My goodness, they'll have to recall all the discs and reprint.
The discs are not wrong, just the site. When we completely redesigned the site, everything was done from scratch - I had ten people proofing every page and no one caught this and the new version of the site has been running for almost a year now.
Licensing problems appear to be solved as the film is showing twice at the British Film Institute in London (14th and 16th January 2011). Have just booked my ticket!!.
Saw the film tonight and really enjoyed it. Great to hear this wonderful score play against the visuals it was intended for and to see the translation of the lyrics.
An interesting article about the movie can be found at:
If anyone happens to still have the PDF of Kritzerland's liner notes, I would be happy if you would email me (urs.lesse@gmx.de). I have bought both the original Kritzerland release as well as the new Écoutez le Cinéma release of this complete score and would like to "merge" the liner notes in one place.
Yesterday the French TV channel TV5, which is available in the UK on the Sky satellite TV platform, showed UNE CHAMBRE EN VILLE, and with English sub-titles. The channel shows many French films with sub-titles electronically produced through the Sky receiver but not always - the previous week LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG had none.
I'd never seen the film before. I know it was poorly received and wasn't widely distributed but what a revelation it is! Every bit as good as Demy’s LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG. As with that film it features an all-consuming love affair but set against a workers' industrial dispute and is a wholly more dramatic and bolder film, as well as being more tragic-operatic.
Here's the video clip mentioned above, with English lyrics from google translate
How long are you waiting for me? - Five minutes, no more. Have you seen all these cops? There are plenty on the streets. - So François protects me, Francis, hold me against you. - My Little Violet, you're all red. - This is because I ran, that's how the violets. When they are happy, they blush when they are unhappy, they fade and wither ... What did you do today? - I hung, I wandered, I do not know how to occupy my time. - Rest, enjoy it. - I can not sleep, I wake up at six o'clock like to go point. - At the store, a customer told me that there had been a fight today in the prefecture. - The cops kept us in awe, we could not pass. And then they launched their fucking gas. Despite us, it was dispersed but the next time we stand. - You win. - You sure? - Yes, because I love you, François I love you. Now I want to live with you because I'm cold without you. Let's get married, Francis. - In the midst of strike? - The Marriage Office is not on strike. - This is not the time, I do not have a penny. - But the strike did not last, and then I also work. - This month, I would not even be able to pay the baroness. - You know, this one is not to be pitied. We will rent a studio, then you will leave this old bug. I'd like a room for us, just for us, François, you know? You come from? I invite you to dinner. I told mom that I would return later. - I can not, Dambiel waiting for me on the site. Household shall designate the pickets. - Go quickly to the pegs, my love. See you tomorrow. - See you tomorrow. - Come pick me up at the store, do not forget. Oh, how I love you, Francis.
For those who didn't want to go the Region 2 DVD route, your patience has been rewarded. Criterion has announced that "Une chambre en ville" will be included in a box set of Jacques Demy films that they will release on Blu-ray & DVD on July 22nd. Features for "Une chambre en ville" include:
New 2K digital restoration DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 surround soundtrack Video program on the restoration New English subtitle translation
In this musical melodrama set against the backdrop of a workers' strike in Nantes, Dominique Sanda plays a young woman who wishes to leave her brutish fiancé (Michel Piccoli) for an earthy steelworker (Richard Berry), though he is engaged to another. Unbeknownst to the girl, the object of her affection boards with her no-nonsense baroness mother (Danielle Darrieux). A late-career triumph from Jacques Demy, "Une chambre en ville" received nine César Award nominations and features a rich, operatic score by Michel Colombier.
