From the Collection: Funny Girl
William Wyler’s Funny Girl was recently added to the Criterion Collection.
Barbra Streisand makes a screen debut for the ages in William Wyler’s musical spectacular. From humor to pathos, she hits every note as popular 1920s singer-comedian Fanny Brice, a young Jewish New Yorker whose spirit and supernova talent propel her to fame in the Ziegfeld Follies, but whose devotion to an unreliable gambler (a charismatic Omar Sharif) brings drama and heartbreak into her life. Adapted from a hit Broadway show and directed by Hollywood master William Wyler, Funny Girl hits emotional highs in unforgettable performances of songs like “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade”—moments that won Streisand one of the most richly deserved Best Actress awards in Oscar history.
Here’s What the Disc Includes:
- 4K digital restoration, with 5.0 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
Barbara Streisand was already a star before making her big-screen debut in Funny Girl. She was an Emmy winner, a Grammy winner, and a star on Broadway, so it only seemed right that her next venture would be becoming a movie star. Plain and simple, Streisand’s performance as Fanny Brice is one of the best debut performances I have ever seen. It’s a lightning-in-a-bottle performance that only Streisand could have done. She is full of life and charisma and seamlessly transitions from comedy to drama, romance to musical numbers. It’s the kind of performance you’d expect from a screen veteran, not a first-timer, yet Streisand showed she was a one-of-a-kind star and rightfully won an Oscar for her performance.
The movie itself is very entertaining. William Wyler brought Isobel Lennart’s stage play to life with exciting song and dance sequences, tons of humor and wit, and a stirring romance at the center. The colors of the film illuminate off-screen thanks to Criterion’s 4K restoration, which adds depth to every shot. The special features on the disc include a lot of interviews and documentaries with the film’s stars and filmmakers. I particularly enjoyed the Directed by William Wyler documentary as it gave me more insight into the director and now has me wanting to watch more of his films.
You can pick up Funny Girl at the Criterion Collection website or anywhere Criterion Collection movies are sold.
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From the Collection is an analysis piece of non-new-release movies, whether seen on DVD, streaming, or in a theater, and includes a brief history of the film, a review of the film, and content about the experience of seeing the film and/or the contents of the film’s DVD.
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