Warner 2DVD SE- The Unbearable Lightness of Being
 

The Brits over at DVDtimes.uk report that WB will release The Unbearable Lightness of Being in a double SE set this February.
Here's a direct link:
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=58997

As I already pointed out I am one of the few to claim that Criterion provided a very disapointing transfer. So my claims should be put to the test....and it shall be interesting!!

Ciao,
Pro-B

good news. This was also announced for a 02.14.06 date in the Ryan's Daughter thread...glad to see it coming.

Kick ass!!! I almost gave in and copped the Criterion one, glad I held out, hopefully the transfer is better. :beer:

Well I have the Criterion one and this certainly won't be one I will be re-buying. Not only was it one of the worst movies in the Criterion collection but one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Excellent news! Considering it looks like the commentary is being ported over, and I also think the original transfer is relatively subpar, I think it's time to sell off my Criterion.

I'm a completist, so I'll hang onto the Criterion. However, I may pick up the Warner release in addition to it. Also, I'll be the first person here to say, "the book is infinitely better than the film."

-JP

I could not disagree more. I consider this to be not only an utterly poetic film but also a remarkable portrait of a world divided by crazy politics. For me the film has a special place in my heart esp. given what it meant to see it behind the iron curtain!!

Ciao,
Pro-B

Agreed. I loved the film...but only as an entity separate from the novel.

-JP

Thank you for taking the time to come into this thread and crap in it.

The book is my favorite novel of all time and I love the movie as well, but for different reasons. I have the Criterion, so I'll be interested in seeing if it's worth the upgrade.

Glad to hear it -- I passed on the Criterion due to the negative reviews of the DVD (not the movie) and will be picking this one up for sure. :up:

I haven't seen it for years, but did enjoy it when I watched it. I had no idea that the Criterion transfer was poor. I'm certainly glad that I didn't jump at it when I heard it was going OOP.

I won't be double-dipping but I'd pick it up if I didn't already own a copy.

So wait is Warner turning into the new Criterion?

Just imagine if they could licence different studios work, that would be very interesting.

They are doing some very nice things to classic movies that nobody else really is.

Good to hear.

I read these comments, and I don't have a clue what you folks are talking about. Perhaps you're mixing this release up with the substandard MGM disc? Or maybe my memory is faulty. So I looked at all the reviews I could find:

DVD Beaver: "The Criterion picture is much sharper and the colors are more true"
DVD File: "Although not perfect, this anamorphic transfer is impressive nonetheless. Criterion was slow to embrace the enhancement, but I can only hope that many enhanced discs will be released by Criterion in the near future, if the quality of this one is any indication of what we can expect. The image is not as pristine as a DVD for a new film, but any faults with the picture are negligible considering its overall excellence in the areas of detail and color and the absence of annoying digital artifacts.
Unbearable employs several different visual styles with beautiful photography by legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist (Celebrity, Chaplin, Fanny and Alexander). The urban Czechoslovakia is gray and bleak. Austria and rural Czechoslovakia are much more colorful (although the commentary does reveal that filming actually took place in France). The farmland scenes are visually stunning with no transfer problems at all. Scenes like these remind me why I bought my DVD player in the first place."
mondo digital: "This anamorphic transfer finally resembles the big screen presentation -- dense layers of white light, soft textured fabrics, and powdery landscapes."
DVD Journal: "The source print for this new Criterion transfer (1.85:1 widescreen, 16x9-enhanced) shows some wear, but is overall quite lovely."
DVD Times: "This is Criterion's first anamorphic DVD, and hopefully very far from the last, as it's superb: a virtually flawless original print (there are a couple of tiny dust marks, but they're no big deal) given a state-of-the-art transfer that does a terrific job of reproducing cinematographer Sven Nykvist's full palette of colours and complex lighting effects."
reel.com: "As we've come to expect from Criterion, the transfer here, personally approved by Kaufman, is spectacular. In its DVD incarnation, The Unbearable Lightness of Being looks and sounds great."
Films On Disc "Criterion has put out an excellent DVD. There's plenty of punch to the contrast range while shadow detail retains subtlety. Blacks are deep and velvety. The colors are lush and vital. Detail is terrific. There is some evidence of compression ringing and solid white exaggerated grain. Some decided difficult material like the cobblestone streets of Prague exhibit minor artifacting. The authentic and simulated newsreel footage blends together nicely and the look is well preserved on DVD."
DVD Movie Guide: "Sharpness largely appeared to be crisp and detailed. A few instances of softness occurred, but most of the movie looked nicely detailed and accurate. No significant problems related to moiré effects or jagged edges, but print flaws were a periodic concern. Some light appeared throughout the film, and speckles could become somewhat heavy at times. For instance, check out the first scene with Binoche in Prague. Note that these comments do not relate to the scenes that provided intentional defects. Some material was meant to fit in with archival footage, and those shots were mucked up so they would match. I didn’t regard these as “flaws” and didn’t factor them into my grade.
Colors looked consistently warm and accurate. The film offered a nicely natural and clear palette, and the DVD replicated the hues well. The different colors appeared clean and distinct, and they could be vibrant and bold when necessary. Black levels seemed to be very deep and rich, especially as displayed through clothes. Shadow detail could appear a bit murky at times, though, as some interiors looked a bit drab and flat. However, Unbearable largely provided a solid and attractive image."
DVD Collector's Haven: "The image is quite sharp and stunning. The colors that are used in the film are more grayish in nature, but they still come out quite strikingly as do, obviously, the even brighter colors. Sharpness is very strong. In fact, I never noticed an instance where the image became soft or hazy."

