7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A blissed-out summer holiday on the Côte d'Azur is interrupted by the arrival of an old acquaintance and his eighteen-year-old daughter—unleashing a gathering tidal wave of sexual tension, jealousy, and sudden violence.
Starring: Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, Maurice Ronet, Jane Birkin, Paul CrauchetForeign | 100% |
Drama | 71% |
Romance | 27% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.64:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
French: LPCM 2.0
English: LPCM 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
French director Jacques Deray's sexy "La piscine" a.k.a. "The Swimming Pool" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Park Circus. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; a gallery of stills; alternative ending; and an alternative English-language version of the film. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Ignored
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.64:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jacques Deray's La piscine arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Park Circus.
I like this release more than then French release we reviewed back in 2009. Aside from the insignificant framing discrepancy (1.66:1 vs 1.64:1), the Park Circus release boasts stronger organic look - it is marginally grainier, though some of the grain is also mixed with light noise - and lusher color scheme. The blues, greens, and especially the yellows are far richer and better saturated. The contrast levels are also marginally elevated. During close-ups, the French release looks slightly softer, and at least some of the softness is due to the very careful denoising that has been performed. This isn't to say that the French release looks compromised, but to clarify why the Park Circus release has a more appealing organic look. This being said, the Park Circus release has some extremely small artifacts popping up here and there, but the untrained eyes will more than likely miss them. All in all, if you are yet to add La piscine to your collection, I recommend picking up the Park Circus release. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French LPCM 2.0 and English LPCM 2.0 (for the alternative English-language version of the film, which is offered as a bonus in the supplemental features section of the disc). For the record, Park Circus have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
Michel Legrand's music score benefits the most from the loseless upgrade (the French release has only a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 track). The guitar solos and the bass, in particular, now sound richer and fuller. The Maserati sequences are also a lot more intense. The dialog, however, does not benefit much from the loseless upgrade, though there are a couple of scenes (including the murder scene) where clarity is slightly improved. For the record, there are no sync issues or audio dropouts to report in this review. The English translation is excellent.
Jacques Deray's La piscine is a lovely little film that should appeal to fans of classic '60s and '70s European cinema and especially fans of two of its biggest stars, Alain Delon and Romy Schneider. Recently restored, the film looks beautiful on Blu-ray. If you have not already obtained the French Blu-ray release, consider getting the Park Circus release. It is better. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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