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Breakfast at Tiffany's [VHS]

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Excellent!

A word that can describe the Centennial Collection release of the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's", the classic romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard.

Having reviewed previous versions of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" before on DVD, I'm sure many Audrey Hepburn fans are probably wondering how else can Paramount improve from the 2006 45th Anniversary Edition on DVD? Well, I can tell you right now... plenty! Please read on.

A film that stars quite a bit of talent, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" remains not just one of the most memorable romantic films of all time but a film that exemplifies the beauty of Audrey Hepburn, the chic style of the times and more (which I will discuss more in the special features portion of my review).

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The film is presented in widescreen format, enhanced for 16:9 TV's. A lot of the Centennial Collection releases have been remastered for high definition and having the previous DVD's, I can tell you that the DVD looks great. But I can only imagine how this film would look in 1080P if released in Blu-ray.

Audio is featured in Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround/English, Restored Mono, French Mono and Spanish Mono. The film of course is dialogue-driven but sure enough, the music of Harry Mancini is alive and well when blaring through your speakers.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

As mentioned before, there have been several releases of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" prior to this Centennial Collection, the older DVD's really hardly came with anything but the trailer until the 2006 "Special 45th Anniversary Collector's Edition" which came with a good number of special features and a commentary by producer Richard Shepherd.

Well, what I can tell you is that the Centennial Collection contains all of the special features from the Anniversary DVD release but also adds quite a few new lengthy featurettes as well. On the first disc, the first disc contains the movie and the same commentary from the Anniversary disc by Producer Richard Shepherd. You can tell that Shepherd gets drawn in to the film and doesn't speak in the commentary until he feels necessary.

So, for those wanting a verbose commentary, Shepherd doesn't do that. But it's actually quite fine because when he does speak, you learn a lot of things from him about the filming. For example, the opening shot featuring Audrey Hepburn in front of Tiffany's in Fifth Avenue. Where the place is typically packed with cars and people, for that time... there was hardly any traffic and no people. So, a very lucky time in filmmaking for the crew.

Also, Shepherd is quite apologetic about casting Rooney as Mr. Funiyoshi and he does that quite a bit in the commentary. You realized he didn't want the yellow face routine (Caucasian actor looking like an Asian stereotypical character) but it was kept in. Also, commenting of how certain scenes worked then but would never fly now. But most of all, his continued feeling of Audrey Hepburn as a class act. Overall, a very good commentary that you learn a lot from.

The special features on disc 2 are as follows:

* A Golightly Gathering - A 20-minute featurette that reunites the talents who were in the cocktail party scene from "Breakfast at Tiffany's". One of the coolest parties ever on film, it's great to see the talent from the film reunite and discuss their experiences of filming that part scene 40-years later. I had no idea the party-scene took 8-days to film but it was great to hear everyone talk about their scene, working with Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard and Blake Edwards. But what a great featurette and so happy of it's inclusion.
* Henry Mancini: More Than Music - This nearly 21-minute featurette is a wonderful featurette that features interviews with Henry Mancini's wife, daughter and son. Seeing private photos and even videos of Henry and having their family talk about him and what they remember about him, winning the two Academy Awards for "Moon River" and working on other films is just wonderful.
* Mr. Yunioshi: An Asian Perspective - A 17-minute featurette. Despite the popularity of the film, the black cloud that has lingered on this film was the casting of Mickey Rooney as "Mr. Yunioshi". A talented actor, the "yellow face" role was just wrong and acknowledge by the director, producer and a cast member was just terribly wrong in casting Rooney for that role. This feature has interviews with representatives of the Media Action Network of Asian Americans. I'm glad that Paramount did include this featurette on this collection.
* The Making of a Classic - Originally from the Anniversary release, this segment features interviews with Producer Richard Shepherd and Director Blake Edwards. A 16-minute featurette and you definitely learn a lot about the film, especially from Blake Edwards. One could image how his director's commentary would have been if included, especially with what he had to say on this featurette.
* It's So Audrey: A Style Icon - An eight minute featurette with interviews with designers, Hepburn's son and companion. How Audrey Hepburn made simple things quite sexy. How Audrey never thought of her body proportions that sexy but she did have a good eye for style and how she became a fashion and style icon.
* Behind the Gates: The Tour - This 4 minute featurette gives people a look behind the gates of the Paramount lot. A good promotional for those who would like to tour the Paramount lot.
* Brilliance in a Blue Box - A six minute featurette about the history of Tiffany's. Originally featured on the Anniversary DVD.
* Audrey's Letter to Tiffany - A two minute featurette about the letter Audrey wrote for the preface of the 150th Anniversary book for Tiffany's.
* Original Theatrical Trailer - The original two minute trailer with its dust, scratches and all.
* Galleries - Featuring production stills, movie stills and publicity shots for the film.

