Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition)

Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) is a good movie. First off I LOVE Bette Davis, I think her acting is under rated almost entirely. As Bette Davis was so fond of saying she was an "Actress" not a Movie Star. According to Bette Davis "Joan Crawford" was a "Movie Star" The difference an Actress actually worked for a living a Movie Star did not. That said Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) is a story about the life of a spoiled Southern Belle of a Plantation Owner in the Old South. The Plantation Owners daughter is rich, spoiled and head strong sort of like a wild horse that refuses to be bridled by the socially confining straight jacket like conservative restrictions of 1852. Rather than wear the expected white to a fancy Ball (Dance) she chooses instead to become a scandalous sensation by wearing a RED DRESS to the ball. All sorts of fun and frolics ensue as a result of wearing this red dress that blasts and upsets the sensibilities of all concerned. I will leave it at that and allow you to enjoy the movie for yourself.There are some people who hate this movie simply because it is a black and white flick which I find strange beyond words. I have not always but often often found black and white movies to be far more involved innovative and complex having far richer durable plots than many of their color counterparts. In some cases Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) does suffer from cardboard acting but not so much that it detracts from the film. Racist stereotypes are everywhere in this film but that was the world as it was in The racist United States of 1852 that continued to the time this film was made and beyond. In the United States racism is a nasty, vulgar but constant reality. Racism is a strong and lingering cancer in United States society that is as virulent today as it was in 1852. I like Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) because; it lays bare the naked ignorance of racism in United States society without the lies of political correctness so adroitly used by politicians and other power brokers today.Beyond the racist slant of Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition), it is enjoyable to watch. Bette Davis while no friend to black people did a very good job playing her role as a strong willed, stuck up, fussy ignorant Southern Belle. Some scenes in Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) are down right funny in their stereotypes of black people since they reveal boundless racist ignorance in ways more effective than anything black folk could publish. Many analogies are made between Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) and Gone With The Wind. Both films speak of the old racist south back when it was fine even expected to be ignorant brain dead racist scum. On the surface it would appear Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) is the poor relation to the great Gone With The Wind. In my humble opinion both Gone With The Wind and Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) are required viewing. Just as any modern coin has two unique and different sides likewise Gone With The Wind and Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) offer a slightly different take on basically the same subject matter. Gone with the Wind was a color production quite lavish for its time. Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) seems to be a hastily put together Warner Response to Gone With The Wind. Taken for what it is, Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) is an admirable look back at the Old South that picks at enough scabs drawing enough blood to be an interesting anthropological film study in its own right.As a black man while some parts of Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) and Gone With The Wind are painful to watch they I feel they should be watched, studied and appreciated. I feel both films offer valued vital insights to largely racist history of the United States. As black people both we and the United States have come a long way from the ignorant, arrogant racist attitudes commonplace in Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) set in 1852. I also feel Jezebel also helps its viewers understand that we still have a long journey before we reach a place where the poisons of arrogant ignorant mindless hate are finally excised from this nation whose potential for greatness is unbounded if unleashed.Finally I am an autistic black man. I know this review like most of my reviews will get a majority of negative ratings as no one likes my honest insights. My blunt insights usually run counter to the mass of popular appeal conformist lemmings that dominate this culture. If my postings make you mad then good! I'd rather make you mad. At least in making you mad hopefully I've also forced you to think for yourself for a change. Hopefully my postings make you re-examine long held ideals. Great movies like Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition) and Gone With The Wind are great because they should make you question who you are and what you stand for on the most basic levels. Jezebel is all about a strong if spoiled old south woman who had the guts to stir up a ruccous in her stilted conservative 1852 southern white polite society. Bette Davis despite all her faults was in the movie and in real life a lady with guts who did not back down to studio exec's or anyone else. Like the gutsy dame in the Movie Jezebel, Bette Davis was in her own way a strong woman who stood her ground even when it was unpopular and that much even I can respect. Bette Davis was no social conformist lemming in real life or in Jezebel and if for nothing more than that fact alone this Movie is a MUST HAVE IN MY COLLECTION! After all a strong yet good woman or man is indeed a treasure of infinite value no matter what their race!

Bette Davis may have lost out on playing Scarlett O'Hara, but she ended up with the better role here. And in a film that was half the length, too. As for the story, I kept thinking about parallels one could draw between the period depicted and our own. Pandemic, social/political unrest, etc. However, all this goes to show is that periods of civilizational upheaval have common elements, which makes stories like Jezebel evergreen. They will always be relevant in some way and having a strong central performance like Bette Davis gives here ensures its staying power. While the film as a whole is excellent, it really blossoms into something special in the last 15-20 minutes as you see Bette Davis' character transform and mature before your eyes. It was an incredible character arc, one that really left an emotional impact on me. While I don't habitually rewatch many movies, this is one I can see myself returning to occasionally, or at least more often than I usually do.

