The Clowns – Raro Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France/West Germany, 1970
Director: Federico Fellini
Writers: Federico Fellini, Bernardino Zapponi
Cast: Gigi Reder, Fanfulla, Nino Terzo, Nino Vingelli, Charlie Rivel, Pierre Étaix, Annie Fratellini, Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée, Liana Orfei, Anita Ekberg, Federico Fellini, Maria Grazia Buccella, Victoria Chaplin

Release Date: October 18th, 2011
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 51 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: G
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD 5.1 Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"Fellini’s fascination with the circus and the surreal come to a head in one of his final masterpieces, The Clowns. The film reflects Fellini’s childhood obsession with clowns and begins with a young boy watching a circus set up from his bedroom window. Though comical and referred to as a “docu-comedy”, this film explores deeper human conditions such as authority, poverty, humility and arrogance, all of which manifest themselves through the characters of the clowns who vary from the local sex-crazed hobo, a midget nun, to a mutilated Mussolini disciple." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New HD transfer from 35mm negative."

The Clowns comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.1 GB

Feature: 19.8 GB

The source is in great shape; flesh tones look healthy, color saturation and image clarity are solid, compression is very good, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 3/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Italian)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian. Range-wise, both audio tracks are limited, despite sounding clear and balanced. Also, the newly created 5.1 audio track is not that much fuller than the mono track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language tracks.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a making of video essay titled Fellini’s Circus (42 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a short film also directed by Federico Fellini titled Marriage Agency, this is one of six segments from the anthology film Love in the City (16 minutes 38 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a slipcase, and a 50-page booklet with Federico Fellini memories about making The Clowns titled A Journey into the Shadow, script pages, production drawings, cast & crew information for The Clowns and Marriage Agency, and Federico Fellini filmography.

Summary:

Federico Fellini had firmly established himself as one of the premier filmmakers in the world by the early 1960s. After the one-two punch of La Dolce Vita and 8 ½, he would find it difficult to duplicate their success. The most transitional period of his career was the latter half of the 1960s. In 1965 he would direct his first color feature film, Juliette of the Spirits. His only previous foray with color was via his segment for the 1962 anthology film Boccaccio ’70. The other two projects from this era include the vastly underrated Satyricon and the Toby Dammit segment from Spirits of the Dead. Many regard Toby Dammit as his greatest achievement as a filmmaker.

The Clowns is a 1970 made-for-television program that director Federico Fellini made for RAI (Radio Televisione Italiana). The Clowns originally aired in black and white. The Clowns would finally make its debut in color when it was released theatrically. The Clowns made its debut in color when it was released theatrically. The Clowns is cinematographer Dario Di Palma’s (Death Laid an Egg) only collaboration with Federico Fellini. Two frequent Federico Fellini collaborators worked on The Clowns: editor Ruggero Mastroianni and composer Nino Rota.

The Clowns is a celebration of circus clowns, in which Federico Fellini explores his childhood obsession. And though The Clowns is a quasi-documentary, it's a film that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. The narrative is filled with stories of world-renowned clowns. Federico Fellini is known for extravagant films that are overflowing with surrealism, while The Clowns is a more intimate affair that's on the other end of the spectrum. Ultimately, Federico Fellini’s enthusiasm for clowns makes The Clowns a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Raro Video gives The Clowns a first-rate release that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a pair of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer