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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Viva Maria
    Genre:Drama

    Reviewed In Issue 28 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, Paulette Dubost, Gregor Von Rezzori, Poldo Bendandi, Claudio Brook, Carlos Lopez Moctezuma, Jonathan Eden & George Hamilton

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 2.5
    Sound Rating: 2
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): MGM
    (Catalog Number): ML104543
    (MPAA Rating): Not Rated
    (Retail Price): $39.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 115
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): No
    (Theatrical Release): 1965
    (LD Release Date):
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Louis Malle
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
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    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.30:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Mono Sound
    (Theatrical Sound): Optical Mono
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital): No
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Viva Maria features Brigitte Bardot as Marie, French-Irish revolutionary on the lam who hides out with a travelling carnival. There, she teams up with Mary (Jeanne Moreau) for a dance hall act in Mexico. When Marie accidentally rips her skirt during the performance, she and her partner turn it into the first striptease and create a wildly enthusiastic following. But, in their travels, they find themselves at the head of a peasant revolt. Early in the film, parts of the English dubbed soundtrack (on the analog track) is not isolated, as the French soundtrack is irritatingly audible.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The framed 2.30:1 picture looks dated, exhibiting inconsistencies in color fidelity. Colors are sometimes dull, while other times exhibit natural fleshtones and deep blacks. Images are often wanting in sharpness and detail with mediocre shadow detail and contrast. Noise, grain, artifacts and print scratches are distracting throughout.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The sound is compressed mono.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
    (Aggressive System Surround): No
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): No
    (Deep Bass Challenging): No
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): No
    (Aggressive Split Surround): No
    (Center Back Surround Imaging): No
    (Directionalized Dialogue): No
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    Collector Edition: