Orson Welles' The Immortal Story on Blu-ray in November
9 September 2015
It’s a rarely seen, lost classic from the genius that was Orson Welles and now, as part of the ongoing celebrations marking the centenary of the maverick multi-hyphenate, The Immortal Story is making its first ever appearance on Blu-ray anywhere in the world.
Welles' second-to-last feature as a director, The Immortal Story is an adaptation of a book by Danish author Isak Dinesen and stars Jeanne Moreau.
The year is 1860 in the Portuguese colony of Macao, Mr. Clay (Welles) is an aging, rich merchant, who is the subject of town gossip. He likes his clerk Levinsky (Roger Coggio), to read to him to help him relax in the evenings and one night he recounts a tale about a rich man who paid a poor sailor five guineas to father a child with his beautiful young wife. Mr. Clay has no wife and no heir to his fortune and resolves to make the story true...Levinsky approaches Virginie Ducrot (Moreau), another clerk's mistress, and strikes a bargain for 300 guineas. Now to find the sailor...
The Immortal Story, Welles’ penultimate film as a director, a film described as a "sumptuous experience" (Time Out) has now been given a sumptuous, high definition transfer courtesy of Mr Bongo Films, with the Blu-ray due on 2 November 2015 marking its first HD release in any territory at the RRP of £13.99.