8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.
Starring: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, Lionel AtwillDrama | 100% |
War | 15% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French, German
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Ernst Lubitsch's "To Be or Not to Be" (1942) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal. The supplemental features on the disc include a video interview with director Joe Dante; audio commentary by renowned French critic Jean Douchet; production stills; and an exclusive new featurette produced exclusively for Studio Canal. In English, with optional French and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Heil Me
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal.
I am very pleased with the presentation. While the high-definition transfer is not as impressive as the one Studio Canal used for their Blu-ray release of Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion (which was struck from a master prepared after the film underwent a 4K restoration), the basics we pay attention to in these reviews are certainly intact. Most close-ups convey good depth, clarity is far better when one compares the Blu-ray release to the R1 Warner DVD release, and contrast levels stable. The best news, however, is the fact that there are no traces of severe denoising corrections. Naturally, there is plenty of light grain that is very easy to spot. Admittedly, some of it is not always well resolved, and some is also mixed with extremely light noise, but considering the age of the film there are certainly strong organic qualities on display here. Additionally, there are no traces of problematic sharpening corrections. Lastly, blown through a digital projector the image remains tight around the edges and colors never collapse. Also, there are no large damage marks, cuts, debris, or stains. (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. Please note that the disc's main menu can be set in French or German).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Studio Canal have provided optional French and German subtitles for the main feature.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 serves the film very well. Werner R. Heymann's score, for instance, gets a surprisingly good boost (listen to the intro and then compare how it sounds on the French track). Additionally, the dialog has very pleasing depth and is free of strong background hiss. Also, there are no problematic distortions in the high-frequencies. For the record, there are no sync issues or audio dropouts to report in this review.
Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be is a fantastic, truly original dark comedy that is rightfully regarded as one of the director's very best films. It is now available on Blu-ray as part of the Studio Canal collection in France and Germany (see here), and it certainly looks the best it ever has. Unlike Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion, which first arrived in France and is now set to appear on Blu-ray in the UK (see here), it appears that To Be or Not to Be is unlikely to get a UK Blu-ray release because apparently a different party controls the rights for the film there. Naturally, if you wish to have a copy of the film and can play Region-B "locked" discs, my advice is to consider getting either the French or German releases. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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