8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.7 |
During the First World War, two French soldiers are captured and imprisoned in a German P.O.W. camp. Several escape attempts follow until they are sent to a seemingly impenetrable fortress which seems impossible to escape from.
Starring: Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim, Julien CaretteForeign | 100% |
Drama | 86% |
War | 15% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English, French, German
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Winner of Best Overall Artistic Contribution Award at the Venice Film Festival, Jean Renoir's "La Grande Illusion" (1937) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal. The supplemental features on the disc include two original trailers; introduction to the film by professor Ginette Vincendeau; video interview with Natacha Laurent from La Cinematique de Toulouse; video interview with film historian Olivier Curchod; video interview with script instructor John Truby; restoration demonstration; Jean Renoir and Jean Tédesco's short film "La petite marchande d'allumettes"; and more. In French, English, German, and Russian, with optional English, German, and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Prisoners
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal.
There are some minor discrepancies between the films in the Studio Canal collection that were released in Europe and then in the U.S. (for example, The Third Man releases by Studio Canal/Optimum Home Entertainment and Lionsgate Films). There are no such discrepancies between the UK and French Blu-ray releases of Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion. Like the French release, the UK release boasts a solid high-definition transfer of the recent 4K restoration of the film, which is guaranteed to please its fans.
I can only echo the comments from my review of the French release. Detail and clarity are indeed dramatically improved, while contrast stability has never been this strong before. Film grain is also very well resolved and evenly distributed throughout the entire film. Additionally, it is clear that after the restoration overzealos sharpening corrections have not been performed. However, the film has been carefully cleaned up and as a result now it looks virtually spotless. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content. Also, please note that the disc's main menu can be set in one of the following languages: English, French, or German).
The same audio options from the French Blu-ray release of La Grande Illusion are present on the UK Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with portions of English, German, and Russian). For the record, Studio Canal have provided optional English, German, and French subtitles for the main feature. (Please note that the German subtitles do not appear when German is spoken, and the French subtitles do not appear when French is spoken).
The French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track gives the film much needed depth and fluidity. Additionally, as mentioned in our review of the French release, it is clear that various stabilizations have been performed, while crackle, pops, and background hiss have been cleaned up as best as possible. ((The only time some extremely light background hiss is noticeable is during the Christmas celebration in the final third of the film). There are no sync issues, high-frequency distortions, or audio dropouts to report in this review.
Note: The press materials I received for the UK Blu-ray release of Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion also contain information about the upcoming UK DVD release. Apparently, the DVD release will not have all of the supplemental features from the Blu-ray release. According to my press sheet, the DVD will only contain an introduction by Jean Renoir, the shorts Sur Un Air de Charleston & La Petite Marchande d'Allumettes, and an original theatrical trailer.
The UK Blu-ray release of Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion looks and sounds as impressive as the French Blu-ray release. More importantly, however, all of the supplemental features from the French release have also been transferred to the UK release. Now, if for some strange reason you might have considered getting the upcoming DVD release, please take a look at the short note in the supplemental features section of this review. Finally, Studio Canal are also releasing this beautiful new restoration of Jean Renoir's film in cinemas across the UK on April 6th (the Blu-ray streets on April 23rd). If you reside in the UK or will be visiting in April, I encourage you to see the film theatrically. It truly looks magnificent. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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