The Centennial Collection also comes with a booklet that features information of facts of the film, from how Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe for this film, information on Orangey the cat and how the "New York Site" that was filmed at the Paramount lot is now forever lost due to the big Paramount fire back in 1983 that destroyed historical sets.

And the DVD is just classy with it's black and gold packaging (which most of the Centennial Collection are packaged) and ditching the pink and white packaging.

I absolutely love this film. From the memorable dialogue, that first scene with Holly standing in front of Tiffany's, the cocktail party, Holly Golightly singing "Moon River" on her guitar, the cat and of course the final scene between Holly and Paul.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" is a classic Audrey Hepburn film that is a must-own. I know that the film has been re-released many times on DVD and the 45th Anniversary was just a pleasure when it first came out and at the time, it was a definitive release. But now, with this "Centennial Collection" featuring a remastered version of the film and the new (and quite lengthy) featurettes that is included on this collection, this is the definitive version on DVD.

Personally, I can only imagine how this would look once it becomes available on Blu-ray but for now, these Centennial Collections from Paramount are just wonderful. Especially "Breakfast at Tiffany's", I'm really amazed how far Paramount went in order to make this release much more special.

The addition of "A Golightly Gathering" featuring the actors who took part in that cocktail party was awesome, the Henry Mancini featurette for those who just love his musical work will love this featurette and of course, for those who have felt the pain of the "yellow face" segment in the film, Paramount going the extra step by including a featurette dedicate to that on this DVD.

But in the end, this DVD is indeed a special tribute to Audrey Hepburn. Hepburn is just an icon of style and elegance and this DVD does a great job of giving special attention to such an incredible film. And after seeing this film so many time times, I still have not grown tired of it. It's one special film that I highly recommend

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" is flawless blend of a crowd-pleasing star-vehicle for the effortlessly charming Audrey Hepburn and a bittersweet, painfully beautiful look at love, life, and happiness. Director Blake Edwards, the man behind "The Pink Panther" series, "The Party", "Operation Petticoat", "Victor/Victoria", etc., has crafted a truly timeless film based on the novella by Truman Capote. Though numerous elements of Capote's story were altered, the film still has a strong core and message that urges audiences to examine their own lives, loves, and happiness.

Everything about this film is classic. You have the timeless Hepburn and her defining performance as Holly Golightly, a sophisticated, sassy call-girl with a secret past who is ultimately one of the most vulnerable characters Hepburn ever played. Then there's George Peppard, a vastly under-appreciated actor who manages to hold his own next to Hepburn while playing a struggling writer living off an older married woman. Peppard's boyish good looks and surprising depth make him the ideal match for Hepburn's Golightly.

Then of course there's Henry Mancini's wistfully romantic score and the tremendously popular theme-song, "Moon River", a true gem of a song that capture's the film's essence perfectly. In addition, you have Hepburn's fabulous, style-setting wardrobe courtesy of her lifelong friend Hubert de Givenchy. In this one film alone, Hepburn and Givenchy practically invented the "little black dress", popularized ballet flats, and introduced capris as a stylish alternative to regular pants.

My favorite quote:

Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul Varjak: The mean reds, you mean like the blues?
Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?
Paul Varjak: Sure.
Holly Golightly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away.

I love this film despite two major flaws. 1.) they toned down the fact that Holly Golightly is a call girl (probably to maintain Audrey Hepburn's sweet image) and 2.) the awful inclusion of Mickey Rooney as an Asian. Both blunders make me mad. However, they didn't hide the fact that George Peppard's character was a kept man by the icy Patricia Neal. Nonetheless, the film succeeds as one of the most romantic stories ever filmed. Hepburn is utterly charming and her performance would have had a more interesting shade had Holly's true means of support not been practically erased. But when we learn she's run away from a very sad family situation---we see a glimpse of the true Holly. It's also an interesting note that two people living off of others for different reasons should find each other and fall ROMANTICALLY in love. The theme "Moon River" pulls every drop of poignancy from the tear ducts as does the scene with the kitten in the rain. I'm as jaded as they come and that scene gets me every time. I always choke up. This is a great film but could have been greater if the more adult aspects of the story had just been played out. Still I recommend this for lovers of shamelessly romantic movies. You really can't go wrong with this charmer.