Check out the screencaps on DVD Beaver. Do they reflect a "poor transfer"? Not to my eyes. It also looks beautiful projected on my 75" screen at home. BTW, the transfer was approved by director Philip Kaufman.

Granted, this was Criterion's first anamorphic transfer, and it dates from September 1999, so I have little doubt that with the tecnical progress of the last 6 years, the Warner release will look even better.

But the Criterion is still a fine DVD of a beautiful film (photographed by the great Sven Nyqvist). With all due respect to PopcornTreeCt, I find it to be a great film which improves with subsequent viewings.

I have to say I didn't have a problem with the Criterion-transfer either.

Oh, and the movie is beautiful

the film is pure genius, and a pure work of art. IMO. To some, it's boring and dull. But it is very much worthy of a new edition. I love the criterion edition also, btw. hopefully some improvements over the criterion, mgm releases will be made.

Since I was the first one to express my discontent with the current Criterion release I think that I should also elaborate why I said so.

First of all I am clearly not confusing the MGM release with the Criterion disc and I firmly stand behind my comments-the Criterion disc is not something I am pleased with. First of all the image is way too inconsistent, it is often too soft in some very specific areas (and it should not be). Second of all DVDBEAVER compares the Criterion disc only to the dreadful MGM disc which of course does not prove that the Criterion disc is of good quality but only that it is better WHEN compared to the MGM disc (obviously a moot point as everyone knew that MGM dropped the ball). Not a surprise here at least as far as I am concerned! However…neither of the color renditions are better- the criterion is too pale yet dark (contrast adjusting has been performed) yet the MGM disc offers too much red-ish colors while contrast is yet again “corrected”, this time around the contrast is being boosted quite a bit.

Furthermore the anamorphic transfer of the Criterion disc is anything but impressive. Impressive actually is anything but a term I would use to describe this release. When blown out via a digital projector there are a number of “soft” areas that simply pop up in the most unusual of all places (one specific place is the little inn where the doctor has a drink in the first part of the film). With all due respect DVDBEAVER only suggests that the Criterion disc is the one to get (for now) without going into details as to what the faults of the print are (actually, I hardly see any negative comments when it comes to Criterion releases…not that there have to be any BUT when there are issues to be addressed…such as the famous color-issue with the Melvile disc, it is nice to know what the issue is).

