| | | "New Packaging, New Low Price."
Features: DVD
For the first time on DVD an all-new restoration of Marcel Pagnol's The Fanny Trilogy. Considered "one of the most cherished love stories of the century" (American Film Magazine), The Fanny Trilogy can now be appreciated in a four-disc box set bringing all three feature films from the trilogy: Marius (1931), Fanny (1932), and Cesar (1936), together with a fourth disc bringing a wide variety of special features including: a 74-minute documentary about the trilogy, 88 minutes of exclusive audio commentary by Marcel Pagnol, original theatrical trailers, and much more. Also included is an illustrated essay by French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier (The Clockmaker, Capitaine Conan) on Marcel Pagnol's oeuvre.
"[Marius] ...great dramatic theater with rich characters and fine acting." ePinions.com
"[All] ...established Pagnol's reputation worldwide...codified French cinema's "tradition of quality"--in which performance and theme are valued over visual flash..." Noel Murray, The Onion A.V. Club
"[All] ...a composite portrait of France's most paradoxical filmmaker...who refashioned the medium into a new blend of theatricality and realism." Stephen Harvey, The New York Times
Editor's Note
This program contains the classic French love stories by director Marcel Pagnol "MARIUS," "FANNY," and "CESAR." Please see individual titles for complete information.
| Features | About The Trilogy (2003), A 74-Minute Documentary About Marcel Pagnol's Fanny Trilogy | | 3 Photo Galleries | | A Marcel Pagnol Biography | | Audio Commentary By Marcel Pagnol For Marius (60 Min), Fanny (18 Min), & Cesar (10 Min) | | Audio: French Dolby Digital Mono | | Filmographies | | Interactive Menus | | Introductory Essay By Filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English | | Theatrical Trailers |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Kino Video |
| Release Date: 9/25/2007 |
| Original Release Date: 1931 | | Catalog ID: 053024 | | UPC: 00738329053024 | | Number of Discs: 4 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: French | | Available Audio Tracks: French | | Video: B&W and Color |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety 9 of 10
[Marius] Made from a popular legit hit [by Marcel Pagnol], and acted by the same cast, the screen version is even better than the stage presentation. It shows the call of the sea acting on the son, Marius (Pierre Fresnay), of an innkeeper, Cesar (Raimu), whose sweetheart, Fanny (Orane Demazis), aids him to satisfy his craving for travel, despite that he has seduced her. It's a very clever mixture of gags peculiar to the Marseilles locale, and of pathos created by the girl's self-sacrifice...Direction deliberately omits technical tricks. Continuity and dialog are both excellent, with camera work excellent and sound fair...Due to the fact that the cast has done the show several hundred times, the acting is unique in French pictures for naturalness, and without exception is of the highest order. Raimu, veteran stage actor, is better on the screen, and so is Fresnay. Demazis, whose personal beauty is not the main asset, is entirely different on the screen, having tremendous personality and charm. She is the outstanding personality of the picture.
Raging Bull 9 of 10
[Fanny] Pagnol's stories are the kind you can enjoy at virtually any age. The well developed characters feel like old friends; we laugh with and at them. The regional actors with their distinct dialect Pagnol had fought for in the initial casting of his play had caught on so well in the cities through a combination of diversity and nostalgia for pre-industrialized life before World War 1 that Pagnol was able to open his own production company. Director Marc Allegret is more cinematic than Alexander Korda was in Marius or Marcel Pagnol would be in Cesar. He utilizes exteriors, does more in the way of cutting, and isn't entirely static. Spoken word, both the authentic dialogue and witty and realistic content are always the essence of Pagnol's work though...Unlike the Hays code works coming from America, Pagnol isn't forced to be very discrete about if not shy away from issues such as infertility, impotence, and out of wedlock children. The trilogy not surprisingly contains situations used in sitmocks and dope operas, a main difference though is these are warm humanist works. Panisse (Fernand Charpin) is developed into a full fledged character, turning out to be a lot better individual than we imagined. - Mike Lorefice
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