Scent of a Woman 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Scent of a Woman 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Martin Brest's fourth feature Scent of a Woman (1992) has been covered twice previously on our site by my colleagues Dr. Svet Atanasov and Jeffrey Kauffman. Svet reviewed Universal UK's BD-50 while Jeff wrote about the Universal US Blu-ray. Both discs are bare bones that employ the VC-1 encode with basically the same master as the 2007 HD-DVD. For Svet and Jeff's views on the film and their evaluation of Universal's a/v transfers, please check out the linked reviews.

Lt. Col. Frank Slade and Charlie Simms take a stroll in NYC.

Scent of a Woman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout Select's two-disc "Collector's Edition" comes with a slipcover featuring artwork that replicates the film's theatrical poster sheets. The movie appears in its original theatrical exhibition ratio of 1.85:1. It is presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible) on the 4K Ultra HD disc. Director Martin Brest supervised a 4K scan from the original camera negative. The accompanying 1080p Blu-ray is based on the 4K restoration. Before getting into aesthetic comparisons with other discs of the film, it is important to first unpack the picture's cinematographic choices.

American Cinematographer writer Brooke Comer interviewed Scent cin­ematographer Don Thorin for a cover story in the magazine's February 1993 issue. For film stocks, Thorin chose Eastman Kodak 5297 for exteriors and 5296 for in­teriors, the latter of which comprised two-thirds of the movie. Thorin incorporated an entire range of fo­cal lengths, from 14 mm to 400 mm. (Interestingly, he used a zoom lens just once.) Thorin and Brest decided to keep the lighting "on the dark side." Thorin and his crew coined this "the Rembrandt look" due to the New York hotels they were filming in. You will notice from my screen captures how relatively dark many of the shots are composed in. The Plaza's Oak Room bar, for example is shot at night with Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino) and Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) enjoying an expensive dinner (see Screenshot #13). Thorin told Comer that he put sconces on the walls and placed lamp candles on the tables. One interior the crew brightened up is the Pierre Hotel and its ballroom. This is the setting for the heralded tango dance. To supplement the natural sunlight, Thorin placed lights outside, which cascaded through a large, tall window on one side. The lighting crew added a little orange to supply warmth. (See Screenshot #s 5 and 24-25.)

For the exteriors, Thorin mixed both hard and soft light. For example, for one scene in a park, he shot the actors in direct sunlight while the rest of it was silked. This was photographed probably outside of the Ethical Culture School on Central Park West. For one sequence, Thorin and his camera crew used six Panavision cameras so they could capture different angles simultaneously. The test-driving scenes were shot in the warehouse district of Brooklyn. For the most part, exteriors were photographed with gray, overcast skies as you can see in frame grab #1 of Frank and Charles walking along a New York side-street.

I first saw Scent in 1993 when my dad and I rented it on VHS. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was looking at an open-matte presentation of the film. Universal released the OM 1.33:1 and the theatrical 1.85:1 on separate LaserDiscs that year. Writing in The Laser Disc Newsletter, Douglas Pratt compared both aspect ratios and made these observations: "The letterboxing, which has an aspect ratio of about 1.9:1, provides only a sliver of extra picture information on the sides, while the standard version has a lot more picture information on the top and the bottom. The framing on the Letterboxed Edition, however, is highly satisfying, creating a tension and focus that is lost in empty clutter on the unframed presentation. The color transfer is the same on both presentations." I have the widescreen LD and did my very best to match corresponding frames with Shout's UHD and BD transfers. To my surprise, the letterboxed LD is cropped on all four sides compared to Shout's discs! I upscaled the LD picture to 720p, but even with this boost of resolution, the image is still much clearer and boasts finer details on the Shout transfers. For instance, notice how Charlie's blue eyes stand out in Screenshot #s 33 and 34 compared to their smaller appearance in the LD's non-anamorphic transfer (#32). In addition, look at how Frank's facial details are better presented in #s 27 and 28 compared to his more warmly lit face in #26 on the LD. More, the color temperature is better balanced in #19 (and elsewhere) in a shot of small liqueur bottles than it is on the brightened LD. On the 4K and new Blu-ray, one can also see engraved letters on woodwork, which is illegible on the LD transfer. I am referring to the Baird School's mantra printed at the front of the auditorium's assembly hall. Cf. #s 39 and 40 with #38.

