7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After thirty years together, a village gardener and his wife find themselves contemplating how to do away with each other, with the former even planning how he'll negotiate his eventual criminal trial.
Starring: Michel Simon, Jean Debucourt, Jacques Varennes, Jeanne Fusier-Gir, Germaine ReuverForeign | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
French: LPCM 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Sacha Guitry's "La Poison" a.k.a. "Poison" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The only supplemental feature included with this release is a new documentary film featuring interviews with writer and film historian Henry Gidel, film historian Claude Gauteur, novelist and French cinema expert Alain Decaux, director Jean Becker, and writer and director Raoul Sangla. The release also arrives with a 24-page illustrated booklet featuring Bettina Knapp's essay "On Rancour Expelled" and Francois Truffaut's "On Guitry's Habitual Theme". In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
She is drinking again...
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sacha Guitry's La Poison arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.
The release uses as a foundation Gaumont's recent digital restoration of La Poison. Generally speaking, detail is very good -- most close-ups boast pleasing depth while the nighttime sequences convey very good clarity (see screencapture #8). Contrast is stable. There are no traces of excessive degraining, but grain isn't always evenly resolved. There are select sequences where it is mixed with light noise, occasionally affecting definition and even shadow detail (see screencapture #12). In motion, however, these small fluctuations are rarely distracting. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern, but there are a few instances of light sharpening sneaking in, typically where there is plenty of light. Lastly, there are no large debris, cuts, warps, or damage marks to report in this review. (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).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Eureka Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
The audio has decent depth and at times pleasing fluidity. Unsurprisingly, however, the dynamic intensity is quite limited. Even during a few of the key discussions involving Paul dynamic movement is extremely limited. Still, the beauty of Louiguy's soundtrack is still enormously easy to appreciate. The dialog is also crisp, stable, and easy to follow. There are no problematic audio dropouts, distortions, or annoying background hiss to report in this review. The English translation is very good.
Sacha Guitry is one of French Cinema's great masters. Unfortunately, until very recently his films were virtually impossible to see outside of France. With La Poison, as well as Criterion's excellent box set of Guitry films, English-speakers can finally begin to explore the legendary director's work. Eureka Entertainment's release of La Poison uses as a foundation Gaumont's recent digital restoration of the film. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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