This entire movie is focused on her RED dress. Colorize this movie! We have the technology. It is so utterly absurd to continue to refuse to colorize a black and White movie with a RED Dress plot line when there is no justifiable excuse. It is the only reason I gave it 4 stars. The movie deserves 5 stars. The arrogant A$$ who refuses to colorize the film deserves zero stars.Do you have any idea how much money you would make selling the colorized version? Anyone who wants Black & white can already buy it in its original version. How about humoring the rest of us while we are still alive to appreciate it. Don't wait until your audience dies off and no one old enough left to care. (Like they nearly did for the Dallas TV series. All those years wasted. Not to mention how many died just waiting for the DVD's).Better yet, create a DVD set with a colorized restored version and an original Black & White version and a B&W restored vision. Then everyone will be happy with the version of their choice.There is no clapp trapp which will convince anyone or justify keeping this movie in Black & white only. If any movie needed to be colorized, it is this one. The entire plot was about the RED dress. The only reason Black & white ever existed is because they did not yet have the technology for color. After color was available, the only reasons for Black & white was cost or availability. It was the same for TV as it was for film. If color had been invented first, there would be no Black & White movies or TV. As it is, we invented methods to colorize to fix what they could not do when they filmed these movies & were either limited by technology, access or money. At the time of filming, all 7 of the Technicolor Cameras were tied upon filming Gone with the Wind. There were no color cameras available for Jezebel. Not to mention the cost.Black & White isn't art. It's nothing but lack of capability. Most of us were born with color vision. Not Black & white. I've been waiting over 50 years to see this film in color. I'd colorize it myself if I had the capability. I'm quite serious. I colorized our family photos. We now have both versions. Everyone is happy. Photos were another media limited by technology, access & money.To the person responsible for keeping this movie in Black & white:We are willing to pay for the pleasure of seeing this movie in color on DVD. You would make more money if you colorize it while we are all still alive to buy it. We do NOT want see a remake. We want the original movie IN COLOR! Include all 3 versions on a DVD set to satisfy everyone.I don't care how important you think you are. I saw Spielberg's name mentioned as the possible responsible party. (We also remember how he backstabbed Kubrick over AI.) Either way, anyone who denies the audience the long awaited colorization of this film is a selfish, self centered, arrogant A$$. You've lost our respect. Hopefully, we can return the favor on something you want.

Bette Davis was truly captivating as the spoiled entitled brat. Her acting has never let me down, this film really caught her nasty-ness with such beauty. So perfectly done.

JEZEBEL is a classic film form Warners in the late 1930s in response to the phenomenom of GWTW buzz. It was released one year earlier and was compensation to Davis for not winning the Scarlet role. Be that as it may it's a great story of the old south (be warned, there are loads of southern slave references that today would not be acceptable). However Davis is her usual triumph in this. The restoration in sound and picutre quality is well worth replacing your DVD!

Others have done this great film great justice with their reviews.There is nothing that I can add which would be remotely helpful, so I will just say that I agree with other reviewers, and also say that I thoroughly enjoyed the film.Bette Davis can do no wrong in my eyes !

Betty Davis deserved her Oscar for her brilliant portrayal of a self-centred Southern Belle who can't believe she can't do exactly as she pleases. Wealthy Julie Marsden betrays the codes of her social milieu, wearing a red dress to a ball, instead of the traditional, virginal white gown, and loses her beau as a result. The sudden realisation that life isn't hers for the taking brings her to a maturity which develops throughout the story to bring her to a heroic end.Throughout, Bette Davis develops her character from frivolous to serious, from carefree to responsible, from fallen idol to redemption. The nuances of change show in her eyes, her expressions, her gestures, and Davis never for a moment drops her perfection in each scene. Supported by Henry Fonda and George Brent and a stalwart cast (Donald Crisp, Fay Bainter, Margaret Lindsay, Spring Byington) the film races along its dramatic sequence of events, and a modern audience can't help but be impressed by the quality of this 1938 classic movie.

I bought this when my mum said she wanted to watch it again after seeing it at the cinema when it was first released! I was a bit concerned after looking at the picture of the case and reading the description that it may have been in Korean with English subtitles but it wasn’t. Mum was very pleased with the quality of picture and sound bearing in mind the original film is over 80 years old! A good purchase as far as I am concerned.

From Canada: I ordered this DVD for a gift so opened it to watch and make sure it was gift worthy. It was very clear in black and white and I enjoyed it so much, I watched the whole thing. Fast shipping , no issues