The Elia Kazan Collection

This is a very good box set. I've been waiting a while for A tree grows in Brooklyn , Viva Zapata and Wild River. The thing is, I already owned some of these wonderful films like the Brando movies, Baby Doll and East of Eden but lucky me I didn't bought the other ones already out like Panic in the streets or Boomerang for example. So I would advise to buy this if you don't have everything already out or if you're a big fan of Kazan's work because this is a collector's item I think. First of all, the packaging is very interesting starting with a 100 pages hard cover book taking every movies on this box set individually and talking about them (a brief presentation of the film, some facts and interesting photos of the production) the way the DVD's are presented is also original, they're in a hard cover packaging (like a photo album) and every DVD is in a pocket with a brief description of the movie and the year it was made. The only thing I didn't like was that most of the films that were out before (East of Eden, On the waterfront) they took the DVD's of the old release so it looks kind of strange in the packaging. Let's talk about the new transfers (A tree grows in Brooklyn, Viva Zapata, Man on a tightrope and Wild River), they are spectacular! clear, no scratches or dirt and great contrast (in the b/w movies). Also the new documentary A letter to Elia is amazing. You can feel all the love and the admiration that Martin Scorsese has for Mr. Kazan and it's easy to understand why he made such an effort on this box set to honour and to respect his mentor. I give 4 stars instead of 5 because the box is not complete, where are the later movies like The Arrangement and The last Tycoon, I'm sorry but Kazan's career didn't stop after America, America. Also, extras are missing, I like the fact that almost every film as an audio commentary but half the movies have no extras. I would have like some featurette or making of on Boomerang, Pinky,Viva Zapata, Panics in the streets, Wild River, A face in the crowd and America, America.

Not many movies out there are about the TVA. But this one is, and it's both entertaining and educational. The Tennessee Valley Authority was part of the Depression Era New Deal. It both put unemployed men to work and built a system of dam driven turbines that furnished electricity to much of the South. The trouble is that it required taking over the land affected by the new waterways and moving off the owners. Despite offering compensation to the owners, many didn't want to leave. Here, old lady Garth (Van Fleet) refuses to leave and by golly no one's going to make her, including government man Glover (Clift). How he eases her off the land without using force forms the crux of the plot.Filming in Tennessee in Technicolor is a real asset, lending both eye appeal and authenticity. I also like the way the movie deals with social issues of the time. Blacks as well as Whites are hired onto the same TVA work teams and paid the same wages. That upsets both local segregation laws and the local economy since Blacks are customarily paid a fraction of what Whites get. Naturally many Blacks leave their former jobs to hire on with the better paying government work force. This angers many local Whites who then try to disrupt the project. Thus, federal man Glover has a lot to contend with, especially since he's also romancing old lady Garth's unhappy granddaughter, Carol (Remick).Van Fleet's excellent as the hard-bitten matriarch, and so is Salmi as one of the local thugs. Surprisingly, Remick's usual sexy appearance is downplayed in favor of a more emotive role. But to me, the real surprise is Clift. He's mostly expressionless throughout the 100-minutes. I suspect that's because of the auto accident that so damaged his face several years earlier. But, whatever the reason, he's not nearly as effective as we know he could be from earlier films.This may not be one of director Kazan's more celebrated showcases, but it is both an intriguing drama and a revealing look at an important slice of American history.

I am so glad I finally bought this Elia Kazan set. There are 15 movies of which I already have 2 of them. But it was worth the $65.00 for13 of these classic movies. This is bang for your buck!!!👏 It is encased in a very nice, sturdy, durable slip case. You get a hardcover book which talks about the 15 movies. I did not know this was included. And all the movies are in an album like book which is very nice. The whole thing is very nicely presented. I have wanted this set for about 7 years but It would always be sold out but I always kept it in my Amazon "saved" cart. Finally, it is mine and everybody who likes Elia Kazan movies should jump on this right away, like everybody else has for the past 7 years. And I also want to add that each movie would cost between $15 and $20 a piece which is way more money than the cost of this beautiful set.

Perfecto.

Correspond à la description

One of the most interesting and beautifully packaged collections that we have seen in quite some time. Obviously, make sure that you have an 'NTSC' compatible DVD player