422 The Last Emperor

[Narshty]

Specs are up for the Blu-ray edition.

Down, surely?

[Jeff]

It's not listed on the site yet, but the standard-def, single-disc, theatrical version will be $29.95, and will include:

• Restored, high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
• Audio commentary by director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto
• Theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic David Thomson

[White Pepper]

In the new Newsletter, it is stated that the single-disc DVD release of The Last Emperor will come with a 2.35:1 transfer, not the 2.00:1 one afforded last year's deluxe edition.

Has the aspect ratio been changed back to its theatrical incarnation for this release? And will this presentation of the film be included on January's Blu-ray edition?

[Telstar]

Wasn't sure where to post this since the all-purpose Criterion Blu-ray thread has been closed... but since I just heard that The Last Emperor blu-ray has pared down the DVDs hefty 96-page booklet to a paltry 16 pages, thought it might be appropriate to post these comments from a recent email from Mr. Mulvaney here:

Regarding booklets in Blu-ray discs, for a combination of reasons, some economical, some environmental, we're trying to use a little less paper going forward. We'll still be producing the same audiovisual supplements, and we'll still be dedicating ourselves to creating beautifully designed packages, but we'll be turning to the web as a means for delivering some text that in the past we might have included in a printed book. All the content will continue to be available online, and in fact, we expect to be assigning and publishing even more film essays, about new releases and classics from the catalog, since on the web we won't have to keep such a close eye on the page count. In the end, we're doing what we think makes the most sense for the films and our audience, putting more content into the hands of more people, in digital if not physical form. We think it's the right thing to do.

[Dr. Mabuse]

DVDBeaver review

[Lindhorst]

I apologize if this has been asked before, but I haven't seen anything about it yet. Do we know if the Blu-Ray version will include the same extras as the 4-disc dvd version?

Also, I just posted this on the comments of the blog entry (http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/713" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) where they discussed the changing of the aspect ratio, but I'll repost it here if you don't go to that very often:

I also agree with the above comments (the comments above basically said that films should not be touched by the whim on the cinematographer decades after the film was made). While this is a more extreme example, I think it’s analogous to this situation:

If Steven Spielberg came to you wanted to release Close Encounters again in DVD/Blu-Ray with Criterion, but he wanted his “new print” in which all the aliens are digitally changed to where they all look like walkie-talkie’s, would you honor that request and only release it that way even though it would be obvious to everyone else except for Mr. Spielberg that this would be an obvious disturbance to the integrity of the film?

In the case of The Last Emperor, would it not be better to look at the filmmakers original intention at the time the film was made (i.e. preserving the 2.2:1 ratio), instead of changing it to what they see fit for the movie now? Would the integrity of the film from when it was actually made not be disrupted? That should be Criterion’s mission: to preserve the integrity of the the director’s and cinematographer’s choices that were made when it was actually made.

If not, then who knows what certain directors might wish for their older films to be now. We’ve all seen the disastrous results in Spielberg’s changes to E.T.

I apologize if this has been asked before, but I haven't seen anything about it yet. Do we know if the Blu-Ray version will include the same extras as the 4-disc dvd version?

Ah, I just looked at DVD Beaver's comparison and it does seem to be the same as the 4-disc version sans the longer booklet. Correct?

[manicsounds]

and the TV extended version is gone from the bluray

[Matango]

"Regarding booklets in Blu-ray discs, for a combination of reasons, some economical, some environmental, we're trying to use a little less paper going forward."

You can almost hear Mulvaney's belt tightening.

[psufootball07]

Maybe they are trying to be environmentally friendly....save the trees.

Anyways this film was gorgeous, one of my favorite films from the 1980's. I felt watching it in English was quite odd, but probably something that helped it receive all of those Academy awards, I wonder if Peter O'Toole could speak Chinese.

[Sanjuro]

"Regarding booklets in Blu-ray discs, for a combination of reasons, some economical, some environmental, we're trying to use a little less paper going forward."

I suppose there's two ways of looking at this.

1. Booklets are 'packaging' the less of which there is, the more trees are saved.
2. Reading booklets (and therefore presumably books) is bad for the environment and should be done away with in the future.

I hope MOC don't start thinking the same way any time soon. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I kind of like stepping away from the monitor sometimes and quietly reading a book.

[Matango]

Perfectly good booklets could be produced from paper made from sustainable forests. Environmental Protection is becoming an excuse for cost-cutting everywhere, from hotels asking you to re-use your bathtowels and bed linen, to...well, DVD companies cutting back on booklets.

[frankblack]

"We offer a $20 Blu-ray upgrade program for customers who have already bought the equivalent edition on DVD. Just mail your disc, along with a check or money order for $20 (plus $5 shipping and handling), made payable to the Criterion Collection"

Just curious, has anyone upgraded to the Blu-ray version of the film yet?

[TedW]

Bought the BR, and I'm in line with whoever else thinks it looks like shit. Excessive noise in the transfer and the decision to accede to Storaro's lunatic revisionism. Heartbreaking, really, since this truly is one of the greatest examples of cinematography ever. Please, somebody stop that guy before he gets to the BR of Apocalypse...

Sold it. I'll stick with the one I have -- from Optimum, I believe.

[Cash Flagg]

A technical problem here. I just popped the Blu-ray in my player for the first time, and the DTS audio track is silent. The secondary track with the commentary plays fine, and the music over the main menu does as well. I tried it with both my television speakers and my sound bar, and neither play anything. I've never encountered this problem with a DVD or Blu-ray before. I'm not much of a tech guy here, so apologies if this is all basic stuff. Could it be that my Blu-ray player cannot process the audio? The Blu-ray disc of For All Mankind is the same audio format, correct? I played that one without issue.

[perkizitore]

Which blu-ray player do you have? Anyway, it's highly unlikely that your player cannot process DTS HD. Just try another Criterion blu-ray, maybe this disc is faulty.

[dad1153]

Saw "Last Emperor" for the first time last week on BD. I don't care what Criterion and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro say, the movie's framing feels 'OFF' at 2:00:1, which isn't helped by a very soft and undetailed HD remaster that makes the Blu-ray or "Last Emperor" a Pu Yi-sized baby step from the DVD version. As far as the flick itself I'm going to need to watch this again because, on first viewing, Bertolucci's bio epic felt extremely disjointed and confusing. I have to admit that most of the characters speaking in understandable English really threw me off for a loop (except for Peter O'Toole) and became such an unpleasant distraction I just couldn't get past the language barrier to enjoy "The Last Emperor." I'm so used to international movies featuring foreigners speaking in their native tongues with English subtitles for me to follow along (call it the 'Criterion' effect O:)) that this throwback to the old Hollywood style of storytelling just became an obstacle I couldn't overcome. To be continued.

[aox]

Bertolucci's bio epic felt extremely.......confusing.

How so? I thought the film was fairly straightforward.

[Cash Flagg]

A technical problem here. I just popped the Blu-ray in my player for the first time, and the DTS audio track is silent. The secondary track with the commentary plays fine, and the music over the main menu does as well. I tried it with both my television speakers and my sound bar, and neither play anything. I've never encountered this problem with a DVD or Blu-ray before. I'm not much of a tech guy here, so apologies if this is all basic stuff. Could it be that my Blu-ray player cannot process the audio? The Blu-ray disc of For All Mankind is the same audio format, correct? I played that one without issue.

So I received a replacement copy from Criterion today, and the DTS audio is once again silent. I have a Samsung BD-P3600, and tried playing the audio through both my Yamaha Soundbar and my Panasonic Viera TV speakers.

[Caged Horse]

Everybody speaking English wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't for the banal expository dialogue and hammy delivery.

Also, the cast never uses contractions in their speech even when talking to friends and family -- always "it is" and not "it's", "cannot" rather than "can't", etc. Presumably this is supposed to convey their foreign formality but it just adds to the artificiality.

[Wood Tick]

Everybody speaking English wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't for the banal expository dialogue and hammy delivery.

Also, the cast never uses contractions in their speech even when talking to friends and family -- always "it is" and not "it's", "cannot" rather than "can't", etc. Presumably this is supposed to convey their foreign formality but it just adds to the artificiality.

What you say is absolutely true. And yet I love the living piss out of this movie.

[HistoryProf]

well, I can't quite express how incredibly underwhelmed by this flick I was. Far too overlong, the transfer is subpar, and just a generally bad experience. I was absolutely expecting to love the living piss out of it too, but it just didn't do anything for me. I hate it when that happens - especially with historical epics, a genre I absolutely love and generally can't get enough of...and the longer the better!

I didn't find myself caring about the aspect ratio, but the standard def dvd is pretty close to crap...I was shocked at how grainy and ill-defined it was. Frames that were constructed beautifully just became distracting instead - and I think that was much of my problem watching it - I couldn't get past the shitty picture....and I don't know what i'd cut but it just felt excruciatingly long. 162 minutes felt like 324. It's never a good thing when you spend more time looking at the clock than the movie!

[PNeski]

The Japanese Blue Ray is excellent ,looks like The Criterion one and isn't cropped ,also includes long version ,and a small amount of the extras thatwere on The Criterion
its region A and the subtiles are removable

[TedW]

The Japanese Blue Ray is excellent ,looks like The Criterion one and isn't cropped ,also includes long version ,and a small amount of the extras thatwere on The Criterion
its region A and the subtiles are removable

Where did you find it? Wasn't on DVDAsian.

[Caligula]

cdjapan

[Costa]

Anyone know what are these?
They couldn't be the new 4k restoration in 2d bluray, could they?

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Last- ... ay/157088/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Last- ... ay/190302/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;