7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The relationship between Lelia, a light-skinned black woman, and Tony, a white man, is put in jeopardy when Tony meets Lelia's darker-skinned jazz singer brother, Hugh, and discovers that her racial heritage is not what he thought it was.
Starring: Ben Carruthers, Lelia Goldoni, Hugh Hurd, Anthony Ray, Dennis SallasDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Winner of Pasinetti Award at the Venice Film Festival, John Cassavetes' "Shadows" (1959) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailer; audio commentary with actor Seymour Cassel and Tom Charity; video interview with actor and producer Peter Falk; and 16mm footage of John Cassavetes and Burt Lane's acting workshop. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring essays by Michael Atkinson, Brian Morton, and Robert Vas, as well as excerpts from an archival interview with John Cassavetes. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The wanted girl
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Cassavetes' Shadows arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute.
The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:
"The film was transfered in High Definition on a Spirit Datacine from a new 35mm fine grain master struck from the UCLA Film and Television Archive's restoration duplicate negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from a 35 mm magnetic audio track, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle.
Telecine supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Telecine colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern Videofilm, LA."
I have to speculate that because the telecine was supervised by Criterion's Maria Palazzola, if Shadows is eventually released on Blu-ray in the U.S., by Criterion, it will likely look very similar.
Generally speaking, the presentation is very strong. Detail is pleasing both during close-ups and wider shots, with some of the street footage looking particularly good (see screencapture #3). Occasionally, there are some minor clarity fluctuations, but they are clearly inherited. Contrast is stable. Color gradation is convincing - the whites and grays blend well while the blacks never look boosted. There are no traces of compromising digital corrections. Grain is heavy, as it should be in a 16mm film, and well resolved. Some minor fluctuations, however, are noticeable. My one and only complaint here pertains to the presence of small flecks and scratches that could have been removed. All in all, this is a competent presentation of Shadows which should certainly please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, the BFI have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.
There are no serious technical issues with the lossless track to report in this review. The dialog is crisp, clean, well rounded, and easy to follow. The occasional sax solos are also stable and free of distortions. However, the overall dynamic range of the lossless track is fairly limited, which should not be surprising considering under what conditions Shadows was filmed.
Note: The supplemental features on the DVD are encoded in PAL. Therefore, to view them in North America you must have a Region-Free DVD or Blu-ray player.
Blu-ray
John Cassavetes' Shadows is a landmark American film which started an important movement that influenced countless actors and directors. The film is now available on a handsome Blu-ray in the United Kingdom courtesy of the BFI. Let's hope that Shadows, as well as the rest of the films from the BFI's The John Cassavetes Collection, will soon be available on Blu-ray in North America. They belong in the library of every serious film aficionado. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The John Cassavetes Collection
1968
The John Cassavetes Collection
1977
The John Cassavetes Collection
1974
The John Cassavetes Collection
1976
Arrow Academy
1957
Ŕ bout de souffle | Vintage World Cinema | 60th Anniversary Edition
1960
Arrow Academy
1977
1996
Remastered
1989
2012
The Big Carnival / Masters of Cinema
1951
1970
2017
2011
1985
2017
1960
40th Anniversary | Limited Edition
1984
1971
Ansiktet
1958