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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not Quite What We'd Hoped For, September 23, 2004
A clever, intelligent, funny, and entertaining movie, Becky Sharp is notable for being the first full Technicolor feature film. Sadly, this DVD release has not been minted from the restored print many of us would have wanted to see. Curious, since the recent version of Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" would make such a release fortuitous. Miriam Hopkins hits just the right notes as Becky, capturing each smirk, twitch, and flourish of a complex and sometimes unlikable character. The screenplay is witty and moves briskly- though purists will, I'm sure, lament changes to the original novel. Supporting cast is perfect, as are the costumes and other technical appointments. This version, though quite short (about ninety minutes) holds up well next to the superlative BBC miniseries with Natasha Little as Becky, and is more entertaining and caustic than the unfortunate Reese Witherspoon film, which is handsome and opulent, but oddly uninvolving. No extras worth mentioning on this disc, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone who cherishes this unusual and cleverly nasty movie. Perhaps if there's enough outcry, someone will dig up that glorious Technicolor print and make Becky's fans happy. I'm in agreement with my fellow reviewer, who described accurately and humorously (as Becky might have) the quality of the picture in this sadly mishandled DVD. A missed opportunity, and fans should check Amazon for the newer release, which features a somewhat improved print. NOTE: This review applies to the original, "ALPHA" DVD release. For some reason it is often connected to the newer, improved DVD release which has sharper, cleaner (but still not restored) picture. Occasionally Amazon will group reviews in confusing ways, so be aware. Regards.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good News - Bad News, September 19, 2004
This review concerns the Alpha Video DVD release ALP4438D. The good news is: Becky Sharp is available on DVD! The bad news is: It's a faded, unrestored, public domain print. The colors look like really bad colorization, or a Metrocolor copy of an Eastman Color copy of a Technicolor film that was copied onto VHS in the slow speed from a 1980's TV broadcast. Get the picture? The sound is somewhat distorted, but listenable. My joy at having Becky Sharp on DVD is only tempered by the disappointment that the gloriously restored UCLA version still hasn't been released except to AMC TV. Many of the UCLA Film and Television Archive restorations have been released by Turner Entertainment on DVD, so why not the original 1935 three-strip Technicolor debut picture? Hopefully with the recent release of Vanity Fair, some DVD producer will go back to Becky Sharp and present her as she was meant to be seen.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
dismal video transfer, April 24, 2006
Becky Sharp was the first three-strip Technicolor feature - state of the art in 1935. In the original it was exquisite and original Technicolor dye transfer prints will be pristine in colour quality whether scratched and worn from use or not. The DVD I received is clearly a transfer from video - and an extremely poor video at that. The sound is poor and the image quite appalling - to the point where we gave up after about 5 minutes viewing. The way that colour elements break down and separate is nothing to do with the DVD, the age of the film, or the Technicolor release print process - the colour layers cannot separate - it is however a classic indication of poor quality video as an intermediate in the transfer process. This DVD is an insult to any purist interested in seeing a milestone in movie production.
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