Customer Reviews

Three Sisters

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a beautiful play, excellently acted in a very interesting production. For the price, however, one would expect decent sound if not great sound. But, the entire production is destroyed by the horrible sound - surely the worst of any DVD I have ever purchased. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! At the very least, Kino could have added English subtitles to make up for the poor sound, assuming that the source was not good and therefore they could make few if any improvements. More respect for the consumer is needed, especially for the price. Save your money and buy the Broadway Theater Archive version.

This might be a good film. I found it impossible to tell, due to the incredibly bad soundtrack. At first I thought it was something the matter with my sound system, but no, it was the DVD. It sounds as if several layers of cotton and a few sweaters were put around the microphones during the making of the film. There is absolutely no excuse for the DVD being released with a soundtrack as muddy as this one has.

Don't buy this DVD.

The other two reviews of this DVD seeem to me to have missed the point somewhat. Yes, on a purely technical level The Three Sisters print is certainly inferior. What must be remembered is that it is an archival print of a low-budget film that succeeds through its wonderful performances and vibrant authenticity. The film captures some wonderful performances by some wonderful actors, and was very obviously devised primarily as a means of preserving the original theatrical production whilst intelligently incorporating elements of cinema. Where else are you going to see Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi, Joan Plowright AND Laurence Olivier in the one cast?! Fascinating and magnificent.

Terrible sound quality is obvious - you'd better have book with you while watching. Despite great names, there are no great performances - except, probably, Natasha. Decent rendition of the great Chekhov's play, but I definitely prefer taped Broadway 1965 (?) performance. BTW revolutionary "International" at the very end is, mildly put, not a good idea.

These classically trained British stage actors are superb. When they are gone (and some, e.g. Olivier, already have) we will not see their like again. This is an invaluable record of the glory of British acting. I agree with another reviewer's comment that the sound is bad, but if you boost your system's treble to the max and decrease the bass to lowest, the sound is not too bad.

I agree with the review on poor sound. It echos and is quite difficult to understand; my students would agree. The viewing experience turned out to be frustrating for them, but at times they were able to establish the events for more popular scenes. Recommended if you desire a visual or are a Chekov purist.

Pompous Olivier doesn't deliver the minalism. Chekhov and the British are incompatible. If you're looking for some other pithless interpretations with Olivier, check out his lackluster Hamlet.