Delicatessen 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Delicatessen 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 24, 2025

Delicatessen was released on 1080 disc many (many) years ago by Lionsgate and below is a link to my review of that edition, but let's start this review with a quote from the commentary track of The City of Lost Children, the follow up film from co-directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, where an opening dialogue between the inimitable Ron Perlman and Jeunet has an interchange which is completely relevant to this film as well:

Jeunet: The beginning is a little bit difficult to understand.

Perlman: Also the middle and end.

. . .

Jeunet: I have to admit the beginning is pretty hard to understand.

Perlman: And then it gets worse from there. . .I never understood any aspect of this film.

With that "explanation" in mind, my long ago 1080 review of this film linked to below offers just one of my often frequently cheeky "decks" (a little subtitle under the main listing title) where I jokingly suggested Delicatessen was like Sweeney Todd going to Brazil, or something like that, and that's probably as salient a précis as I'm able to muster for this completely peculiar but kind of surprisingly sweet and charming (considering its cannibalistic subtext) production. Suffice it to say my 1080 review of the Lionsgate release may also be, um, stuffed with food puns.

As mentioned above, Delicatessen came out on 1080 Blu-ray around a decade and a half ago courtesy of Lionsgate. My Delicatessen Blu-ray review provides a plot summary, a list of supplements and my reaction to that disc's technical presentation.

Delicatessen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

Delicatessen is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Severin Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. While the back cover of this release offers a "now restored in 4K from the original camera negative by StudioCanal under the supervision of Jeunet", a series of prefatory text cards before the main feature presentation offers much more detail, some of which I personally found kind of fascinating:

This 4K restoration has been supervised by Jean-Pierre Jeunet at L'Image Retrouvée. To meet the creative wishes of cinematographer Darius Khondji on the film's first release, the 35mm interpositive was given a specific photochemical treatment. Today's digital technology enabled us to work directly with the 35mm negative and restore the original image by optimizing color grading, contrast, and by harmonizing the grain. The project was carried out by the StudioCanal team, Sophie Boyer and Jean-Pierre Boiget, with the support of the CNC.

This is a captivating looking presentation, though my hunch is those who insist earlier (and arguably technologically inferior) versions are the standard by which everything should be judged are going to have issues with both the overall color timing and "grain harmonization" both the 1080 and 4K UHD versions offer. There is no doubt that this new presentation is substantially darker than the older Lionsgate version, and that may admittedly hobble shadow detail in some scenes, though in motion and especially on a larger screen, I found plenty of definition in at least the majority of the frame during moments like the cutaways to the devastated looking buildings, and there are at least some marginal improvements in the 4K presentation courtesy of HDR when stacked up against Severin's 1080 presentation. Both the new 1080 and 4K versions tend to ameliorate the often splotchy, noisy looking appearance that is especially notable in moments like the sequence where the sign is being hung, but, again, some may feel the "harmonization" has smoothed things out too much, though again I would argue in motion a grain field is certainly observable (even more so in the 4K version than Severin's 1080), if not as pronounced as in the older 1080 presentation. Dolby Vision / HDR also add some, well, delicious highlights to the golden yellow look of many scenes, as well as some really interesting orange-ish tones, and may make even more evident that the few relatively "normal" looking moments tend to be in dreams (and/or nightmares, as the case may be).

Delicatessen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The old Lionsgate 1080 release offered DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 in French, Spanish and German, while both the 4K and 1080 discs in this package have DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options in French. The surround track is not quite at the same general amplitude as the stereo track, but it certainly massively opens up the soundstage, and offers a much more hallucinatory listening experience, with washes of low frequency (synth?) effects and other great ambient environmental sounds dotting the rear and side channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Delicatessen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In perhaps the only place this release falls short, a couple of supplements including on the old Lionsgate 1080 release, including the long form making of documentary, are not included here.

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary with Co-Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is in French with English subtitles.


• Trailer (HD; 2:17)

1080 Disc

• Audio Commentary with Co-Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is in French with English subtitles.


• Interview with Co-Directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro (HD; 26:09) is a really ingratiating newly produced piece with the pair. Subtitled in English.


• Fine Cooked Meats: The Making of Delicatessen (HD*; 14:05) is the same supplement from the old Lionsgate 1080 disc. Subtitled in English.


• Copains Comme Cochons (Pigs' Ties) Interview with Co-Director Marc Caro (HD; 41:52) is another fantastic newly produced piece with Caro, who tends to be less frequently seen than Jeunet, evidently by choice. Subtitled in English.


• The Tale of Terry Gilliam Presents Delicatessen (HD; 17:32) is a fun reminiscence from Gilliam, though the "tale" is frankly more about Gilliam's history than this particular film.


• Trailer (HD; 2:17)

*720

Delicatessen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I was actually kind of surprised to see that my colleague Brian Orndorf wasn't especially thrilled with City of Lost Children when he reviewed that Blu-ray, but with that in mind, anyone who like Brian didn't especially like that film and who hasn't yet seen Delicatessen may well find this film, um, unappetizing as well. For those who did like City of Lost Children and who haven't yet seen Delicatessen, this film offers much of the same gonzo proclivities and eccentric characters, production design and cinematography as the later outing. Many may actually be more aware of Jeunet's later solo outings like Amélie and/or Alien: Resurrection, and for those as yet uninitiated into either of his collaborations with Caro, I'm only slightly joking when I state that both this film and City of Lost Children may be (yes, another food pun, sorry) combo platters of the whimsy of that first "A" title and the horror of that second "A" title. Technical merits are first rate, and while this release omits a couple of excellent supplements from the old Lionsgate release, what's here is quite winning. Recommended.