7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A highly unconventional biopic of the 18th-century Armenian poet Sayat-Nova recounted in a succession of opulently exotic tableaux.
Starring: Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Alekyan, Vilen Galstyan, Gogi Gegechkori, Spartak BagashviliForeign | 100% |
Drama | 73% |
Music | 2% |
Biography | Insignificant |
History | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Armenian: LPCM Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Sergei Parajanov's "The Color of Pomegranates" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary by critic Tony Rayns; Patrick Cazals' documentary "Sergei Parajanov: The Rebel"; new video essay by film scholar James Steffen; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring critic Ian Christie's essay "Parajanov Unbound" and technical credits. In Armenian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sergei Parajanov's The Color of Pomegranates arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:
"The Color of Pomegranates was restored by Cineteca di Bologna/L'Immagine Ritrovata and The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project, in association with the National Cinema Centre of Armenia and Gosfilmofond of Russia. This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution from the 35mm original camera negative, provided by Gosfilmofond in Russia, and a 35mm duplicate negative from the National Cinema Centre of Armenia. The scan was created at Gosfilmofond, and the restoration was performed by L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, Italy. A 35mm Armenian reference print was used to help reconstruct this cut of the film, the closest to Sergei Parajanov's intended version, and a 35mm print held by the Harvard Film Archive was used as a color reference. The restoration was funded by the Material World Charitable Foundation. The monaural soundtrack was remastered from the original 35mm magnetic soundtrack preserved by Gosfilmofond, in addition to the Armenian reference print.
Transfer supervisor: Cineteca di Bologna and L'Immagine Ritrovata, Italy."
I cannot say that I am impressed with the 4K restoration. I have this DVD release of the film from British label Second Sight in my collection which features a different edit of the film, and while I am not satisfied with the color grading there either, I actually think that there are some color values that are closer to what should have ended up on the restoration. Of course the DVD release comes with all sorts of other issues, some directly related to the inferior nature of the format, so in the grand scheme of things it is utterly pointless to use as a reliable reference source. On the Blu-ray transfer delineation, fluidity, and depth are vastly superior, and there are literally portions of footage that reveal nuances that are lost on the DVD release. However, despite the fact that a reference print was used to color grade the new transfer, I can recognize some very specific issues that are typical for restorations that come out of L'Immagine Ritrovata. (Specific LUT settings, for instance, destabilize the native dynamic range of the film, though this is one of the better-balanced recent jobs that I have seen). Overall image stability and transitions are excellent. Also, the entire film has been carefully cleaned up and now looks spotless. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A 'locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
*Screencaptures #21-25 are taken from the DVD release that is referenced above.
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Armenian LPCM 1.0 (with portions of Georgian and Azerbaijani). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The native qualities of the original soundtrack offer a limited range of dynamic contrasts and nuances, but clarity is excellent. Also, stability is very good. On the old DVD release that I have from time to time it is quite easy to detect minor pops, but such are not present here. (Obviously, here the audio is also properly pitched).
My experience with The Color of Pomegranates began many years ago during a studio screening which left me as puzzled as I have ever been after viewing a film. I did quite a bit of research after that so that I could find the right way to appreciate and enjoy it, but I never arrived to the conclusion that it is the timeless masterpiece that a lot of critics have argued it is. I think that it is a very strange film, rebellious in a way that makes it awfully difficult to rationalize, and beautiful but also promoting a style that is quite unforgiving. Naturally, like all difficult films I think that it absolutely should be seen and talked about. However, I urge you to take with a grain of salt the many glowing articles about the film that have been published in the past and especially the ones that 'explain' its brilliance. If you do so and then approach the film, there is an excellent chance that you will have a far more satisfying experience with it. Criterion's release is sourced from a recent 4K restoration of the film that I find rather frustrating, but currently it is the best presentation on the market. RECOMMENDED, but proceed with caution.
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