The Lover 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Lover 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 15, 2022

Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Lover explores the illicit affair between a wealthy Chinese man (Tony Leung, Cold War II) and a teenage student (Jane March, Color of Night) in French Indochina, circa 1929. Based on the eponymous novel by Marguerite Duras, The Lover earned an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, as well as numerous home video releases including a 2001 DVD from MGM. MPI Media Group's 4K/Blu-ray combo pack marks the film's domestic home video debut in either format but, as of this writing, separate versions are not offered. Previous international Blu-ray editions have been released by Universum Film in 2011 and Pathe Distribution in 2015; this new 4K/Blu-ray edition strongly favors the latter release but, for reasons explained below, they are not identical in any department.

For a synopsis of The Lover, please read either of our previous Blu-ray reviews written by Dr. Svet Atanasov and linked above. I am largely in agreement with his take on the film: although its subject matter may prove uncomfortable for modern American audiences (hence its lack of Region 1 availability during the last two decades), it is a superbly shot production that certainly earned its Oscar nomination. Within the specific boundaries of its plot, circumstances, and time period, The Lover plays like a realistic and natural story rather than an exploitative, controversial one.

The Lover 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

First things first: both the 4K and Blu-ray discs included in this release appear to be sourced from the same 4K master created by Pathe Distribution for their 2015 Blu-ray, although there are a few noticeable differences this time around. These include the removal of a noticeable golden-yellow filter present on Pathe's 1080p transfer, as well as a brighter overall appearance that, perhaps due to the filter removal, shows less aggressive saturation. While the addition of the 4K disc's HDR enhancement (which arrives in the form of HDR, HDR10+, or Dolby Vision depending on your setup) does reintegrate some of this "missing" color back into the picture, both discs are more or less identical within format boundaries. Several of the 1080p screenshots in this review are exact or close frame matches of screenshots from Dr. Svet Atanasov's review of the Pathe Blu-ray (linked above), if you'd like to compare for yourself.

Of course, the main draw of this new 4K release is just that: a true 4K presentation of The Lover, and one whose HDR enhancement builds upon an already-great foundation. Fine detail is nicely resolved, textures appear more noticeable, and overall depth and density are all improved across the board. The addition of HDR enhancement takes it one step further, broadening the film's natural palette and memorable sights -- the muddy yellowish waters of the Mekong River, the cool blue interiors of school hallways, distant indoor lights and fires set against pitch-black backgrounds, and the hazy skyline of an oppressively sunny day -- in a way that heightens the film's sense of natural beauty. In a lot of ways color drives the picture during critical moments, and it's here that the 4K presentation is unequaled in its immediate impact and overall impressiveness. Perhaps my only complaint about this presentation (which affects the Blu-ray as well) is that its overall brightness level leaves too much room for excessive grain and noise during The Lover's darkest scenes, which can be a little distracting at first. While I'd still take more grain (or even noise) over a waxy, digitally scrubbed image, I feel that a better middle ground could have been achieved. As it stands, this is still a drop-dead gorgeous 4K presentation and the best this film has ever looked, but it's still slightly short of perfection.

Even so, it's good to see that MPI Video has not taken any cost-related shortcuts: the 4K disc is triple-layered (100GB), runs at an exceptionally high bit rate, and shows no egregious compression-related issues. Without question, The Lover has finally gotten a home video presentation that its rich, award-winning cinematography deserves.

As for the Blu-ray presentation, it obviously shares many inherent visual qualities with its superior 4K counterpart, minus of course the boost in resolution and obvious benefits of HDR enhancement. However, the brightness level can be a bit more noticeable here as well, and may possibly even be exacerbated depending on the quality or calibration of your display. It's still a largely satisfying 1080p presentation and very respectable within the limits of the format -- and, in my opinion, still offers a slight upgrade over the Pathe Blu-ray because of its more natural and realistic color grading. But if you own the previous Blu-ray and have no plans to upgrade to 4K in the near future, it will probably come down to personal preference regarding those color and brightness differences. It has likewise been encoded nicely on a dual-layered (50GB) disc and shows no obvious compression related issues, aside from trace amounts of artifacts during its most complex scenes. From my perspective, it should look very pleasing on small to mid-sized displays.

The Lover 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both the 4K and Blu-ray discs included in this package both feature the same audio options: the default is English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio (original language), and we also get separate French DTS-HD 5.1 and German LPCM 2.0 dubs. The first two are identical to the mixes included on Pathe Distribution's 2015 Blu-ray; despite vastly different volume levels between both tracks (the French is much louder), they offer an overall pleasing audio presentation that serves up crisp dialogue, tasteful surround placement, and a very strong representation of Gabriel Yared's outstanding original score. The 2.0 mix, while inevitably less immersive, is better than nothing if you're German and hate subtitles.

Optional English, French and German subtitles are included during the main feature and all applicable extras.

The Lover 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in handsome Mediabook packaging with familiar one-sheet cover artwork and a striking image of our lead couple on the back. Interior elements include roughly two dozen pages of production stills, a short essay by author Peter Osteried, and separate write-ups about the filming locations and its on-screen handling of sex scenes (the author is uncredited, but it may also be Osteried's writing). Both discs sit on separate hubs inside the front and back cover. Perhaps my only complaint about this packaging is the size: it's nearly identical in height to a DVD case and perhaps even a bit wider, rather than sporting the compact dimensions of a 4K or Blu-ray release.

Extras are identical on both discs and largely mirror those found on the 2015 Pathe Distribution Blu-ray. Helpfully, all of the included French-language extras are now paired with optional English and German subtitles.

• Making-of Featurette (53:28) - A vintage behind-the-scenes documentary with lots of footage from the shoot, this promotional piece is certainly worth watching for those who haven't seen it before.

• Marguerite Duras Interview (12:45) - This vintage filmed conversation between author Marguerite Duras and director Jean-Jacques Annaud focuses on her character and adapting the story to film.

• Unreleased Scenes (9:01) - Rather than the expected deleted scenes, this collection of clips is raw footage of several key sequences seen during the film but does contain a few different takes and lines.

• Picture Gallery (13:23) - This series of three self-playing photo galleries is divided into three sections that include "On Set", "Filming Locations", and "Marguerite Duras and Jane March".

• Theatrical Trailer (1:49) - A restored MGM promotional piece; this time, without forced French subtitles.

• Instrumental Trailer (1:02) - A completely different version of the above theatrical trailer featuring only composer Gabriel Yared's main theme in lieu of dialogue and narration.

Missing from the Pathe Blu-ray, of course, is a feature-length audio commentary with director Jean-Jacques Annaud... which was presented entirely in French, so I understand why it wasn't carried over for this release.

The Lover 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Lover is a celebrated foreign film whose tricky subject matter is handled well; featuring memorable characters and cinematography, it rightly earned an Oscar nomination in 1992 for its stunning visuals. MPI Media Group's surprise 4K/Blu-ray Mediabook edition marks the film's first domestic home video release since MGM's 2001 DVD, easily surpassing it in every department with a lovely 4K HDR-enhanced transfer, lossless audio, and most of the supplements from a region-free Blu-ray issued by Pathe Distribution in 2015 (all of which are now subtitled for English speakers). It's a comprehensive package and likely identical to the recent German 4K edition from Capelight Pictures, as both feature identical interfaces with German and English menu options. Recommended.