FilmFanSea: I hope that WB do not use the same master their overseas branches in France, Holland, etc. used. The European master print is in a terrible condition, very close to the MGM R1 print source. I hope they deliver a new pristine print for the US market. And I do stand behind my comment that the Criterion release is undeserving of this classic film.

Last but not least….there are some very weird color-issues with this film. Look for example at the favorite comparison captures at DVDBEAVER with the naked model…now look at the terrible MGM cap with the predominant yellow saturation all over the print (specifically look at the right upper corner, next to the lamp and around the picture frame), now go back to the Criterion release, though they have cleaned it up a bit there is a very strange yellow tint on the right upper corner again which is very, very distracting when viewed with a projector. There are tons of such examples throughout the film….I stand behind my comments: I hope that someone at WB seriously “cleans up” the print and delivers a deserving edition of this film as so far there is none available on the market.


Pro-B

DVDAnswers.com just confirmed the release of this Special Edition and has the cover artwork. It is one of the best covers ever.

http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=8134

All that text? One of the best covers ever? The cover reads like a award ceremony legal brief ... these actors, this production company, this guy's film, based on the novel by ... non-elegant in my view.

I love the cover.

-JP

what text? I didn't notice any text. ;)

I only see a half naked Lena Olin. :eyebrow: :drool:

Beautiful cover.....for once a classy R1 presentation.

Ciao,
Pro-B

Yeah, I love the cover as well, it's a total knockout.

Do we know for sure that it'll be a new transfer? I'm not as displeased as Pro-B with the Criterion one, but there's always room for improvement (and Warners certainly has a great track record in this regard).

Very glad they're porting over the commentary for those who don't have the Criterion disc. I mean, at least I think it's the same one... the DVDTIMES doesn't mention Sven Nykvist as being on that track. Unless my memory's playing serious tricks on me, I'm certain he's on it.

As for the quality of the film, I may never again see a romantic tragedy I love nearly so much. No, it's not exactly Kundera's novel -- which is brilliant and should be appreciated in its own right -- but it's as wonderful a cinematic adaptation as I think anyone could possibly hope for. And for those who bemoan the lack of Kundera's "philosophical content", simply consider how it's woven into the images and mood of the film. A cinematic rather than linguistic expression.

This has nothing to do with the DVD: I liked the movie, but it should have been done by Czechs in Czech. Stupid accents, and the way Day-Lewis tries to pronounce"Tereza"...shudder. Of course, this means nothing to most of you, but what the hell.

This is actually a very valid argument. I was in Prague back in 1989 I think (a long time ago) and spoke with a guy who was involved with the marketing campaign at the time. To make a long story short they bet on the cast (Binoche/Del Lewis....) for the film to have a much larger Western appeal. This may not make much sense on this board but I also think (just as Marek did) that an all Czech cast would have not brought the attention the film consequently gathered. I am in full agreement with you though...some of the accents are rather dull!

Ciao,
Pro-B

I say that just because I've seen several Czech films, am learning the language and am used to hearing it. The Czech style of storytelling would perfectly suit this story. Nevermind that it's a Czech story (although Kundera hasn't written in Czech for decades and has distanced himself completely from it), takes place in Prague, etc. The Czenglish accents in the movie were stupid, generic "Slavic" accents. I've asked all my Czech friends and students: if a Czech movie is a story about, say, Americans, what does their Czech sound like? They said they use perfect Czech. I said that in English films with foreign characters we use accents that a speaker from that place would presumably use in English. They thought I was totally mad. I've now come to think that we are crazy for doing this.

Sadly, not many Czechs seem to know this movie.

It is not only crazy...it is plain stupid. I recently reviewed Imagining Argentina with Emma Thompson and Antonio Banderas where Emma Thompson was speaking with a Spanish accent. It just 100% destroyed the film for me. The entire film is in Spanglish and believe it or not for someone with such a strong British accent to immitate Spanglish (and I want to underline "immitate") is plain stupid. This film was such a mess I could not handle it at all.

