Burton and Taylor (2013)

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General		Extras
Category	Biopic	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2013
Running Time	82:23
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (58:20)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Richard Laxton
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Helena Bonham Carter Dominic West
Case	?
RPI	$29.95	Music	John Lunn

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes, Credits begin 3:54

     The BBC produced drama Burton and Taylor is based on fact, covering events of just a few months in 1983 in the not-so-private and public lives of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Twice married to, and divorced from Burton, the then fifty-one year-old Miss Taylor, fresh from her successful "legit" debut both on Broadway and London in The Little Foxes, had her sights set on a second stage triumph. She settled on Noel Coward's 1930 comedy Private Lives, persuading her famous double-ex to star opposite her. The show opened to sell-out preview audiences in Boston on April 13, 1983 and then moved into New York for a ten-week season, opening on May 9. This was followed by a national tour, closing in Los Angeles on November 6, 1983. These facts are simplified in the screenplay from TV experienced William Ivory but the core of the facts remains true.

     First, let's get the problems out of the way. The made-for-TV movie was filmed in England in only eighteen days. Never for one second do we get the feel of New York or the American theatre. That's a pity. There are also a few on-screen errors, widely commented upon. The establishing shot of Broadway, showing neon signs for Guys and Dolls, Tommy and other productions is from the 1990's, a decade later than this film's time frame. Dialogue also has Dominic West referring to his, Burton's, first experience of La Taylor's acting technique on a Hollywood soundstage at the commencement of shooting Cleopatra. That fabled epic was filmed in Rome, not Hollywood. There also is the problem of the famous Taylor beauty spot. In reality it was on the actress's right-hand cheek, whereas Helena Bonham Carter has hers on the left-hand side. It is incredible that somewhere along the way, even in a rushed production such as this, that these errors slip through without someone noticing them. That's the end of my carping.

     Now for the positive. Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter are terrific. West wisely makes a minimal attempt at sounding like Burton. There are enough impersonations of the famed actor's sonorous delivery in TV carpet commercials. Instead this gifted, handsome actor gives a sensitive, heartfelt portrayal of a once-great talent. At this stage in his life, Burton's divine spark was dimming, diminished basically through the past abuse of alcohol. In 1983, aged fifty-seven, he finds himself reluctantly working yet again with the great love of his life, even though he knows it could destroy him. On the other hand, Helena Bonham Carter, nominated for this role in the Primetime Emmy Awards to be announced August 25th, gives an astonishingly accurate depiction of Elizabeth Taylor, both vocally and physically. There are flashes when you think "God! It is Elizabeth Taylor!" These moments generally come when Carter is in full flight, all gutsy wrath or laughter. It is the laugh that the actress captures magnificently. This is not to say that Carter gives us a shallow caricature. She most definitely does not. What we get is a touching, multi-faceted depiction of one of the great personalities of the last century. These two stars bring Burton and Taylor, the man and the woman, painfully to life.

     The production itself is solid. The theatrical scenes are well staged - I wish there had been bigger chunks of the Coward play itself. The supporting cast is fine - though some of the American accents are on the weak side. The musical score is old fashioned, orchestral and lush, very suited to the subject and nicely contrasted with the popular music of the time heard in the disco and club scenes. The film is attractively shot in widescreen 2.35:1, which seems odd for a made-for-TV movie. Nevertheless, this is full "CinemaScope" widescreen. (Please see the Video section below for more on this. If anyone can enlighten me further I would be grateful).

     See this movie for the subject matter, and the truly outstanding work from its two stars. I have been an admirer of Dominic West (The Wire) since seeing him in 2001 in New York, actually starring in another Noel Coward play, Design for Living. The dashing West looks far too good for Richard Burton at this stage of his life - sadly the great Welsh actor was dead only nine months after the period covered by this film. Dominic West's final dressing room scene is gut-wrenching. Helena Bonham Carter has never been a favourite of mine, but after this I have totally reassessed her. As Elizabeth Taylor she is phenomenal.

     See Burton and Taylor for its two leads. Also see it for the two immortal stars - and lovers - that West and Bonham Carter bring so touchingly to life.

Video

     Burton and Taylor comes to home video in an extremely attractive transfer. Presented at the ratio of 2.35:1, and 16x9 enhanced, the image is sharp and extremely detailed, whether scenes are brightly lit or on the dim side. Regarding the issue of the correct ratio, 2.35:1 or 1.78, as per the Region 1 release, I have compared the menu screen "press announcement" footage, presented in the menu 1.78:1, with the same scene from the film itself, which is 2.35:1. There is definitely more, considerably more, image to both sides of the screen in the shots contained in the movie itself. The sides of the frame have been cropped for the menu footage so that the menu image fills the TV screen. So, my conclusion is that the film was definitely shot 2.35:1. Was it possibly filmed for overseas cinema release? The wardrobe of the 80s and the interior decor, of hotel rooms, theatres, restaurants and clubs is all very nicely depicted. Colours are rich, without ever being garish, and skin tones are excellent in the innumerable close-ups. There are no visible flaws to detract from the pleasure of this well produced entertainment.

     Subtitles are white and centred at the foot of the screen. A sampling found them to be accurate.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     There is one audio stream; English Dolby Digital 5.1 Encoded at 48 kHz.

     The image is complemented by an equally smooth audio experience. The dialogue is just about everything here, and every word is crystal clear, with no sync issues. Dialogue is basically front and centred, though there is minimal movement across the front speakers. The surrounds are used to their optimum, considering the type of film. The numerous social settings give a rich aural experience, whether we are placed in the middle of a noisy club or a rapturous theatre audience. The original music from composer John Lunn (Downton Abbey) is also given the full surround treatment, as are the snatches of canned pop, the subwoofer giving a solid underpinning to the club/disco scenes. There is even a little Sinatra.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are no extras on the local release.

Menu

     The menu is presented over one of the first scenes of the film, the press announcement of the production of the play. N.B: Though there are no titled chapters, the movie is divided into eight different chapters which can be progressed through via the remote control.

    There is censorship information available for this title. Click here to read it (a new window will open). WARNING: Often these entries contain MAJOR plot spoilers.

     The local release misses out on two featurettes:

• Setting the Stage: A discussion on the film's art direction. I cannot find any indication of running time.
• Love is the Drug (10:14): A discussion featuring the cast and crew.

    Very odd is that the U.S. / Region 1 release is presented 1.78:1, not 2.35:1 as is the case with the Region 4 copy I reviewed. I commented in the body of the review that the ratio surprised me, being a TV production, and now the information on the US release only adds to my questions on this issue. After comparing the footage in the menu screen with the same shots from the film itself, my conclusion is that the film was definitely shot 2.35:1, and we have been favoured with that correct ratio, while the Region 1 release crops off both sides of the image to fill the TV screen. The two featurettes we miss out on don't sound overly impressive, so I would definitely choose our Region 4 release, with the full 2.35:1 image.

     Here is a sensitive look at a few months in the tempestuous lives of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The film is well written, well made and superbly acted. These two were arguably the most famous couple of the twentieth century, and this film, modest in its focus, manages to capture the essence of their attraction. For anyone interested in movies, theatre, or relationships, this is an absolute must see.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall