a backstory of childhood trauma still being a cold hearted killer for hire who uses a legal loophole to support his nefarious actions (he antagonizes his soon to be victims to draw first thus claiming self defense). Despite his more honourable intentions in many ways he is no better than the unethical businessman like Loco who soon preempts Silence's sneaky strategies and thus thwarts his chances of completing the job.Like Corbucci's earlier Django this was shot without the use of expansive scope framing creating a tighter and more claustrophobic feel which could be looked upon as less epic but certainly suits the noirish story and the cramped confines of the snow and mud encrusted town. From a technical standpoint the movie can also look a little rough and ready with some occasionally loose and unfocused camera work but Corbucci's imagery remains masterful creating a cold and despairing vision with little hope or freedom for the characters which is rather unique and one that would go on to be influential for decades to come. Naturally no Italian western of the period would be complete without an Ennio Morricone soundtrack but the one offered here is far different from the eccentric compositions heard on any of Leone's pictures or even Corbucci's later Companeros whilst still being distinctly European in flavour. Like the overall mood of the movie Morricone creates a hauntingly complex and melancholy main theme which harmonises perfectly with the rugged desolate setting as it drifts over the title credits which depict a weary Silence trudging through the snow swept tundra.Out of the hundreds of good to average to outright awful movies in the vast Spaghetti Western genre only a few could be considered masterpieces. Sergio Corbucci's The Great Silence easily falls into the latter category considered by some to be one of the greatest European westerns of all time and despite the initial poor reception and unavailability (this never made it to US theatres and was banned outright in the UK) is one that continues to intrigue and shock in equal measure some 50 years after it's release. Essential viewing for followers of European cinema, western movie culture and the arthouse crowd alike.Picture:The Great Silence has always been a rather neglected title on home video with the few available DVDs whether it be from Fantoma in the US or Eureka in the UK being of less than stellar quality. All of this changes now thanks to what is a gorgeous Blu ray release of Sergio Corbucci's legendary movie from American label Film Movement. In a word it is breathtaking and easily one of the most dramatic improvements I have seen for a film when comparing it to past editions. Presented in an AVC encoded MPEG 4 1080p transfer this new 2k restoration from the original camera negative courtesy of Compass Film SRL is a phenomenal upgrade in every respect. It is also worth noting that the aspect ratio for this new presentation opens up the image from the narrower 1.66:1 ratio to 1.85:1. Now I always presumed that Corbucci shot this in 1.66 as he did with Django as all previous presentations have been this way but this new wider ratio for The Great Silence appears extremely natural and well balanced adding a substantial amount of extra width to the image whilst loosing next to nothing from the top and bottom. I would go as far to say this new framing is akin to watching the film for the first time and certainly graces the movie with a far more cinematic feel. Another huge area of improvement is depth and density. Disregarding some possible source related softness detail and texturing is extremely revealing in the many close ups of faces, western attire and the dilapidated nature of the town. Long shots of the vast mountainous region complete with snow topped pine trees and circling birds are also very pleasing and the extra width of the image also helps these moments considerably.Black levels are more than adequate too with strong shadow delineation and snow is always rendered pure, brilliant white.At first glance colours could appear dull and muted but then The Great Silence has always seemed almost monochromatic. The old DVDs did have an odd yellow tint but what is on display here is far more natural with skin tones especially looking much more healthy. Blues skies contrast well against the snowy landscape and the rich colours of freshly spilt blood or the gaudy feathers in a saloon girls hat add some nicely saturated pop.The source utilised also shows very little in the way of damage and the naturally occurring grain structure is visible and thankfully organic especially in the higher contrast exterior scenes bathed in natural light. On the whole this is very stable and consistent with a supportive bitrate and strong encode and looks excellent in motion. A real pleasure to witness.As a footnote it is worth mentioning that the odd gauze effect over the first shootout with Silence is an artistic choice visible on every other version of the film and not an issue with this restoration.This also contains the Italian opening and closing credits.Sound:Film Movement offer a choice of either Italian or English soundtracks both obviously recorded post sync as was the case with all Italian pictures of the period. The Italian which is the default mix is presented in uncompressed 24bit LPCM 2.0 at 2304kbps complete with English subtitles whilst the English dub is sadly only lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 at 448kbps. As I had never heard Corbucci's film in Italian I opted to watch the whole feature with this track whilst switching to the more familar English dub at key moments just for the purpose of this review. The lossless Italian is by far the superior of the two with a satisfying open feel to the recording. Ennio Morricone's wonderful score (one of his best in my opinion) breezes through the front speakers with ease, never sounding cramped with pleasing fidelity and a wide dynamic range. Gunfights with that familiar spaghetti western pistol crack are surprisingly forceful too if pitched a little too high and dialogue is clear with slight clipping only accompanying certain exchanges. All was not completely ideal though and a few anomalies did prevent this from being perfect. For whatever reason certain elements in the mix didn't always remain centred as mono should with sounds spilling into the left and right channels and in some instances the rears. Now this isn't stereophonic in anyway with effect being quite random but can be slightly off-putting once noticed. I also noted an odd high pitched whine during a few quieter moments although this was never especially intrusive. Despite this the track was relatively clean with little in the way of background hiss or distracting damage.Unfortunately the English dub (which pains to say I actually prefer despite it's"rootin rootin" nature) is only offered in compressed Dolby Digital and on close inspection appears not to have had any remastering work lavished upon it. As to be expected this has a flat hollow quality lacking the punch of the uncompressed Italian. This is though rendered dead centre (as mono should) making it feel tighter and more focused if lacking in range with the score in particular missing out on the advantages offered by a lossless presentation. There also appears to be a fair amount of damage with background hiss and other unwanted age related defects audible throughout.Extras:Film Movement offer a satisfying selection of supplementary features for the 50th anniversary of Sergio Corbucci's masterpiece kicking off with "Cox On Corbucci", a 15 minute interview with director and fan of The Great Silence Alex Cox. Mr. Cox is obviously very passionate about the movie and it's director and offers plenty of anecdotes and information on both subjects.Next up is the vintage documentary "Westerns Italian Style" which runs just shy of 40 minutes. I was already familiar with this feature as it had already been available on Blue Underground's DVD of Run Man Run but it was interesting to see it again after a number of years even if it is ever so slightly dated and obviously a shrewd marketing ploy to sell more Spaghetti Westerns to the American market. There is a wealth of interviews crammed into the 40 minutes from key contributors to the genre as well as behind the scenes footage from various movies including The Great Silence and fans of this particular film will enjoy hearing from the likes of Klaus Kinski and Jean Louis Trintignant. Veteran Italian actor Frank Wolff who appeared as Sheriff Burnett provides the commentary for the piece.For completeness Film Movement also offer two alternative endings which have been fully restored. I won't spoil either of these for newcomers but they are an interesting addition (one had already been available in less than perfect quality on the DVDs) and show how drastically different the movie could have ended compared to the one we know so well.To round things off the original theatrical trailer running around 4 minutes and presented in 1080p is included as is the 2018 re-release spot and a selection of other titles in the catalogue of Film Movement.The included insert booklet contains the essay "Ending The Silence" by freelance critic and film expert Simon Abrams.It is worth noting that two other Blu ray release of The Great Silence are currently available neither of which are completely English friendly. The Japanese disc from TC Entertainment utilises what appears to be an older TV master. Framed at 1.66:1 this is hindered by a poor 1080i 60Hz interlaced transfer with no English subtitles if you select the Italian language track. For this release though both the Italian and English dubs are presented in uncompressed DTS HD MA. This also contains an exclusive interview with Nori Corbucci (Sergio's widow) in Italian but sadly only Japanese subtitles are available.The German release from FilmJuwelen/Alive comes equipped with an attractive digibook but again isn't English friendly which is rather unfortunate as it does contain the best set of extra features including an audio commentary and interview with star Klaus Kinski.Conclusion:Still considered one of the greatest European westerns of all time it is an absolute pleasure to finally see a fully restored version of Sergio Corbucci's wonderful The Great Silence. The new 2k restoration is gorgeous to behold especially when compared to anything else which came before and at this time of writing remains the definitive version of one of the most unique westerns ever made. Very highly recommended.

