7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Dissatisfied in marriage and life, Ferdinand takes to the road with the babysitter, his ex-lover Marianne Renoir, and leaves the bourgeoisie behind.
Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina, Graziella Galvani, Samuel FullerDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 82% |
Romance | 24% |
Crime | 7% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
French: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Jean-Luc Godard's "Pierrot le fou" (1965) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film; archival interview with Anna Karina; documentary programs; and more. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pierrot le fou arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the booklet that is provided with this release:
"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution from the 35mm original camera negative at Scanlab in Saint-Cloud, France. A previous digital master approved by cinematographer Raoul Coutard was used as a color reference. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm optical soundtrack positive using Avid's Pro Tools and iZotope RX.
Colorist: Reginald Gallienne/Scanlab."
This classic film was first released on Blu-ray in 2009. (You can see our review of the first release here). At the time I thought that the presentation was very nice, and now, more than a decade later, I have not changed my mind at all.
The previous release was sourced from a master that was approved by cinematographer Raoul Coutard, so obviously efforts were made to ensure that the presentation is good and accurate. This upcoming release offers a different presentation of the film. First, I think that it is a healthier presentation, but this is an expected improvement because the current technology that is used to produce new masters is superior. I did some direct comparisons with the previous release and on my system the new master produces all-around sharper (nor sharpened) visuals with better definition. How big is the difference? In close-ups it is quite easy to appreciate (see screencapture #23). However, in wider panoramic shots there are a lot of variations and I am unsure if untrained eyes will immediately spot the difference. Second, the new master has a new color scheme. In one particular area -- the party sequence in the beginning of the film -- the entire font is altered (see screencapture #18). I don't know which color font is correct, so I am only highlighting the difference. The new color scheme is slightly warmer, but as the screencaptures demonstrate the primaries actually retain identical values. In other words, the difference is in the range of nuances that support the primaries. Saturation levels are more or less identical. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Grain is better exposed, but it is quite clear now that the previous release was sourced from an older master that reveals some limitations. Image stability is excellent. Finally, while I was watching the film I felt that there were quite a few areas where the density levels of the visuals could be better. This isn't a 'flaw', but my gut-feeling is that even in 1080p ideally this film should have an overall slightly tighter appearance. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The only minor difference that I could detect was in terms of sharpness. During some of the busier footage it seemed like the sound was a tad sharper, maybe even better defined. I don't know if the encoding might have produced the difference, but this is what I heard on my system. The dialog is clear and very easy to follow.
This upcoming Blu-ray release of Pierrot le fou is sourced from a recent 2K restoration which gives the film a fresher and healthier appearance. However, I still think that the first release from 2009 offers a really nice presentation which also happens to be different. If you like the film, you will have to compare these releases to decide whether to upgrade. All of the bonus features from the previous release are retained. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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