New York's Tribeca Film Festival traditionally hosts screenings of restored and rare prints of classic titles, and this year's promises to be especially intriguing (scroll down to Restored/Rediscovered and Special Events sections):

Tribeca Film Festival press release -- March 17, 2008

The line in your subhead about "a western" piqued my interest, so I went in and here's what I found in that link:

Once Upon a Time in the West (C'era una volta il West), directed by Sergio Leone, written by Sergio Donati and Leone, English dialogue by Mickey Knox. (Italy, USA, 1968) - New York Premiere Restoration, Narrative. What is there to say except “restored—at last.” This breathtakingly beautiful and unforgettable film, as much an opera as it is a Western, has been both adored and reviled since its initial release, but it’s been almost impossible to see the way it was intended to be seen—until now. Italian with English subtitles. Restoration made possible by support from The Film Foundation and The Rome Film Festival, in association with Sergio Leone Productions and Paramount Pictures. Screening is a collaboration with the Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art .


Now, the questions I have (directed to anyone who might know):

What was "restored"? Every print I've seen of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST from its TV broadcast in 1972 on through various revivals included the scenes that had been cut from the 1969 theatrical U.S. release, e.g. the scene with Lionel Stander in the tavern, a scene between Henry Fonda and Gabriele Ferzetti in some kind of pueblo canyon, and a crucial scene near the end between Charles Bronson and Jason Robards. Were there other cuts that have been missing all these years?

Why "Italian with English subtitles"? What's the draw in that when so many of the cast were American? I don't want to hear Fonda's famous line, "Now that you've called me by name" in Italian. Nor the following exchange between Jack Elam and Bronson:

"Looks like we're shy one horse"
"No, you brought two too many."

And if it's in Italian with English subtitles, why do they credit Mickey Knox and his "English dialogue" so prominently?

I'm confused. :huh:

I agree with Mr Camp - and add that the description of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST sounds like a lot hyperbole from an enthusiastic intern. Also, where is the love for the scenarists Bertolucci and Argento?

In my opinion, the term restoration has become a marketing term to sell videos or tickets - newly restored, digitally mastered, et al.

True film restoration only occurs when the orginal film elements (or elements a generation or two away at the most) have been cleaned, colors dialed in and re-photographed photo-chemically in a manner that will preserve the film elements (in their orginal format) for future generations.

* * *

P.S.I really want to see MR LONELY.

VIDEO WATCHDOG published a very exhaustive essay on what was still missing from the most recent versions of ONCE UPON A TIME, most notably the fact that credits were supposed to roll over black screen with Cheyenne's theme underneath, and that a Paramount editor jumped the gun so to speak and placed both too early, covering up the last shot of the horses trotting away from Sweetwater.

Sounds like the restored Leone which is lately making the rounds (it was screened at the Miami International Film Festival on March 2nd) is from an Italian print (which would explain the subtitles) and is thus a significantly different movie to begin with. Past threads here and elsewhere have itemized the many small and large variations between the American and Italian releases, which include a new scene or two (the toppled toy soldier), use of alternate takes, differences in editing...and the final credits over a black screen with Cheyenne's theme.

Those elements have always been a part of the Italian version in every release, whether theatrical or for home video. I'm pretty sure that the Italian release on DVD I've had for a couple of years was itself restored. Perhaps this screening is the Italian restoration with subs slapped on?

For those in the know, did other European releases of the film follow the choices of the Italian or the Paramount edit? Any further variations? PS: fwiw, one source lists Paramount archivist Barry Allen as in charge of the current restoration. PPS: an Italian restoration was apparently screened this past September; and, finally, a 'restored' dvd version released in Italy recently irritated some viewers there because it was ten minutes shorter than what they were used to. Reason: the American/International cut was the basis for it...

I still have the VHS tape of the German version (Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod) which I taped off RTL in the 90s. This I compared to the standard Paramount cassette that was available then.

Somebody had made a surprising number of minor edits to the opening sequence (one scene removed that I remember very clearly was Al Mullock drumming his fingers whilst waiting for Harmonica). There were also alternative angles in a later scene which involved a bath and Henry Fonda (from memory here!).

I am not sure of the status of the current DVD, can anyone confirm the drumming fingers at the beginning?

Deleted scenes.

Guardian article on restoration

Thanks for the link, it explains what's been restored...up to a point. The print screened in Italy this past September must have been the end product of what was announced in the article, and is what's appearing here in the States now.

One remark interested me especially, that

Some viewers here may be surprised by the colo(u)r. Leone films as seen in Italy, are pretty consistently hotter and brighter, American prints a cooler gunmetal gray in basic tone by comparison. I recall someone saying that American releases deliberately toned down the color for local tastes, so deterioration over time may not be the only issue involved. Am I misremembering?

TOBY DAMMIT should NEVER be shown with English subtitles. Least of all when parts of it are already in English.

The listing for TOBY DAMMIT reads "English, Italian with English subtitles", which leads me to believe that the "parts of it already in English" will still be presented that way.

Vincent

Exactly. But with the Italian dialogue subtitled, the audience is deprived of sharing Toby's sense of disorientation, which I've always considered central to the film's particular tensions and wonderment.