Back to Kundera's film...I would have certainly used the Czech language to retell the story. I always thought that many in in the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia) saw this film as a Western propaganda, hence your comment that the film is not that well known by many of the younger Czechs and Slovaks. Being a Slav myself I find this to be one of the greatest films from the last 20 years. For me it meant so, so much....

Ciao,
Pro-B

Where are you from, by the way? Just curious. Nice discussion! That reminds me, I think Enemy at the Gates did it right, by having Russian characters simply speak in a formal British accent. For many of the actors, it was their accent, anyway. Of course, I think Bob Hoskins had a cheesy Slavic accent, but I can't remember. Like Amadeus: the actors using their accents. So what? We know the characters are German or Italian or whatever.

Ugh - the new Warner 2disc splits the movie up over the 2 discs and the image doesn't look any better than the Criterion.

Reminds me of one of my faves, THE BEAST (Kevin Reynolds-1988)

People who've watched the film couldnt understand why the Afghanis spoke in their native tounge, while the Ruskies-spoke perfect midwest American English!

Except for their characters names, not a single Russian accent to be heard:
"Da, Kapitan Moscovitch-ve vill execute the Kapitalist Dog at sunrise!"

I think had the whole movie had been subtitled, it would have done even poorer.

And it probably wouldnt have been made at all, had its parallels to the US and the Vietnam war not been thinly veiled behind the stories' Russian-Afghani conflict fo the early 1980s;

And believe it or not-the films story source was a stage play!

And what other movie can you see Geroge Dzundza weighing only 150 pounds?

An excellent film-too bad SONY cant remaster an extended version-instead we get the 3rd reissue of GODZILLA and the likes....

I'm not exactly upset to hear this. I've always been happy with the Criterion release, but I suspect I would have shelled out for even a slight upgrade (and in fact have put the film back on the shelf more than once in the last few months in anticipation of a possibly better version from Warner).

I may rent it from Netflix to see the little doc that was added. Otherwise the same as the Criterion? Actually, Warner doesn't do inserts, so I'm guessing it may not include the Criterion essay.

I'm actually now a bit upset that I sold off my Criterion in anticipation of this release. I had moderate expectations, but this is pretty disappointing. Oh well...

I have this pre-ordered at Columbia House. I'll keep the dvd, but it is disappointing that they have spread the movie on 2-discs and did not improve the image quality. Very rare that Warner's botches a release.

Damn. That sucks. Warner didn't have to do that......

I will stick with my Criterion Collection copy, and the MGM version I got cheap. This release will still tempt me if I ever find it on the cheap side though, and only because of the documentary feature.

Tell your Criterion versions to stay put. :)

I remember the Beast, and I liked it...didn't it have Adrian Pasdar or Jason Patric or somebody? Anyway, I don't see why this is such a difficult concept to grasp.

I am working on the review as we speak (got the DVD this morning) and hopefully will have the review in the next 48 hours. I wanted to quickly point out however that this is one remarkably poor presentation: the transfer is mediocre at best (I have strong suspicions that it is the same master WB used in Europe), the film is split over two discs for no reason (I would have tolerated such a move if the transfer was cleaned up and visibly improved), there are tons of dust specks/dirt, and a visible contrast boosting. The only thing that I find slightly better than the Criterion release is the color scheme. Either way, a very, very poor treatment of a classic film. :(

My review should be up before the end of the week,

Ciao,
Pro-B

the reviews coming in from this thread = :(

now I guess I have to shell out more money to get the OOP Criterion version again.

:(

Aw man, why did I have to read this thread now? Not a good way to start the day. Can't believe Warner did this, I have to give them a big thumbs down for this. They better not keep this crap up. :down: :(

The review is not coming out in this thread I just wanted to give you a quick heads-up since I received the disc hours before the post above. Maybe you do not know but Geoff, the owner of the site, was at Sundance and all the releases from the entire last week just starting coming. A detailed review, with all of the technical specs will up before the end of the week.

Thank you,
Pro-B