The Voice of the Moon – Arrow Academy (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1990
Director: Federico Fellini
Writers: Ermanno Cavazzoni, Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli
Cast: Roberto Benigni, Paolo Villaggio, Nadia Ottaviani, Marisa Tomasi, Angelo Orlando

Release Date: October 30th, 2017 (UK), October 31st, 2017 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 120 Minutes 49 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: OOP

"Adapted from a novel by Ermano Cavazzoni, The Voice of the Moon concerns itself with Ivo Salvini (Roberto Benigni, Life Is Beautiful), recently released from a mental hospital and in love with Aldini (Nadia Ottaviani). As he attempts to win her heart, he wanders a strange, dreamlike landscape and encounters various oddball characters, including Gonnella (Paolo Villagio, Fantozzi), a paranoid old man prone to conspiracy theories." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The Voice of the Moon (La voce della luna) has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 with Italian mono audio.

All restoration work was carried out at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 2K resolution on a pin- registered Arriscan and was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master.

Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches and other instances of film wear were repaired or removed through a combination of digital restoration tools and techniques. Image stability was also improved."

The Voice of the Moon comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.4 GB

Feature: 30.2 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones are healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery titled Felliniana Archive Gallery (stills/lobby cards/posters/soundtrack art), an archival documentary titled Towards the Moon with Fellini (58 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with non-removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Fellini’s Swansong written by Pasquale Iannone and information about the restoration. 

Included is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray.

Summary:

A man, recently released from a mental hospital, wanders through a dreamlike landscape inhabited by eccentric characters. 

When one discusses postwar Italian cinema and beyond, no director has left a more undeniable mark than Federico Fellini. He would create a body of work unlike anything that has come before or since. Where it had become all too common in Italian cinema for directors to gravitate to whatever genre was popular at the time, he would maintain a singular vision that he never wavered from.

Content-wise, The Voice of the Moon features many of the themes synonymous with the cinema of Federico Fellini. Most notably religion, voyeurism, and madness. The Voice of the Moon is another exemplary example of Federico Fellini’s dreamscapes that overflow with creativity. That said, throughout his career, Federico Fellini was a filmmaker who adapted well to Italian cinema’s shrinking budgets.

Performance-wise, the cast is all great in their roles, especially Roberto Benigni’s (Life Is Beautiful) portrayal of Ivo Salvini, a man recently released from a mental hospital. He delivers a whimsy that perfectly captures his character's state of mind. Another performance of note is Paolo Villaggio’s (Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot) portrayal of Gonnella, an ex-prefect fired because of paranoia.

From a production standpoint, The Voice of the Moon is a film where everything falls into place. The premise is superbly realized, the narrative is well-constructed and perfectly paced, and everything builds to a satisfying conclusion. Music has always played a significant role in the cinema of Federico Fellini, and though Nicola Piovani (The Perfume of the Lady in Black) delivers a superlative score, the use of Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel is the most memorable moment musically. The Voice of the Moon’s striking visuals, which emphasize artificiality, are its greatest asset. Ultimately, The Voice of the Moon is an extremely satisfying swan song to one of cinema’s greatest auteurs.

Arrow Academy gives The Voice of the Moon a first-rate release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a pair of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer