hearthesilence wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:46 pm
FWIW, when Film Desk struck new 35mm prints for this, they got the color right, and last time I saw it projected, it was their print, so at minimum there's a good guide for the color circulating out there.
Yep. God, I saw that at LACMA years ago. That great theatre no longer exists. Fittingly, the last movie screened there was Ozu’s An Autumn Afternoon
hearthesilence wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:46 pm
FWIW, when Film Desk struck new 35mm prints for this, they got the color right, and last time I saw it projected, it was their print, so at minimum there's a good guide for the color circulating out there.
I screened their print as part of a French New Wave series, and it looked terrific--I agree that the look felt exactly right for the film. The digital restoration came out on Blu-ray in the US around the same time, and the difference was shocking.
For those who never saw it, the original Kino Blu(e) was arguably the worst example of revisionist color timing in the history of the format. I don’t think ANYONE ever tried attempting contrarian apologia for it!
domino harvey wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:13 pm
For those who never saw it, the original Kino Blu(e) was arguably the worst example of revisionist color timing in the history of the format. I don’t think ANYONE ever tried attempting contrarian apologia for it!
I've wondered if there wasn't a technical problem that happened somewhere between the color grading stage and the Blu-ray release.
rapta wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:58 pm
Kinda knew this was coming (someone suggested after last month's newsletter clue, and then it happened to appear on Mr. Jenkins' Letterboxd shortly afterwards). Sounds great, instant blind-buy. Been a while since we got some Resnais in HD.
someone needs to port that Film Desk edition of La Guerre est Finie over to the UK just so you can have a copy, it's an awesome edition and our good friend Adrian Martin does a great commentary with his partner, Cristina Alvarez Lopez. which of course I'm going to say it, I wish they were here to talk about this film too! but nonetheless, that documentary looks like a great grab - I feel like it would fit Hiroshima or Marienbad editions perfectly but will probably do great here. we have otherwise been pretty starved for more of Resnais films on disc, and I really don't count this one as having a previous disc since...the previous one was what it was
rapta wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:58 pm
Kinda knew this was coming (someone suggested after last month's newsletter clue, and then it happened to appear on Mr. Jenkins' Letterboxd shortly afterwards). Sounds great, instant blind-buy. Been a while since we got some Resnais in HD.
someone needs to port that Film Desk edition of La Guerre est Finie over to the UK just so you can have a copy, it's an awesome edition and our good friend Adrian Martin does a great commentary with his partner, Cristina Alvarez Lopez. which of course I'm going to say it, I wish they were here to talk about this film too! but nonetheless, that documentary looks like a great grab - I feel like it would fit Hiroshima or Marienbad editions perfectly but will probably do great here. we have otherwise been pretty starved for more of Resnais films on disc, and I really don't count this one as having a previous disc since...the previous one was what it was
I haven't even checked but it might actually be Region B friendly (I didn't realise Denis' Trouble Every Day had been confirmed as RB-compatible until deep into the recent Vinegar Syndrome sale, when of course a lot of what I wanted was now sold out, so I didn't bother placing an order in the end). I'm surprised Fran hasn't welcomed them as a hosted label, as I thought Craig Keller was a collaborator with both labels and could help acquire necessary rights etc (though I am a bit puzzled why we've not seen any further Fun City, CIP or Altered Innocence titles either, since the first handful).
I believe the same person that may have inadvertently revealed this as forthcoming by logging it on Letterboxd did the same for Muriel, so you may get your wish…
domino harvey wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:13 pm
For those who never saw it, the original Kino Blu(e) was arguably the worst example of revisionist color timing in the history of the format. I don’t think ANYONE ever tried attempting contrarian apologia for it!
I've wondered if there wasn't a technical problem that happened somewhere between the color grading stage and the Blu-ray release.
I don't think so, it always just looked Eclair'd to death to me.
domino harvey wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2024 8:28 pm
I believe the same person that may have inadvertently revealed this as forthcoming by logging it on Letterboxd did the same for Muriel, so you may get your wish…
If it's the same person I'm thinking of (big clue: they subsequently rewatched Marienbad, then The War is Over afterwards), it may have just been a coincidence and they were perhaps viewing it in a certain context (such as working on a video piece for this very release). But either way, would love to see Radiance do another HD upgrade, and though they said they'd avoid it, they occasionally do find themselves covering a title already done by Criterion (e.g. The Exterminating Angel, Häxan, Il Sorpasso).
Probably the best it can look given the circumstances!
I keep meaning to recommend James Monaco's 1978 book on Resnais for fans of this film, as his chapter on the movie accomplishes the herculean task of cataloging, dating, and reassembling every (and I mean every) scene in this film into chronological order. Everyone needs a hobby, but the mind reels on how long this took, especially in an age before home video
Radiance is clearly very proud of their work on this one, it's a massive improvement as noted above. I wonder what other titles they could do this for? Muriel of course
domino harvey wrote: Sun Mar 09, 2025 3:21 pm
I keep meaning to recommend James Monaco's 1978 book on Resnais for fans of this film, as his chapter on the movie accomplishes the herculean task of cataloging, dating, and reassembling every (and I mean every) scene in this film into chronological order. Everyone needs a hobby, but the mind reels on how long this took, especially in an age before home video
Probably not that long, as he explains in the footnote he assembled the chronology from the published script, which adds the date of setting to each scene. But, yes, the book is terrific.
The blu looks pretty good to me, and I enjoyed the extras but is anyone else finding the subtitles a bit, dunno, perfunctory? I can appreciate the problem of translating a film with a lot of fast dialogue into something readable, but the English seems to sadly miss out on most of the wit that my poor grasp of the language can make out in the original dialogue, and the film therefore comes across as a bit more solemn than was maybe intended.
Revisited this and it’s still a miss for me, though at least it’s not seen through parking lot sun glasses this go around! (However, the completely normal SD clips of the film before the restoration in the Claude Rich interview are so tragically tantalizing that it just made me sad we’ll never get it looking like that again even with best efforts made)
I think there’s some major structural and conceptual issues here (here’s a big one: why does Rich’s character have no childhood? It seems awfully convenient that his entire memory takes place in the span of his relationship and after but not before) and Rich’s interview on the disc at least indicates Resnais was aware of one big flaw, as apparently up until days before shooting Resnais intended to film all of the memories in Lady in the Lake style POV shots. That would be a gimmick here as it was there, but at least these clips would then give the impression of being relived versus just being flashbacks all shaken up. As it is, it never feels like a time travel movie, more like an extended therapy session (with a couch so comfy you meld with it)
VERY interesting aside by Rich in the interview about the Cannes 68 festival btw. This must be the first French actor in history to not pretend he was all for the protests and instead seems quite sad about missing out on winning Best Actor
EDIT For those who never saw the previous Kino Blu, the interview with Jenkins on this release utilizes the uncorrected color hues of that release