"Breakfast At Tiffanys" is the vintage romance classic based on the novel by Truman Capote that pits the elegant Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly) against stoic George Peppard (Paul Varjack). He's a would be writer, being kept by a rich, married lady. She's the lost soul runaway who's abandoned her husband and family after her beloved brother dies while serving his country in the military. This is vintage Capote. Even with the glaring omissions to the text and Mickey Rooney's garish, over-the-top performance as a Japanese landlord, this is still one of the all time great date flicks.
Unfortunately, Paramount Home Video hasn't done a very vintage job on this DVD. They've presented the film in its original VistaVision widescreen process (anamorphically enhanced) and remixed the sound to 5.1. That's a start. But the visual characteristic of the transfer on this DVD is digitally harsh, suffering from edge enhancement, aliasing, shimmering fine details, pixelization and digital grain.
Colors are generally well balanced but there are several instances where flesh tones appear a little bit on the yellowish side. Contrast levels are weak with black levels usually registering a dark gray instead of black. There's an excessive amount of chips and scratches in the opening title sequence as well as some general color fading associated with film stock of this period. As for the 5.1 surround, it's strident and not very natural. Dialogue is forward sounding. The Henry Mancini score is nicely presented, particularly Moon River, but over all this is a mono soundtrack with very few scenes that engage any of your other speakers.
NO EXTRAS! What a shame!
BOTTOM LINE: This is vintage Hollywood presented at bargain basement quality. Decide for yourself. I'd wait in the hopes of a complete digital restoration.

Because of the fact that I'm only 17 years old, I just got around to watching this movie. I'd always heard about it but I never knew what it was about. And, to be quite honest, I didn't even think about watching it because I thought it was in black and white! (Eh, I didn't know when it was made!)

My dad made me watch it this past weekend and I fell in love with it! Unlike most romantic comedies made today, both main characters are broke. It doesn't follow the mold of: poor/average girl falls for rich guy blah blah blah or the other way around. It was funny (Mickey Rooney's character was HILARIOUS!) and sad (when Holly finds out about Fred) and sappy (the last 20 minutes) all at the same time.

This movie is great for anyone, whether you saw it the first time around or you're a "late viewer" like me.

Film starts with Audrey Hepburn stopping by Tiffany & Co. in the morning at 6am, having her breakfast pretzel and coffee while standing in front of the Tiffany store, looking through the window and staring at the beatiful Tiffany's jewellery. She feels calm, relax, joyfully walking back to her apartment. Story begins with her new neighbor....

This is a truly gorgeous romantic film, a real classic. A film really you can watch many many times without getting bored. Since 1961, I'm sure lots of people agree and have been watching this film again and again and again during this 40 years. Oscar winning music, beautiful theme song 'Moon River' meets with gorgeous romantic story.

"Moon river wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style someday
You dream maker, you heartbreaker
Wherever you're going I'm going your way
Two drifters off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbows end
Waiting round the band
My huckleberry friend, moon river
And me..."

Such charming may wonder you ever find a counterpart from nowadays. Overall, buy it own it watch it feel it and re-watch it.

*** Otto Yuen's DVD Special Rating for Breakfast at Tiffany's ***
1. Film Rewatchability: LIFETIME
2. DVD Featurability: WEAK
3. Picture Quality: VERY GOOD
4. Sound Quality: VERY GOOD

(Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 5-Jun-2004)

The sight of Audrey Hepburn, dressed immaculately in a black dress, wearing large black goggles, holding a danish pastry in one of her hands and a coffee in the other, looking wishfully, enchantedly into the window of Tiffany, joins forces with the extremely beautiful yet melancholy background score by Henri Mancini to set the tone of the movie. Quirky, witty, modern, fashionable, yet flowing over an undercurrent of unexplainable sadness.

Holly Golightly (I must say I have never seen an actress look more beautiful and apt in her role) plunges a viewer into a strange state of mind. She makes him happy and sad at the same time. Happy for obvious reasons but sad because behind her merry facade lies someone who is progressively falling into a chaos due to her own indiscretion and indecision. And you feel for that other person mainly because of the amazing talent of Hepburn at being able to convey small nuances of her character.

