Near the tail end of his illustrious career, William Wyler (Roman Holiday) directed the debut of a true force of nature in a young and brilliant Barbra Streisand (What’s Up, Doc?) which launched her into the stratosphere and made her a household name. Isobel Lennart (Holiday Affair), in what turned out to be her last screenwriting credit, adapted the Broadway show for the screen only four years after it debuted on stage into a whimsical musical comedy that excels brilliantly because of the writing, cast, and direction. Funny Girl is finally getting its 4K treatment done by Criterion and it is the way one of the best film musicals of all time is meant to be seen, experienced, and lived in.
Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
If you’ve never seen Funny Girl (1968), you’ve at least heard about Funny Girl — its cultural significance, resurgence on Broadway, and launching of Barbra Streisand (who won an Oscar for her performance) cannot be understated or ignored. The movie solely focuses on different parts of the life of Fanny Brice (Streisand) as an original performer for Florenz Ziegfeld (Walter Pidgeon) in the early 1900s and then being swept up off her feet by the charm and money of Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif).
L-R: Omar Sharif as Nick Arnstein and Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
It is important to note, if this is your first time seeing Funny Girl, that there is not a problem with your disk, setup, or presentation — everything is intentional. That rough eight-minute interlude at the beginning that is orchestration and entirely blank on screen is meant to happen; they want you to be transported to the theatre, something very few films manage to pull off today, and preserving this on home release (and in 4K) is incredible. An intermission with an overture that plays to a blank screen is also included, preserving a programmed and timed break instead of other filmed intermissions which serve more as a pause. Seeing a movie in 2024 (regardless of when it originally came out) that keeps this tradition, that doesn’t modify or edit it, and allows the original to be kept completely intact, breathes a sense of hope and reminds us why physical media is so ever important. Criterion is not one to take shortcuts or to do poor reproductions, and their restoration of William Wyler’s Funny Girl and its inclusion into their catalogue is a testament to the promise they’ve continually delivered on.
Center: Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Continuing to sing and dance the praises of Criterion and their work, we break down how the feature looks. A 1968 movie being restored and presented in 4K UHD with Dolby Vision HDR looking this clean and masterful is nothing shy of extraordinary. It’s a near-flawless restoration that keeps the grain intact while embracing the time period and refusing to falter and edit with digital noise reduction (DNR) to degrade the value of the product. With 98 4Ks released and upcoming, Funny Girl continues to prove that Criterion is one of the best in the game, and their restoration of this 1968 classic is leaps and bounds above former releases and includes two new features that are sure to appease the audience and deliver for the special feature enthusiasts.
Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
While the new features consist of a new audio interview with Fanny Brice herself, Barbra Streisand, and a new conversation with William Wyler’s son David and the author and host of TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Alicia Malone, all the legacy features are there, as well, making this 4K and Blu-ray combo pack (also available as a standalone Blu-ray release, but always future proof) the definitive version for this timeless classic. Funny Girl is a downright inarguable classic, and this 4K restoration featuring one of the most deserved Oscar wins in its history is the quintessential version to own.
Funny Girl Special Features:
- 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
- One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- *NEW* audio interview with star Barbra Streisand
- *NEW* conversation between director William Wyler’s son David and author and Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone
- Directed by William Wyler (1986), a documentary on Wyler’s life and career
- Archival interview with actor Omar Sharif
- Deleted scene featuring Streisand and Sharif
- Featurettes from the original theatrical release
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by author and film critic Michael Koresky
- Cover based on an original theatrical poster
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray November 19th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official The Criterion Collection Funny Girl webpage.
Share this:
Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
One Error on the Back Cover shows 5.0 Audio. However while playing it 5.1 is detected.
Fascinating that it’s incorrect on the backcover, but it’s been correct on the listing since the announcement. Very weird.