DELUXE 2-DISC BLU-RAY / DVD EDITION
Foolish Wives (1922) was Erich von Stroheim’s third feature for Universal, serving as both film director and star in a classic silent drama comprised of seduction and extortion. Upon its release in 1922, the film was advertised as the “first million-dollar movie” and promised a legendary performance by von Stroheim, drawing fixated attention from American news outlets and audiences alike. Flicker Alley is honored to present this newly restored edition of the film, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and The Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA), in a deluxe 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD edition.
This new 4K restoration of Foolish Wives reconstructs the original continuity by combining the surviving original film elements, meticulous image restoration, and recreation of the original stunning color effects, to offer audiences the closest look possible at the original version of the film.
Foolish Wives features a newly commissioned orchestral score composed and conducted by maestro Timothy Brock and performed by Real Filharmonía de Galicia and recorded in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
• Restoring Foolish Wives - A detailed, behind-the-scenes look at the brand-new restoration, with film restorer Robert Byrne
• Erich von Stroheim and Hollywood’s First Million-Dollar Picture - A short documentary on the background of Foolish Wives, presented by MoMA film curator Dave Kehr
• The Waves and the Merry-Go-Round: On Location with Erich von Stroheim - A documentary short presented by cultural historian Brad Rosenstein
• Source Comparison Demo - A before/after demonstration of the film’s restoration
