FEDORA [1978 / 2016] [Masters of Cinema] [Blu-ray + DVD] [UK Release]
A Spellbinding Meditation on Cinema!
For his penultimate film, Billy Wilder created this elegiac, potent and richly entertaining mystery. Reuniting with one of his greatest actors William Holden, and co-written with his long-time collaborator I.A.L. Diamond, this is an exquisitely crafted tale of romance and intrigue.
Washed-up producer Barry “Dutch” Detweiler [William Holden] attempts to lure the iconic but reclusive actress Fedora [Marthe Keller] out of retirement in a bid to revive both their careers. But her privacy is hard won, and with good reason, and opening up the secrets surrounding her could spell disaster.
Continuing the exploration of themes first examined in Sunset Boulevard, now decades later through the prism of New Hollywood, Fedora is a great filmmaker's testament, and a masterful, stirring exploration of cinema's power. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present a new dual-format special edition for the first time on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1978 Chicago International Film Festival: Nomination: Gold Hugo: Best Feature for Billy Wilder. 1982 Fotogramas de Plata Awards: Win: Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera) for Billy Wilder.
FILM FACT No.2: Billy Wilder originally envisioned Marlene Dietrich as Fedora and Faye Dunaway as her daughter Antonia, but Marlene Dietrich despised the original book and thought the screenplay was no improvement. Sydney Pollack invited Wilder to a pre-release screening of Bobby Deerfield, in which former fashion model Marthe Keller had had a featured role. Billy Wilder decided to cast her as both mother and daughter in Fedora, but the actress had suffered such severe facial nerve injuries in an automobile accident that she was unable to endure wearing the heavy makeup required to transform her into the older character, so he cast Hildegard Knef in the role. After viewing a rough cut of the film, Billy Wilder realized to his horror that neither Marthe Keller nor Hildegard Knef could be understood easily, nor did their voices sound very much alike, which was crucial to the film's plot. He hired German actress Inga Bunsch to dub the dialogue of both women for the film's English-language release. Marthe Keller eventually recorded the voices for both characters in the French version, and Hildegard Knef did likewise for the German release.
Cast: William Holden, Marthe Keller, Hildegard Knef, José Ferrer, Frances Sternhagen, Mario Adorf, Stephen Collins, Henry Fonda, Michael York, Hans Jaray, Gottfried John, Arlene Francis, Jacques Maury, Christine Mueller, Ellen Schwiers, Ferdy Mayne, Peter Capell, Bob Cunningham, Christoph Künzler, Mary Kelly, Elma Karlowa, Panos Papadopulos, Rex McGee, Maurice Baquet (uncredited) and Dolly West (uncredited)
Director: Billy Wilder
Producers: Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond
Screenplay: Billy Wilder (screenplay), I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay) and Thomas Tryon (based on a story)
Composer: Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography: Gerry Fisher, B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 113 minutes
Region: Blu-ray: Region B/2 + DVD: PAL
Number of discs: 2
Studio: United Artists / EUREKA! Entertainment Ltd
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘FEDORA’ [1978] with this film, it starts out where we find out that Fedora [Marthe Keller] was once the most famous and glamorous star in the world. Then, during the height of her popularity, she retired and disappeared. Berry “Dutch” Detweiler [William Holden] spent one memorable evening with Fedora back in the day, but a financial impasse has led to him seeking her out once more; a screenplay with Fedora is tantamount in having money in the bank.
When Berry “Dutch” Detweiler arrives at the remote Greek island where Fedora’s secluded herself, he finds Fedora just as youthful and as beautiful as ever, though she doesn’t remember him or their previous affair. But the star is surrounded by a mysterious and sinister entourage; included among them is an irate Countess, a sinister doctor, a domineering personal maid named Balfour, and the classic silent chauffeur with a mean streak and a nasty right hook. Fedora pleads to Berry “Dutch” Detweiler to help her escape from her captors, but Dutch is found out and given a hearty concussion. When he wakes up a week later, Fedora is found dead.
What is really going on at the Villa Calypso? Was Berry “Dutch” Detweiler able to secure Fedora for his film before her passing? Why did she take her own life? There are worthwhile questions for an even worthier film and I would not dare spoil any of it for you.
‘FEDORA’ was sadly a less than successful film compared to ‘Sunset Boulevard.’ Fedora’s story is told in a series of flashbacks and is far more gruesome than Norma Desmond’s fate, but the film seems to pull its punches. And it is not as darkly comic as ‘Sunset Boulevard’ either. But what I can say is that it is beautiful, with luscious cinematography, and a couple of star cameos like Michael York and Henry Fonda, to bolster its evocation of a lost Hollywood. In fact, the beauty is almost sickly, a sweet coating for a bitter pill.
Like earlier on the film, ‘FEDORA’ feels slightly funereal, especially regarding that there is a corpse, laid out for public viewing and surrounded by floral tributes, for much of the scene, and Fedora herself is half-dead really. But much like William Holden’s “Dutch,” you may find yourself beguiled by the scenario of the plot. Even when Hollywood appears to be rotten at the core in this film, but it retains its allure and Billy Wilder felt the fascination of the intrigue of Hollywood more than anyone else. Stars aren’t real people, but monstrous distortions of themselves, freaks that we love and adore. As the film asks: “Is there any woman more interesting than Fedora?” But we ask ourselves, does Fedora look like a much earlier screen goddess, like Musidora, as she sprints in a fluttering black cloak towards her fate. That is up to you to decide, as the final credits appear on the screen.