Svet cited mild edge-enhancement, some background aliasing, and moderate DNR on the UK BD. Jeff also mentioned shimmering issues along with moiré effects on the American Blu-ray. I am happy to report that neither Shout disc has any of those problems. After watching the UHD disc in my home theater, I scrutinized much of that transfer on a 4K monitor. I only spotted a couple of infinitesimal white specks across the full runtime. These are hard to catch in motion. (You really have to squint.) Texture is abundant.

Shout has put Scent of a Woman on a BD-100. The transfer boasts a mean video bitrate of 72.7 Mbps. The disc sports an overall bitrate of 80.3 Mbps. The MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50 carries an average video bitrate of 27998 kbps.

Screenshot #s 1-15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, & 40 = Shout Select 2025 4K Ultra HD BD-100 (downsampled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 29, 32, 35, & 38 = MCA/Universal 1993 LaserDisc (Letterboxed Edition) (upscaled to 720p)
Screenshot #s 27, 30, 33, 36, & 39 = Shout Select 2025 BD-50 (from a 4K restoration)

The 156-minute feature receives a dozen chapter stops on both discs.

Scent of a Woman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround remix (2925 kbps, 24-bit) and the original stereo mix, encoded here as a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track (1646 kbps, 24-bit). The average audio bitrates are identical on both discs. I listened to both tracks. This seems to be the same 5.1 track that has been included on Universal's BD releases worldwide. It showcases high-dynamic range along the fronts. I differ from my colleagues when evaluating its full range, though, as the track doesn't deliver much activity consistently along the rears with discrete f/x. I alternated between sitting close to the SL and SR speakers on my couch. I could hear general ambiance (e.g., wind), but I had to sit close to the SR channel to really pick it up. The surrounds open up when you hear chatter among those assembled for the student-faculty disciplinary hearing.

I listened to the LaserDisc's 16-bit PCM stereo track and then compared it with Shout's DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix. Thomas Newman's music nicely envelops the satellite speakers on both mixes when it's played over the main titles and other moments where it reaches a crescendo. I also could pick out street ambiance when Frank and Charles are in the limo (e.g., other vehicles passing by). Words are clearly enunciated on the LD audio track. Ditto on Shout's 2.0 mix. The latter boasts some fine bass.

Newman's score is a major highlight of the film's sound design. He wrote a solemn main theme for Frank on clarinet and orchestra (and also oboe for another cue). Newman penned a secondary "traveling theme" for Frank and Charlie that features zealous trumpets and other brass. There is also his signature contemplative piano. There are some guitar riffs that anticipate Road to Perdition (2002) and piano/keyboard strokes that recall Less Than Zero (1987).

My score for the 5.1 is 3.0/5.0 and 5.0/5.0 for the 2.0. Overall: 4.0/5.0

I sampled the optional English SDH and they accurately transcribe the dialogue, though the track misses some filler works spoken by the characters.

Scent of a Woman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW One Last Tour of the Battlefield: Directing SCENT OF A WOMAN (51:06, 1080p) - In this recent interview, Brest first discusses working on Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Midnight Run (1988). He delves into the origins of Scent of a Woman, the nine-month period he collaborated with writer Bo Goldman on the script, and the actor who was initially offered the role of Lt. Col. Frank Slade. Brest talks at length about the casting of Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell for the leads and actors selected for supporting roles, including Philip Seymour Hoffman. Brest divulges two lines that Pacino adlibbed and how he worked them into the movie. The director reveals his original choice for composer and how Thomas Newman came aboard. Brest examines several scenes, his directorial style, and his preference for many takes. Brest rarely gives interviews so this is a valuable piece. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Just Tango On: Editing SCENT OF A WOMAN (21:18, 1080p) - Co-editor Michael Tronick joins Daniel Griffith remotely for this recent video interview. Tronick first talks about other movies he edited for Brest. He explains how he cut together the famous tango scene in Scent and other scenes he oversaw in the editing room. Moreover, he mentions some of this film's other material that co-editors Harvey Rosenstock and William Steinkamp worked on. In English, not subtitled.

Scent of a Woman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shout Select's 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray combo is the perfect way to experience Pacino's bravura performance. The transfers improve immeasurably on the LaserDisc and Universal's BDs. While it's nice to have 5.1 and 2.0 options, I prefer the original stereo mix. The nearly hour-long interview with Martin Brest covers a lot of ground about the film's pre-production process and shoot. Additionally, there's a fine interview with one of the editors about how some of the most important scenes were put together. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.