David Lean DVD Collection Box Set [9 Discs, Import, All Regions] (Oliver Twist /Great Expectations / Blithe Spirit / This Happy Breed /Brief Encounter /Madeleine /The Sound Barrier /Hobson's Choice) (2010)

First, notice when you read ANY review, but especially those posted for this DVD set, the line beneath the reviewer's name that begins with, "This review is from:". It will tell you EXACTLY what product is being reviewed (barring any mistakes made by the reviewer himself). Using this caveat, notice that the three reviews for this set that were posted in 2004 were for a DIFFERENT set.

Amazon has a tendency with movies and books to combine reviews for different formats of the same film/book. For example, a book sold in the hardcover format will probably have many reviews for the paperback version of the same title. Sometimes this will skew the ratings as the paperback version may not be as rugged as the hardcover version. This is somewhat the case with this DVD set.

The ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) for this set is B001LU2V78. This DVD set contains:

- Oliver Twist

- Great Expectations

- Blithe Spirit

- This Happy Breed

- Brief Encounter

- Madeleine

- The Sound Barrier

- Hobson's Choice

- The Passionate Friends

You should know before you buy this set that it apparently was produced to be sold in Korea. The markings on the outside of the slip case are in both Korean and English, contrary to comments made by some earlier reviewers. Each of the interior cases within the slip case is labeled with the film's title in both English and Korean. The description of the film on the interior case is in Korean only. Each individual disk is labeled primarily in English with a small bit of Korean (the title, I presume) on the disk label.

The DVD's play in English. That is, all the dialog by the actors is English. The DVDs default to Korean subtitles when you start them up. You will have to turn the subtitles off in the disk menu if you don't want to see them. English subtitles are also available on the disks.

All of that was to try to alleviate any concerns you may have regarding the furor of some reviewers (who, apparently, didn't actually play any of the DVDs) over the Korean. It's not an issue.

Amazon's Product Details notwithstanding, all of these movies except for "This Happy Breed" and "Blithe Spirit" are Black and White. I could not verify that these DVDs are region-free, but they do play fine on players set for the USA.

So far, I have watched only "Hobson's Choice" and "Oliver Twist" from this set. Both films are outstanding. I had seen the made-for-TV "Hobson's Choice" with Sharon Gless, Richard Thomas, and Jack Warden years ago and really enjoyed it. When I searched for a copy, I couldn't find that one and bought this set. That turned out to be very serendipitous, since this set is truly a gem.

If you are looking for that more modern, made-for-TV version get it here:

Hobson's Choice

If you want to buy only the David Lean "Hobson's Choice", which is included with this set and which stars Brenda de Banzie, John Mills, and Charles Laughton get it here:

Hobson's Choice (The Criterion Collection)

While "Hobson's Choice" alone is an excellent movie, for only twice as much money you can buy this set and get the other eight films as well.

Other reviewers have commented on how wonderful these films are, but recognize that they were made from 1944 through 1954. Don't expect high-definition or surround sound. If you have realistic expectations of a DVD transfer of a film from that era you will enjoy many very nice movies, all of which were made prior to Hollywood's fascination with sex, violence, and foul language.

Highly recommended.

Initially, I was a little aprehensive about whether I would be able to watch these discs on my DVD/Blue Ray player or if the quality of the discs would make the aprehension unnecessary. I'm glad to say that no one need worry about this set. All anyone has to do is eliminate the Korean subtitles and you're home free and that is easily done. The quality of these films is wonderful. It's as if the movies were originally printed on the discs. I love David Lean's films and I am amazed that these films,with this kind of great quality, were so inexpensive. The set even includes Blithe Spirit which I previously searched for and was unable to get until now. Iit's one of those delightful films that are nearly impossible to get on DVD. Beyond a doubt, if you are a fan of David Lean's early films, by all means, buy this set. You won't regret the purchase.

I just received this collection today. This is an awesome collection. There a three of my favorite Lean films: Brief Encounter, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. Both the Dickens' adaptations are masterpieces. But there are a number of films in this Collection I haven't seen. This is a real treasure if you love David Lean as I do. After Hitchcock, he is my favorite director. The only films of his missing from my collection are Summertime and Ryan's Daughter. If anyone is interested in great film making, you can't go wrong by purchasing this collection.

