1270 Carnal Knowledge

[Finch]

mid the sexual revolution and social upheaval of the early 1970s, acclaimed director Mike Nichols delivered a zeitgeist-defining examination of American mores. Sharply written by Jules Feiffer, this acerbic drama flashes through more than twenty years in the lives of two college buddies (Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel) whose casual chauvinism is all fun and games—until it’s not. As the women who suffer and see through the friends’ insecure posturing, Candice Bergen, Ann-Margret, Rita Moreno, Carol Kane, and Cynthia O’Neal form an extraordinary ensemble that gives the film its soul. So controversial it became embroiled in an obscenity case that went all the way to the Supreme Court, Carnal Knowledge remains startling for its unnervingly frank look at postwar masculinity.

4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural 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 commentary featuring filmmaker and playwright Neil LaBute
New program with Mike Nichols biographer Mark Harris and film critic Dana Stevens
New interview with film-editing historian Bobbie O’Steen
Conversation from 2011 between Nichols and filmmaker Jason Reitman
Q&A with screenwriter Jules Feiffer
Radio spot and trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by scholar Moira Weigel and a 1971 piece from American Cinematographer about the look of the film

New cover by Catarina Sampaio

[Beloved Aunt]

New audio commentary featuring filmmaker and playwright Neil LaBute

Woke Criterion, huh? Until they need a repellent commentary for their (presumably) repellent film!

Cover is poop.

[Beloved Aunt]

Also, why does every single one of Criterion's blurbs for the films they release sound like it was written by David Denby?

[tenia]

So I guess thanks Studio Canal for having released yourselves the movie but only on BD while licencing it in the UK and the US to labels doing UHD.

[crimlaw]

Did Criterion license Carnal Knowledge from Studio Canal or MGM/UA?

[Matt]

The streaming rental listings say Lionsgate is the distributor with copyright attributed to StudioCanal.

[ChunkyLover]

Did Criterion license Carnal Knowledge from Studio Canal or MGM/UA?

Generally, AVCO/Embassy titles in the US are licensed from MGM but I believe in this case it’s StudioCanal.

The streaming rental listings say Lionsgate is the distributor with copyright attributed to StudioCanal.

Lionsgate have streaming rights, in the US, to AVCO/Embassy titles.

[Maltic]

Mission accomplished in making Jack and Garfunkel look suitably smug and obnoxious and making Bergen and Ann Margret look cool (cool and depressed, at least in Ann Margret's case).

[crimlaw]

Lately, the Studio Canal catalog seems to be a steady supplier for Criterion. Could The African Queen be next?

[olmo]

Love the art design, for me it's far better than the Indicator release which even though it contains components of the original promo one sheet, looks odd.

I think the red is completely incongruous, if a colour can be incongruous.

Criterion's extras best Indicator also, LaBute is a find, contextually, it's an intriguing addition.

[ryannichols7]

I believe this is the first time Criterion and Indicator have ever gone directly head to head, releasing a title at basically the same time? I'm going Indicator, because I'd rather listen to Justin Bozung and Richard Ayoade over Neil Labute any day...and I like their cover better too.

Lately, the Studio Canal catalog seems to be a steady supplier for Criterion. Could The African Queen be next?

I'd enjoy that, and since they love Bogart I'm sure they would, though would probably be another example of keeping an older UK edition for the extras (the Eureka version, in this case)

[ChunkyLover]

“The African Queen” is a Paramount-controlled title in the US.

[beamish14]

“The African Queen” is a Paramount-controlled title in the US.

Yep. Has a 4K restoration as well, I thought

[crimlaw]

Like the recently announced Sunset Boulevard, probably a future Paramount Presents release.

[CSM126]

Carnal Beaver comparing the Criterion and Indicator 4K discs.

[jt938]

Carnal Beaver comparing the Criterion and Indicator 4K discs.

Clicked in expecting nude Ann-Margret screenshots and was not disappointed. DVDBeaver will never change.

[olmo]

Love the art design, for me it's far better than the Indicator release which even though it contains components of the original promo one sheet, looks odd.

I think the red is completely incongruous, if a colour can be incongruous.

Criterion's extras best Indicator also, LaBute is a find, contextually, it's an intriguing addition.

I've changed my mind on this, a poster on Blu Ray.com has highlighted DVD Beaver's information that the contextual white fade prior to the slideshow sequence has been omitted on the Criterion, ostensibly as it wasn't included on the new StudioCanal 4k restoration.

It seems indicator have gone the extra mile in sourcing the fade from older transfers to retain the authenticity of the original release of the picture.

This alone deserves a purchase over the other.

[hearthesilence]

Criterion looks a bit like it's been filtered, so definitely Indicator would be my recommendation. (Also, honestly thought this was Jerry Seinfeld.)

[dwk]

They aren't shots from the UHD, so you who knows how big the difference between those will be.

I just sent an email to ask about the missing fade, I'll post their response.

[beamish14]

Criterion looks a bit like it's been filtered, so definitely Indicator would be my recommendation. (Also, honestly thought this was Jerry Seinfeld.)

No Neil LaBute + Munro + adherence to original release=Inducator’s is clearly superior

[jt938]

Piece from the booklet regarding the look of the film posted by MifuneFan on Blu-ray.com

Spoiler

I remark about the absence of color in the decor. All of the sets I see on the stages are done in the cream and tan and brown tones which Sylbert has mentioned. "It's true that there is little color," he explains, "but it's not because of a conscious avoidance of color. It's a visual way of growing from college — which I always assumed was the color of a paper bag — to the 1970s. You see people differently in 1970 from the way they looked in 1946. There is a change in contrast. Back in college, under the tans and browns and brick colors, the edge was very soft. With time, life takes on a very hard edge. The mature man wearing a black velvet suit in a white room is, in every way, drastically different from the boy he was in college, with his khaki pants and khaki room and khaki bedspreads and khaki book covers. As the emotional pressures of the film's story increase, the contrast — which was soft and delicate in the beginning — will harden up. This is the effect that Peppino will be striving for, also, as shooting progresses."

...

On the sound stage they are preparing to shoot a sequence in the tavern set. All of the practical fixtures are faced with amber glass, so Rotunno quite logically suggests that the set (and the actors) be illuminated exclusively with amber light. This is, from the technical standpoint, a very bold gesture and one that requires the utmost care in execution, lest the actors all end up looking as if they've got jaundice. However, Nichols likes the idea and soon the entire set takes on a golden glow.
..


I ask him what he considers to be the special challenges of photographing Carnal Knowledge and he replies: "The story takes place in three different time periods. It begins in 1946. Then there is another part that happens in 1961, and the final part develops in 1970. We are trying to make the three sections of the film look different, in order to show the passage of time. But we are also trying to keep everything very simple, which means that the differences must come from the way that we use the light."

[cdnchris]

Piece from the booklet regarding the look of the film posted by MifuneFan on Blu-ray.com

Spoiler

I remark about the absence of color in the decor. All of the sets I see on the stages are done in the cream and tan and brown tones which Sylbert has mentioned. "It's true that there is little color," he explains, "but it's not because of a conscious avoidance of color. It's a visual way of growing from college — which I always assumed was the color of a paper bag — to the 1970s. You see people differently in 1970 from the way they looked in 1946. There is a change in contrast. Back in college, under the tans and browns and brick colors, the edge was very soft. With time, life takes on a very hard edge. The mature man wearing a black velvet suit in a white room is, in every way, drastically different from the boy he was in college, with his khaki pants and khaki room and khaki bedspreads and khaki book covers. As the emotional pressures of the film's story increase, the contrast — which was soft and delicate in the beginning — will harden up. This is the effect that Peppino will be striving for, also, as shooting progresses."

...

On the sound stage they are preparing to shoot a sequence in the tavern set. All of the practical fixtures are faced with amber glass, so Rotunno quite logically suggests that the set (and the actors) be illuminated exclusively with amber light. This is, from the technical standpoint, a very bold gesture and one that requires the utmost care in execution, lest the actors all end up looking as if they've got jaundice. However, Nichols likes the idea and soon the entire set takes on a golden glow.
..


I ask him what he considers to be the special challenges of photographing Carnal Knowledge and he replies: "The story takes place in three different time periods. It begins in 1946. Then there is another part that happens in 1961, and the final part develops in 1970. We are trying to make the three sections of the film look different, in order to show the passage of time. But we are also trying to keep everything very simple, which means that the differences must come from the way that we use the light."

I'm guessing he posted that due to people again complaining about the colors based on screen captures, though it all feels absurd by this point; the differences are so subtle between the 4Ks when played back it's essentially a non-issue, and there are times where the Indicator looks pastier in comparison. At worst, Criterion's opening titles lean more towards orange than a pure red, but there's nothing at all blatant through the rest of the film. So in terms of colors, both are fine.

But yeah, Criterion messed up with the later fade, cutting right to the slideshow, so the Indicator is probably the one to go with on that alone. I haven't gone through the features of either yet, though.

[cdnchris]

In the commentary LaBute mentions the white fade when the first one occurs, noting that the sections are divided by them. He doesn't mention anything when the second one doesn't occur (just notes the music is coming up again), so I'm wondering if he was watching a different master when he recorded the track because I would think (based on the fact he's clearly watched the film numerous times) he would have noticed it missing.

[ChunkyLover]

so I'm wondering if he was watching a different master when he recorded the track because I would think (based on the fact he's clearly watched the film numerous times) he would have noticed it missing.

I believe commentary tracks tend to use older transfers/masters for recording (at least, from what I've gathered from a few commentators).

[MichaelB]

This is almost invariably the case, especially if it’s a new restoration. I remember referring to “this beautiful high-definition picture” in Nightmare Alley while actually watching standard definition NTSC - I didn’t get to see it in high-def for another three years, as that release was significantly delayed.

Even when I’m working from a new restoration, it’s usually festooned with timecode, and I also make a point of burning in subtitles even for English titles so I can follow and comment on dialogue. And even if it’s high definition I’ll usually get a massively lower bitrate than the final release.