The movie made me sad. Extremely sad, as I fell in love with Hepburn. Her vulnurability has made me a fan of her for life and I am sad that her charisma, her charm is not present anymore. Personally, I feel that such works of art and perfection like Audrey should last for ever :-).

I love this movie. From the first scene when Holly(Audrey Hepburn) alighted from the yellow cab to have breakfast in front of Tiffany to the very last scene when Holly and Paul(George Peppard) reunited and kissing in the rain.

Mesmerizing film, shine in all departments. Excellent adaptation from Truman Capote's same name novel. Skillful directing by Blake Edwards and flawless performances from both the leads and not forgetting great supporting casts. This role was made for Audrey Hepburn, she was graceful, witty, charismatic and totally awesome. One of her best performance ever!

The story was about a free spirited and helpless Holly Golightly who lived with a nameless 'Cat', didn't want to own anything and afraid of love and commitments. Life pretty much socializing because holly's goal in life to marry one of the richest man under 50. Things take a twist with Paul Varjak moved into the apartment below hers. Paul was a struggling writer who actually a kept man by a rich lady. They became neighbour to friends then soul mate and eventually lovers.

This is not the usual romance story, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is a timeless classic, showed sincerity, sensibility and class.

I also love the song of this movie "Moon River". Who can forget the part when Holly plucking the strings of the guitar and singing it "moonnn----riv---ver"......

This movie touch my heart with memorable characters, song, etc and I've watched it from time to time because each time I watch it, I renewed the feeling. Marvellous vintage classic.Simply divine!

The blu-ray 50th anniversary release of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" occurred on September 20, 2011. All reviews posted earlier than that date refer to earlier DVD releases and will confuse those seeking information on this new blu-ray edition. I am happy to report that the blu-ray edition (based on a complete 2011 restoration of the film) is amazing and is the one to have in your film library. The image detail is so clear and clean! The audio is outstanding in its clarity! The special features appear to be the same ones from the Centennial Collection DVD edition.

We had not planned to watch "Breakfast At Tiffany's" (1961) on our movie night, but when the song "Moon River" started playing, it was hard not to get caught up in the film. The opening scene has got to be one of the most haunting in film history, with Audrey Hepburn strolling down a Manhattan street at five o'clock in the morning, glamorously attired, a paper cup of coffee in hand, nibbling a pastry, while pausing to gaze longingly into the window of Tiffany's jewery store. Never has anyone looked so lost.

Made at the dawn of the sexual revolution, the film captures the angst of modern life, with the all the loneliness, the frantic striving for wealth at any price, seeking in material pleasures a happiness which remains elusive. The "Holly Golightly" character, nimbly portrayed by Miss Hepburn, embodies the lifestyle of so many contemporary young women, sans the Givenchy gowns, in whose lives there have often been many lovers but very little true love. The George Peppard character, "Paul" the writer-gigolo, was shocking at the time the film debuted. He, too, like so many modern people, knows a lot about sex but nothing of love. He longs for love, nevertheless. Paul, like Holly, is trapped in a lifestyle from which there seems to be no escape. Hope is presented in the awakening of love, and the desire for commitment, from which Holly flees like a bird.

The film would be nothing without the Henry Mancini song "Moon River," written for Audrey's limited vocal range. Although the words speak of a youthful desire to see the world, when Audrey sings it, she captures a deeper level of meaning, an intense yearning for home, for a family setting that is no more. It is essentially a mourning of lost innocence. Holly had lost her innocence by age fourteen, when she married a man old enough to be her father; instead of being a much-needed parent, he became a lover, and perhaps that is what set her on the path to promiscuity. Underneath her carefree exterior, she is tormented at the very core of her being, as is demonstrated when she smashes up her apartment upon hearing the that her only brother has died.

When hearing the song "Moon River" as a child, I always thought of the river not far from our house. It was a yellow muddy river due to the cow manure and silt from the fields, but on a summer night, beneath the glimmering of the moon, it became beautifully surreal, connoting the magic and mystery of places far away. How often the youthful longing to see the world is replaced with the nostalgia for home, after the world has been seen and tasted. There is no going back home, only going forward, while creating structures of stability for the new generation. Paul and Holly standing in the rain at the end of "Breakfast at Tiffany's," hugging a soggy cat, while a choir sings "Moon River" in the background, is almost like a gleam of promise. Amid the despair, depravity and chaos of modernity, a man and woman can still find each other, commit to each other, and build a life of meaning for themselves and for others.