The Film
As one sits and watches Breakfast at Tiffany's, it becomes painfully obvious how pathethic the romantic comedy has become; it is hard to care when the two main characters have zero chemistry and the writing is pathetically juvenile. Unlike the hundreds of romantic comedies that came after (with a few exceptions), Breakfast at Tiffany's never falls into that trap -- it is a genuinely sweet and enthralling film thanks to a strong script, excellent directing, and a legendary performance from Audrey Hepburn.
Hepburn's portrayal of "Holly Golightly"; a fragile, kookie, and ultimately charming young woman trying to find herself in the world; a world in which she plays many roles and is a geuine "phoney" (according to her agent), is a joy to watch. Hepburn brings a genuine sensitivity to the role, not to mention her trendsetting sense of style (women still wish they could look like her in a dress, hat, or a pair of sunglasses) that plays an important part of the film.
George Peppard (The 'A' Team) never had a better role (director Blake Edwards didn't even want him in the movie), nor did he ever act as well in any subsequent film, but he meshed perfectly with Hepburn. Patricia Neal; an actress with a bad reputation for stealing leading men away from their wives (she later married children's author, Roald Dahl; who subsequently nursed her back to health after a series of cerebral aneurysms -- before leaving her for one of her best friends), is fantastic as Peppard's interior decorator/sugar momma; a woman with a lot of taste but few morals.
If you can handle listening to "Moon River" every five minutes, the final payoff is worth the torture as the emotion is real and the lady is one-of-a-kind.
The Picture
Color is an important part of the film and the restored Blu-ray transfer is rather breathtaking in that regard. Saturation levels are excellent and the overall image quality will make you wish you own a Kuro TV or JVC projector. Don't waste your time looking for artifacts or screen noise; you'll be too engrossed in Audrey Hepburn to care. Paramount is on a serious roll this year with their technicolor releases.
The Sound
The restored mono tracks (offered in Dolby Digital) sound great, but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix really does this fifty year-old film justice. Henry Mancini's score is really quite remarkable; it propels the film along and helps Hepburn steal every scene she is in. Johnny Mercer's Oscar-winning "Moon River" has never sounded this good and even when the song gets on your nerves (has a song ever been played that many times in a film before?), you still can't help but sing along.
Hepburn's rendition of "Moon River" on the fire escape was nearly cut from the film, but the actress fought for its inclusion and the restoration of the audio proves that she was correct; she could really sing quite well. I'd like to see Gwyneth Paltrow or Sandra Bullock pull that one off today. Not likely.
The overall mix is very well balanced and while the surrounds don't add a lot, the film doesn't feel "fake" or forced from a surround perspective; something that is often the case when older films are remastered. The cocktail party sounds great, but you won't confuse it with a modern mix; this ain't no disco (as David Byrne would say). Dialog is clear and easy to discern; and this is one of those films where every line is worth digesting.
The Extras
Paramount has packed a lot of interesting bonus material into the Blu-ray release, but sadly none of it contains any interview material with Audrey Hepburn or George Peppard who passed away in 1993 and 1994, respectively. The majority of the bonus content does focus on Hepburn and her performance; not to mention her influence on fashion, but it feels somewhat flat. It certainly isn't boring, but the commentary from director Blake Edwards is too brief and fans might feel shortchanged.
The most perplexing part of the bonus material is a documentary entitled Mr. Yunioshi: An Asian Perspective which starts as a rant by Asian American actors who are still seemingly angered by Mickey Rooney's portrayal of Hepburn's Japanese neighbor and devolves into a history of the treament of Asians in American history. The subject of racial stereotypes certainly deserves a platform, but I'm not sure that the Breakfast at Tiffany's Blu-ray release was the appropriate place.
The segment on Henry Mancini and his wonderful music is really the best part of the bonus content and likely to get your toe tapping; and possibly lead to a late-night smothering as your significant other snaps because one can only take so many renditions of "Moon River". Fun, but also disappointing.
Final Thoughts
Not every film ages well, but Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of those rare films that is as good today as it was when it was first released in 1961. Solid writing and a great cast never hurts, but this film has at its core a divine spirit that makes it quite special; certainly in comparison to the hundreds of romantic comedies that have followed. Paramount has done a masterful job restoring this film on Blu-ray and it is beautiful testament to one of the most ethereal and elegant actresses in film history. Buy it and carry it home in one of those blue bags. Spoil yourself.
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