Under Capricorn

PHOTO 1: Hitchcock’s first cameo @ 2:30 and 2:59 (timing includes Kino-Lorber logo at start of blu-ray). A lot of people claim that the man at the lower right in the grey suit and brown hat, with his back to the camera is Hitchcock. I’m not convinced.PHOTO 2: Hitchcock’s second cameo @13:02 - The stout gentleman in the brown suit and grey hat, standing at the top of the stairs talking with two other men is definitely Alfred Hitchcock.PHOTOS 3+4: Minor earthquake @ 24:00 (see below)PHOTOS 5+6: Contemporary advertising:“A woman driven by the demons of hell! ... damned by a sin so black it could only be atoned for by the men who loved her!You’ll see the heights - and the depths - to which a woman like this can go!”Despite Warners’ lurid advertising, ‘Under Capricorn’ was a flop at the box office.The third of four money-losing films between 1947 and 1950 (the others were ‘The Paradine Case’, ‘Rope’ and ‘Stage Fright’).Hitchcock finally got his mojo back with ‘Strangers on a Train’ in 1951.‘Under Capricorn’ is not really a thriller, more of a romantic costume drama, set in 1830’s Australia, with a very far-fetched plot.In his memoirs, actor Joseph Cotten referred to it as ‘Under Corny Crap’.Still enjoyable.It is still a Hitchcock film starring Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten.I own the old Image DVD with no extras.The Kino Blu-Ray is a big improvement, and the first really satisfactory edition of "Under Capricorn'It was released on June 19, 2018 (any reviews posted before that date are for older DVD editions).-- 4K digital restoration-- Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger - she's British, with a working class accent. Can be difficult to understand (Eliza Doolittle before Henry Higgins).-- Hitchcock/Truffaut interview (audio only, 12 minutes).-- ‘Cinema of Signs: Claude Chabrol on Alfred Hitchcock’ German TV interview from 2006 (English subtitles, 27 minutes).-- Theatrical Trailers-- English subtitlesMINOR EARTHQUAKE:This was Hitchcock’s second color film: An American production, but filmed in England (“Colour by Technicolor”).Hitchcock’s first “colour” film was the previous year’s ‘Rope’, and like that film, Hitchcock planned to use uninterrupted ten-minute takes.One consequence was the minor earthquake @24:00:When the actors enter the dining room, the candle sticks on the table are visibly shaking.That’s because the dining table was moved out of the way to allow the camera to enter the room, then quickly moved back into place.HOLLYWOOD OR BRITAIN?‘Under Capricorn’ (1949) and ‘Stage Fright’ (1950) marked Hitchcock’s postwar return to England.Though filmed in London studios, they were Hollywood productions with American actors in most of the lead roles (Ingrid Bergman and Marlene Dietrich were American by adoption).Though sometimes referred to as “British films”, they are no more British than ‘I Confess’ (1953) was Canadian or ‘To Catch a Thief’ (1955) was French.Two postwar films looked British, but were actually filmed in Hollywood: ‘The Paradine Case’ (1947) and ‘Dial M for Murder’ (1954).‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’ (1956) was filmed in England, Morocco and Hollywood.Finally, Hitchcock returned to England for his next-to-last film, ‘Frenzy’ (1972).This time he used an all-British cast, but like all these films, it was still a Hollywood production.With the release of ‘Under Capricorn’, 28 of Hitchcock’s 30 Hollywood films (all but ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ and ‘Stage Fright’) are now on Blu-Ray.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ALFRED HITCHCOCK FILMOGRAPHY:Alfred Hitchcock directed 56 feature films (not counting short subjects).One film, 'The Mountain Eagle' (1927) is lost.'Blackmail' (1929) is counted twice - it was Hitchcock's final silent film, and was also filmed as his first talkie.All 55 surviving films are at least on DVD, with two exceptions:-- 'Blackmail' - the silent version (1929)-- 'Mary' - the German language version of 'Murder' (1931)(these two films have at times been available in Europe, but I keep hoping someone will issue both versions of ‘Blackmail’ on one disc and both versions of ‘Murder’ on another, along with helpful bonus material.)PART ONE: BRITISH PERIOD, 1925 - 193925 films survive: 6 are on blu-ray.1925 The Pleasure Garden - silent1927 The Mountain Eagle - silent, LOST FILM1927 The Lodger - silent, BLU-RAY  The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ], coupled with ‘Downhill’1927 The Ring - silent1927 Downhill - silent, BLU-RAY coupled with  The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1928 Easy Virtue - silent1928 The Farmer's Wife - silent1928 Champagne - silent1929 The Manxman - silent1929 Blackmail - silent version *1929 Blackmail - sound version1930 Elstree Calling [musical comedy revue with four directors]1930 Juno and the Paycock1930 Murder1931 Mary - German language version of 'Murder' with a separate cast *1931 The Skin Game1931 Rich and Strange1932 Number Seventeen1934 Waltzes from Vienna1934  The Man Who Knew Too Much (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ] (first version)1935  The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1936 Secret Agent1936 Sabotage1937 Young and Innocent1938  The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1939  Jamaica Inn [Blu-ray ] - I don’t know why the blu-ray is so expensive.* unavailable in North AmericaPART TWO: HOLLYWOOD PERIOD, 1940 -197630 films: 28 are on blu-ray.1940  Rebecca (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1940  Foreign Correspondent [Blu-ray ]1941 Mr. & Mrs. Smith NOT ON BLU-RAY1941  Suspicion [Blu-ray ]1942  Saboteur [Blu-ray ] *1943  Shadow of a Doubt [Blu-ray ] *1944  Lifeboat [Blu-ray ]1945  Spellbound (hitchcock) [Blu-ray ]1946  Notorious (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1947  The Paradine Case  [Blu-Ray]1948  Rope [Blu-ray ] *1949  Under Capricorn [Blu-ray ]1950 Stage Fright NOT ON BLU-RAY1951  Strangers On A Train (BD) [Blu-ray ]1953  I Confess (1953) [Blu-ray ]1954  Dial M for Murder (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray) [1954] [Region Free ] (2-D and 3-D versions)1954  Rear Window [Blu-ray ] *1955  To Catch A Thief (1955) (BD) [Blu-ray ]1955  The Trouble with Harry [Blu-ray ] *1956  The Man Who Knew Too Much [Blu-ray ] (second version) *1956  The Wrong Man [Blu-ray ]1958  Vertigo [Blu-ray ] *1959  North By Northwest (1959) (BD) [Blu-ray ] *1960  Psycho (1960) [Blu-ray ] *1963  The Birds [Blu-ray ] *1964  Marnie [Blu-ray ] *1966  Torn Curtain [Blu-ray ] *1969  Topaz [Blu-ray ] *1972  Frenzy [Blu-ray ] *1976  Family Plot [Blu-ray ] *Not counted as feature films: 'Aventure Malgache' and 'Bon Voyage' (both 1944). These were French-language propaganda shorts (combined running time: 57 minutes) produced during World War II. Available on DVD, but not Blu-Ray.* these fifteen films are also in a bargain Blu-Ray box:---- 2012:  Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] (2012) ---- 2016 reissue:  Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray ] (same fifteen films)---- 2017 reissue:  Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection [Blu-ray ] (same fifteen films + two blu-rays of Hitchcock television shows). The films were not newly remastered.or---- 2012: Fourteen film Blu-Ray box (minus 'North by Northwest'):  Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection [Blu Ray ]This is a British import (considerably less expensive)The bonus features of the British and American Blu-Rays are identical.Unlike most British Blu-Rays, these are region-free and should play on any US player.PHOTO 1: Hitchcock’s first cameo @ 2:30 and 2:59PHOTO 2: Hitchcock’s second cameo @13:02PHOTOS 3+4: Minor earthquake @ 24:00PHOTOS 5+6: Contemporary advertising.

like!!!! More like a soap opera from the 60s!! Watchable, but not great! Kinda like a British My Fair Lady meets Dallas!! B- RP

The movie arrived in excellent condition and ahead of schedule.

Don't listen to the naysayers! No, this isn't your typical Hitchcock film but rather a totally engrossing period melodrama and what suspense it has is all due to human interactions rather than MacGuffin contrivances. Having believed some of the negative comments I'd heard over the years, I had never seen it before. Till tonight. The color photography by Jack Cardiff is ravishing as is Ingrid Bergman. A word, too, about the splendid villainy supplied by superb English actress, Margaret Leighton. Michael Wilding is charming and Joseph Cotton respectable. Other stars of the movie are 1) a beautiful, graceful screenplay adapted from the novel by Hitchcock alums Hume Cronyn (Shadow of A Doubt) and screenplay by playwright James Bridie (Paradine Case, Stage Fright) There are tiny problems on the blu ray with some greenish color fringing but they are sporadic. For the most part the 4K restoration is stunningly beautiful. If you loved "Downton Abbey" you will be over the moon with "Under Capricorn": a great house in 19th century Australia with secrets upstairs and down! Trust me on this.

Hitchcock's underrated Under Capricorn has never looked so good before. Kino's restoration of this overlooked film has finally done it the justice it deserves. I have seen this film back in the 80's at a rare screening and was struck by Jack Cardiff's stunning Technicolor cinematography and Hitchcock's impressive direction. Years later subsequent DVD releases did not convey how beautiful of a film this is. Kino surpassed my wildest expectations. While Under Capricorn is not one of Hitchcock's masterpieces, it certainly deserves to be rated among his better films. It an atypical offering from Hitchcock. A lavish period drama, atmospheric, mysterious focusing on character interaction and solid performances by Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotton and Margaret Leighton rather than suspenseful set pieces Hitchcock is more typically known for.

One of The Master's most underrated films. Watch this movie and tell me other wise.

This is not the type of movie we all would expect from the great master of suspense. It's very British and similar to something on Masterpiece Theatre. But if you stay with it to its ending you'll be applauding.

The new Blu-ray presentation of "Under Capricorn" is pretty good. Some scenes are a little too green.. There's a green horse and some green shadows but for the most part it's decent quality. HD brings out the artificial look of the painted scenery which is too bad.. As for the film itself, I've always liked it. The actors, story, music and Jack Cardiff's photography are first rate. Hitchcock's direction is also fine It must be a question of individual taste. You'll either like it or you won't.

A film like "Under Capricorn" could never be green lighted today. If you want to complete your Hitchcock library you'll buy this. Otherwise, the story is so outdated I can't see many wanting to watch this historical soap opera.

This is a great classic movie with good sound and colour. Thank you, Sam

This was Alfred Hitchcock’s second film in colour. His trademark mystery. Not his best. But far from bad.

This was pretty much the only Hitchcock film we’d not seen, so I ordered it. Big mistake. The film itself is a clunker - apparently Ingrid Bergman talked Hitch into filming it. Afterwards he said he’d concluded that it was better to look at Ingrid than listen to her...But it was the transfer to DVD that was the icing on the cake. Did they only have a videocassette to do it? Fuzzy picture, simply not a patch on the many much older Hitchcock films we have on DVD. Avoid it.

Excellent sur toute la ligne. Produit de première qualité et expédié rapidement !Exactement comme promis et selon la réputation du fournisseur.