When I received the collection, I went through all the films to make sure they were in English. As has been said by the other reviewers, the label is Korean but the films are in English. You can turn off the Korean subtitles. If you are interested in learning Korean, watching these films would be a good way to do it. Or vice versa. Also the quality of the films on DVD are absolutely great.

This collection, imported from South Korea can only be obtained from sellers; the Amazon version, Centenary Collection was issued in UK and plays only on Region 2 players. Either collection gives ample opportunity to David Lean fans to know some of his "lesser" earlier works. Aside from the best known (like Brief Encounter and Great Expectations) some, like Madaleine are not available in video-tape or DVD in the United States. That and The Passionate Friends are very much worth watching and knowing about. And you do not want to miss The Sound Barrier, an exciting minor epic that also deserves a Criterion nod. Lean was a first rate director, whose early work has been generally neglected, aside from a few masterpieces mentioned. Should you wish to know his opus in its entirety, try this collection (it does omit his first film, In Which we Serve), if you cannot obtain the UK edition. Obviously copies of copies, the DVDs are not in pristine state,in fact, some are rather poor, but they are watchable, and, should you not know Korean, the dialogue and subtitles are also given in English. Despite their second rate quality, these discs still give not only unexpectedly good entertainment, but offer a chance to know more about the director who was to captivate international audiences with his unequalled five epics for several more decades.

David Lean's work collected here is showcased very well. We see his character studies and adventures, his vision of classic Dickens novels, and his light touch with comedy. I was unfamiliar with several of the films in this collection and was particularly bowled over by Hobson's Choice with Charles Laughton, a broad farce deftly handled.

The collection's packaging has only Korean liner notes, and subtitles are available in both Korean and English, but the films themselves are as made - all in English. I purchased this to obtain Blithe Spirit, which I could not find anywhere else at the time. The other works included are equally valuable and worthwhile, including the supplementary background material about David Lean's approach to film making from several of the skilled behind-the-scenes pros who worked with him.

Highly recommended for collectors of the finest directors in film.

I haven't yet seen all of the 9 films in this collection, but most of them. The transfers of all I have watched are quite good. It is easy to turn off the Korean subtitles and watch with English ones if preferred (as I do for non-American English dialogue), or with none at all. Lean was a wonderful director, in any genre he chose -- broad comedy (Blithe Spirit, Hobson's Choice), classic adaptations of Dickens (Great Expectations, Oliver Twist), drama (The Sound Barrier, This Happy Breed)...Some of these are not easily available elsewhere, at least in no-region/region 1 format. I have been looking for an excellent transfer of Blithe Spirit, for example, for a long time. It is shameful that the only modern transfer available in the US at this time is this Far-Eastern import, but luckily it is done much more than adequate justice here. I highly recommend getting this box set; you won't be disappointed if you enjoy classic films (especially at a cost of $8 or so per disc). One more thing -- the compact packaging is greatly appreciated as well.

This set, at $5 - $6 per film,is an incredible buy. It is more than worth the price for the three Noel Coward items alone. Two of the lesser known Lean films, Maleleine and The Passionate lovers, are very good as well. The video transfers are good, even when viewed on a fairly large LCD TV, upscaled to 1080i. The only slight problem is color variability at a few spots in the Technicolor films - but this may have been in the films themselves. Do not be put off by the Korean source. It is easy to remove the Korean subtitles either using the menu or the subtitle button on your remote. The packaging is very compact. This is a good thing, except that one of the discs came off the hub in shipment and was moderately scratched. However, it played well.

If Amazon ever offers this again GRAB IT! I got this set for $6 a movie. These early David Lean classics are all masterpieces especially Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. Each film is beautifully packaged in an attractive slipbox. Now you have to figure how to get around the fact that the set is labeled in Korean. Thus you will need to open the disc cases to see what the movie is. Thankfully the discs are labeled also in English. When watching the movie simply turn off the subtitles. The quality of the movies are superb and appear to be digitally restored. And best of all they are region free. Unfortunately we have to go to Korea to get these great classics available only in the PAL centenary set.

Kurz und knapp: Alles fein. Die David Lean Filme bis kurz nach dem Krieg, also ohne die späteren wie Doctor Shiwago oder Lawrence of Arabia. Bildqualität erstaunlich gut, Sprache englisch, englische Untertitel. Einer der ganz großen Regisseure, tolle Filme. Lohnenswert.

