Dona Flor & Her Two Husbands –
Original Director’s Cut (1976/New
Yorker Films DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: C+
Though it
was one of the biggest hits in Brazilian Cinema history and helped make Sonja
Braga an international star, I was never the biggest fan of Bruno Barreto’s Dona Flor & Her Two Husbands (1976)
but I also had never seen a very good print of it after al the years it has
been issued over and over again in various formats. Now, New Yorker Film has it in a restored Original Director’s Cut and it looks
better than ever.
The title
character (Braga) is faithful to her good for nothing husband (Mauro Mendonca)
and knows what he is up to, but wishes her late husband (Jose Wilker) was still
with her. Along with her cooking, he
comes back to life and back in her life, which is the crux of the comedy. However, I did not laugh then or now, though
I seem not see some scenes here I had not seen before and the energy and
performances work better in the better print.
However, I was still not as impressed as I was with Hector Babenco’s Pixote (1980) and think of this as a
commercial peak of Brazil’s filmmaking, not an artistic one. Still it has a reputation and those curious
finally have a decent copy to see on DVD.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is however, too soft despite the great
color and other improvements in the frame.
That may sound odd, but it has to be seen to be believed. Maybe it is a PAL-to-NTSC conversion issue,
but the lack of detail holds back the fine color and hard work it took to fix
this. The Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo is not bad and has Pro Logic surrounds, but the harshness is unfortunate
and the fact that it was a Dolby Digital reissue may suggest a 5.1 mix was also
made, but not available for this disc.
Was it too harsh too? Extras only
include a re-release trailer and vintage making of short.
- Nicholas Sheffo