‘FEDORA’ is based on a story that was included in the novel “Crowned Heads” by Thomas Tryon, an actor turned writer. Universal Pictures purchased the rights, assigned Billy Wilder and his writing partner I.A.L. Diamond to the job of creating a screenplay. When it was finished, Billy Wilder was shocked at Universal Pictures demands for the film that should include casting preference, like Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn, as well as decision on the final cut.
Billy Wilder managed to buy the rights back from the studio then shopped around for a distributor who would help finance the film under his conditions. Billy Wilder insisted on having the final say when it came to script approval, casting, and theatrical cut. After meeting with several possible film companies, he made a deal with German-based Geria Film and started the adventure of making his first independent film. Billy Wilder had an immense respect for actors from the silent film days and the Golden Age of American cinema; those he considered to be Hollywood aristocracy and Billy Wilder not only wished to render homage to these grand figures, he also wanted to feature them in the film ‘FEDORA.’
FEDORA MUSIC TRACK LIST
TENDERLY (uncredited) (Music by Walter Gross) (Lyrics by Jack Lawrence) [Recording sung by Nat 'King' Cole]
Sonata #6 in A Major (Composed by Pietro Domenico Paradisi) (1754)
THE LAST SPRING (uncredited) (Music by Edvard Grieg) (Arranged by Miklós Rózsa)
MATARANGA (uncredited) (Music by Sammy Burdson) (i.e. Gerhard Narholz)
APOLONIA (uncredited) (Music by Sammy Burdson) (i.e. Gerhard Narholz)
CRETAN WINE DANCE (uncredited) (Music by Reg Owen)
PIRAIEV (uncredited) (Music by Dave Sarkys)
C’EST SI BON (uncredited) (Music by Henri Betti) (Lyrics by André Hornez) [Hummed by Marthe Keller]
BADNER MADIN (uncredited) (Music by Karl Komzák) (Arranged by Miklós Rózsa)
VALSE TRISTE ('Sad Waltz'), Op. 44, No. 1 (Composed by Jean Sibelius)
Blu-ray Image Quality – EUREKA! Entertainment Ltd presents us with a 1080p image that at the start of the film sometimes has a very grainy look, and is enhanced with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film has a very nice warm colour scheme, and is especially effective when viewing the daylight scenes, that seem to give a wonderful glow. Depth of field and clarity is a very pleasing experience. But there are some minor fluctuations that can be seen, but they never spoil the fluidity of the film. With this upgraded image presentation, there are no problematic sharpening adjustments. Also there is no visual debris, scratches, stains, cuts, and other age-related imperfections, that have been carefully removed. All in all, EUREKA! Entertainment Ltd has brought us the perfect visual experience. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – EUREKA! Entertainment Ltd brings us just one 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio experience and serves the film very well. The wonderful composer Miklos Rozsa's film music score and easily shines in all the right places throughout the film. Dialogue remains very clean and stable throughout the entire film. Because EUREKA! Entertainment Ltd have done a really good job, and you do not experience any annoying pops, cracks, background hiss, or digital distortions to report.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Deleted Scenes [1978] [1080p] [1.85:1] [12:49] Here we experience a collection of deleted scenes, that ended up on the cutting room floor, why was so I cannot understand, as the scenes look perfectly acceptable.
Special Feature: A Restoration Comparison [2016] [4:03] This is a German Restoration Demonstration showing us the before and after improved images for the ‘FEDORA’ film, and for some unknown strange reason it is completely silent.
BONUS: A 48-page booklet featuring all new essays by film scholars and they are entitled THE LIGHT OF LIGHT: BILLY WILDER’S ‘FEDORA’ by Neil Sinyard. HOLLYWOOD FOREVER by David Cairns and THE LIFE AND HARD TIMES OF ‘FEDOR’ by Rex McGee. Also included are VIEWING NOTES and Blu-ray and DVD Credits. Plus lots of archival imagery.
Finally, ‘FEDORA’ feels very much like the product of a filmmaker working out of his era in Hollywood. It's shot with elegance and a painterly grace missing from the average American film of the 1970s, most of which strove for realism first and foremost. With its coarsely overdubbed actresses clad in large sunglasses and involved in a mystery plot regarding their identities, and it is difficult to imagine the average modern viewer finding the patience to put up with Billy Wilder's, that critics commented that they felt it was a rambling film, but plenty will find plenty to admire here, particularly in its lush visuals, as ‘FEDORA’ is a study in exquisite shot composition by the brilliant cinematographer Gerry Fisher. With the film ‘FEDORA,’ director Billy Wilder only made one more film after ‘Fedora,’ and with a brief theatrical run and an underwhelming critical response pushed him back to a more “safe” picture with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Summing up, Billy Wilder had a lot of disappointments in his later years as a director, as he felt in his mind, the way audiences had changed their allegiance to his kind of storytelling, Billy Wilder was slightly disappointed that people had changed. As for the film ‘FEDORA,’ it is much more than a film and a supposed “sequel” to ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and it is a piece of Billy Wilder’s heart and soul, all the while being a fitting tribute to his own long career. Long live the memory of this wonderful man and may his films never be forgotten. Despite all the negative response to this film, I personally liked it and I very much enjoyed viewing it, especially as I am a massive fan of director Billy Wilder and his films. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