10 films for an absurd price (£18 currently), all good quality (9/10) with sound levels on some films that is a bit variable 8/10 just, (PASSIONATE FRIENDS is appalling - whisper level dialogue - thundering music and effects, keep the remote handy) and all with good subtitles. This is a must for lovers of cinema or just good films. Obviously some of the films here will appeal more than others. For me the standout ones are, in no order, BRIEF ENCOUNTER - I was so pleasantly surprised to find it still packs an emotional wallop, even if society (and film making) has changed immeasurably - now there would be full nudity!? This is thanks to a master class in understated acting (from the whole cast, especially Cyril Raymond as the husband), scripting and a beautifully paced direction. The 2 Dickens films GREAT EXPECTATIONS and OLIVER TWIST still stand the test of time and enjoy tremendous sets, lighting, crowd atmosphere, and - acting! Lovely films. IN WHICH WE SERVE is still powerful if you can take the cliches - they perhaps weren't cliches then? But it is superbly filmed and acted (tho I believe the directing was mainly by Noel Coward). The rest have, for me, dated a bit, but are still very much worth the price of entry. A valuable collection. A must - for everyone.

Très bon investissement pour découvrir le cinéma de David Lean avant qu'il ne fasse ses blockbusteurs (Docteur Jivago...), de plus on trouve ici ses films certe les moins connus mais aussi les plus intéressants : Brève rencontre, Madeleine, the passionate friends... Uniquement en vo sous titrée en anglais.

Boxsets like this are a godsend to serious movie buffs; they offer us the opportunity to hold our own mini-film festivals and study/enjoy a large portion of a major director's body of work. In this case, we get to follow the first half of David Lean's career. From 1942 to 1953, Lean directed 10 films -- all of them produced within the British film industry, most filmed on studio sets, and all but two shot in moody black-and-white. (Not included is "Major Barbara" (1941), which sources indicate was primarily directed uncredited by Lean. Nor are Lean's final six feature films, which were all international productions made on location.)

I'm not sure that much more needs to be said about the individual films themselves. If you're considering this purchase, then you probably know most of them already. I'd like to make two quick points: (1) I'm largely in agreement with David Thomson and other critics who have attempted to rehabilitate Lean's early career and elevate these films above some of his later, more popular epics; these films strike me as having more vitality, humor, and visual inventiveness than, say, the ponderous "Doctor Zhivago." (2) Watching Lean's four collaborations with Noel Coward offers a remarkable study in a gifted artist slowly but steadily surpassing his gifted mentor; already in "This Happy Breed" you can sense Lean chafing against Coward's social conservatism, granting better close-ups to Kay Walsh's rebellious daughter than to Robert Newton's mouth-piece for Coward.

The DVDs themselves are uniformly very pleasing. As other reviewers have noted, the films are presented in their CORRECT aspect ratio of 1.33:1 or thereabouts. The restorations by the BFI are wonderful; I've never seen the Technicolor look so vibrant in "Blithe Spirit." I do have two minor complaints:

(1) There is very heavy grain present in some of these transfers (notably "In Which We Serve" and "Madeleine"), and I'm not always certain that the grain is inherent in the original source materials. Some of it looks like it might have been created by a little too much digital fiddling by ITV. Or perhaps it's because some of these DVDs are single-layer and thus have a rather low bit-rate.

(2) There are also surprisingly few extra features for such a labour of love. All the discs feature photo galleries, and the first six retain their original theatrical trailers. Otherwise, there are only three 24-minute featurettes for "In Which We Serve," "Brief Encounter," and "Oliver Twist" -- all of which were produced by Carlton several years ago. Oh, yes, there's also a booklet with a few paragraphs dedicated to each film. But ITV missed a wonderful opportunity to add to our appreciation of these films, and perhaps to continue rehabilitating some of them. For instance, both "The Passionate Friends" and "Madeleine" would benefit from some critical insight, and it's almost shameful that the DVD for a film of "Great Expectation"'s stature is basically bare-bones.

Nevertheless, as other reviewers have pointed out, Amazon's sale price makes this boxset a steal. And further criticism would be churlish. ITV is to be commended, and this item is to be purchased by any serious cinephile.

I needed to be reminded of the quality of a David Lean series of movies.