[4LOM]

Screenshots of Jean-Luc Goadard's "Pierrot le fou" [France / Italy 1965]. More screenshots from the German "StudioCanal Collection" Blu-ray, the Criterion Blu-ray, and the Swedish Universal/StudioCanal-DVD here .


Here's the subtitle translation of the French-speaking infos about the restoration at the beginning of the movie on the "StudioCanal Collection" Blu-ray:

Quote:
This film was restored by StudioCanal and the Cinémathèque Francaise with the support of the Franco-American Cultural Fund.


Pierrot le fou was shot in Techniscope, on Eastmancolor emulsion. Techniscope was often used at the time, notably for reasons of economy, because the image only took up two perforations per photogramme. The dupe-positive, also printed Techniscope, is lost. As for the internegative, it had become unusable and was destroyed in 1990. A new internegative element was made on reversible film stock, with an anamorphic image on four frames, which is still used to make prints today. However, this element doesn't reflect the qualities of the original work, particularly in terms of the colormetrics. The restoration resides entirely in the making of a new negative from the digitisation in 2K of the camera negative, which has the original colors of Eastmancolor. As for the sound, the original magnetic elements disappeared, a new negative was made from a positive of the period, respecting the original mono format.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Blu-ray Kinowelt/StudioCanal "StudioCanal Collection" Germany

Blu-ray Criterion USA

DVD Universal/StudioCanal Sweden

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Blu-ray Kinowelt/StudioCanal "StudioCanal Collection" Germany

Blu-ray Criterion USA

DVD Universal/StudioCanal Sweden

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Blu-ray Kinowelt/StudioCanal "StudioCanal Collection" Germany

Blu-ray Criterion USA

DVD Universal/StudioCanal Sweden

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Blu-ray Kinowelt/StudioCanal "StudioCanal Collection" Germany

Blu-ray Criterion USA

DVD Universal/StudioCanal Sweden

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Blu-ray Kinowelt/StudioCanal "StudioCanal Collection" Germany

Blu-ray Criterion USA

DVD Universal/StudioCanal Sweden

 

[Deviation]

So... which version has the correct colors?

 

[chirpie]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Deviation /forum/post/18159714


So... which version has the correct colors?

Wow! No kidding. They're all over the place. ^_^

 

[Dan Average]

Coutard approved the Criterion transfer, if that means anything.


Weirdly the shot with Sam Fuller is untinted on every video release I'm aware of except the Criterion, including the terrible Fox Lorber version and Canal's old "Série noire" DVD. But multiple reports state that theatrical prints have the green tint, which fits with the rest of the sequence. My guess is the scene appears normal on the negative and only Criterion realized it needed to be tinted. They aren't infalliable when it comes to color timing, but I can't imagine they would drench the shot with green for the hell of it.


In any case the Criterion is worth it for the extras alone -- the "Pierrot Primer" is fantastic. It goes OOP at the end of March, so if you want it, best to get on it...

 

[42041]

Well THIS is strange

I'm getting the criterion disc in the mail tomorrow, hopefully that's the right look...

 

[Cinema Squid]

That is interesting on the color differences, thanks for the shots 4LOM.


There is certainly quite a bit a playing with colors in this film (especially in the beginning) which makes frame comparisons difficult unless you match them perfectly, but at a glance yours look like they have been lined up just so.


I have also made some shots of the U.S. Criterion release - all I-frames w/ full-range BT.709 conversion to RGB32 PNG:
http://www.cinemasquid.com/blu-ray/m...vieid=9747#top

 

[SlaughterX]

Why is the second screen of the CC version completely green?

 

[Cinema Squid]



Quote:
Originally Posted by SlaughterX /forum/post/18173549


Why is the second screen of the CC version completely green?

It's possible that the correct question might be why is the StudioCanal version *not* green, as Dan Average pointed out, since the use of heavy color filters during the party scenes at the beginning seem to be artistically intentional. However, I am certainly no expert on this film or its transfer to hi-def media (my first and only time watching is the Criterion BD), so I can't provide any definitive answer.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I have no experience with this film, no knowledge of intent, and have only seen the Criterion BD. That being said, I thought it looked fantastic, and seemed appropriately natural all the way through, was visually consistent generally (stylized in some scenes) and seemed to be treated very well.


I have no idea about the intent of the colors in the party scene, but the film was kind of all over the place as it is, and I assumed it was quite intentional and appeared to make sense in terms of showing the kind of alienation and strangeness of the party experience.


The movie was very bizarre for me, definitely reminded me of The Man Who Fell To Earth. Worth seeing, interesting, but just a mess, IMO.