YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW (1963, Blu-ray released May 17, 2011 – MSRP $39.95)

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Kino recently released on Blu-ray a trio of classic collaborations between actors Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren and director Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D.), the eldest of which is the Oscar award winning Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow from 1963.

“Winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar at the 1965 Academy Awards, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow“>Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is a sparklingly original comedy that casts Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren in three different stories set throughout Italy. In Naples, they are poor but resourceful, selling black market cigarettes on the streets. In Milan, Loren is costumed in Christian Dior and debates her preference for a Rolls Royce or her husband. And in Rome, Mastroianni is an industry scion who helps Loren’s prostitute set a wavering priest back onto the spiritual plane.“

If you don’t fall in love with Sophia Loren after watching this film, I think there’s probably something wrong with you. She’s absolutely radiant here, in all three of the stories, stealing the attention from her leading man and talented director. But that’s as it should be. I doubt the film was crafted as a showcase for her beauty and charisma but De Sica certainly plays into it as much as possible, masterfully keeping his camera at exactly the right distance for her to devour it. Mastroianni gives the impression that he’s always in awe or trying to keep up with her but that’s just him, doing his job, exhibiting how we feel as we watch their relationships play out through the various stories.

Don’t even begin to get me started on Loren’s striptease in the Roman chapter of the film. I have a feeling that the howl let out by Mastroianni wasn’t scripted…

Kino appears to have done their best with poor source materials on this Blu-ray presentation. It’s detailed and film-like, with no untoward digital manipulation at all. Great work on their part and certainly the best this film has ever looked on home video. The print, however, is in need of a lot of restorative work to bring it up to the standards of the better looking transfers of films of its era. But without a major influx of cash, I don’t see that happening. That said, it’s a pleasure to see Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow looking this good. The Dolby TrueHD 1.0 is faithful to the source, clean and clear throughout but limited in dynamic range.

The Blu-ray disc doesn’t contain much in the way of special features – trailers for the other De Sica films on Blu and a stills gallery – but the package contains a bonus DVD of the documentary film Vittorio D., an excellent, feature length look at the life and work of director De Sica. Among a plethora of interviews with actors and producers of European cinema, you find words of praise from the likes of Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen and Mike Leigh, as the doc examines De Sica’s work as an actor, his films, politics and incredible legacy. Vittorio D. is well worth the price of the disc package on its own and is just as highly recommended as Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow“>Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow for fans of Italian cinema and film fans in general.

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