Fantastic transfer and a must for any fans of films like Django, Keoma and Mannanja! The ending is brutal and honestly stayed in my mind for a week. By far the most under appreciated and greatest Italian films ever made.

Enjoyed it to a point however it was lacking in something perhaps the production values

One reviewer of this film stated that this is what Sergio Leone's films should have been. I assume they were talking about the first two dollars films, because obviously 'The Great Silence' beats them in terms of emotion, plot and themes. However, while the dollars films do contain exagerrated spectacle, character and style, their events are still very much down-to-earth and believable. There's good reason to believe the lives of certain degenerate characters in the real life West were pretty close to how they're portrayed by Leone. The events that take place in 'The Great Silence', however, are over-the-top and clichéd, which seems to be the case with many other Italian westerns outside of Leone's work. Directors just seemed to be attempting to outdo each other in terms of violence and strangeness, and you get a taste of that in 'The Great Silence', with a mute super-fast gun fighter for a hero who always manages to shoot first before his opponents; over-the-top dialogue and themes on romance and revenge; and a plot and a setting trying too hard to promote a world of anarchy and exagerrated violence rather than giving the sense of some civilisation going on in the background, which Leone managed to do.Nevertheless, it must be remembered that compared to the majority of the spaghetti western genre, 'The Great Silence' comes close to being a masterpiece, and an entertaining one at that. There are some original ideas here such as the mute hero and the snow-bound setting when most spaghetti westerns opted for sweaty desert locations in the manner of Leone. Also, unlike most spaghetti westerns (including the director's other famous western 'Django', which simply opted for general craziness) there is a sense of melancholy and atmosphere reining over the narrative, as the mute hero's services as protector of the outlaws hiding in the Utah mountains are hired by a widow to avenge the death of her husband at the hands of Klaus Kinski's portrayal of the sadistic villain.It was the ending which won this film for me, which took me completely by surprise and defies all clichés. Personally, I feel 'Keoma' did a better job as a spaghetti western set in mountainous scenery with over-the-top violence and a sense of melancholy. Nevertheless, I have only watched 'the Great Silence' once, so don't take my judgements to heart!

Now I know where Tarantino got his idea for The Hateful Eight.This is a good film , great cast and beautiful photography of the winter snow.The ending was a surprise however there is alternate ending in the extras.Music is brilliant

The film is very impressive because of 3 things - atmosphere of frozen winter world where violence rules, great actors - Jean Louis Tretignant and Klaus Kinski who could create 3D images of their heros even without speaking, unpredictable development of the events and unpredicatable ending. Add to this the music by Ennio Morricone.Sergio Corbucci creates the image of society opressed by social elite. The director is mixing the language of the Westerns with the images taken from Renaissance art and stories by Jack London - and the result is stunning. If you want to see something more simple and more dynamic comparing with Sergio Leone's works i.o. if you are prefering entertaiment most of all - that's not the case.If you want to see the film to think about yourself, about society, about world created by the director (and this world is realistic and fantastic in the same time) - you would like it. You could return to this film many times.P.S. The Great Silence should be restored much better.On this DVD you could also see alternative ending which could completely destroy the film.