Would you say The Godfather BD is too bright?

[diamondfoxxx]

Looking at the comparison pics at dvdbeaver, the picture is clearly brighter in the blu-ray--did they alter it for modern audiences?
I remember Willis saying it was a restoration NOT a re-direction.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdcompare/godfather.htm

[ArieS]

Originally Posted by diamondfoxxx

I remember Willis saying it was a restoration NOT a re-direction.

[saprano]

Uh oh.....penton here come the scientist!

[diamondfoxxx]

Gordon Willis, the cinematographer.
I'm no scientist, I just want to know what's the deal here. Can't we ask questions anymore in these forums?

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by diamondfoxxx

Gordon Willis, the cinematographer.
I'm no scientist, I just want to know what's the deal here. Can't we ask questions anymore in these forums?

Of course you can, and intelligent discussions are always welcome

What you see on the Blu-ray is precisely what the creator of the Godfather envisioned. With other words, you should be satisfied with the new treatment - it is accurate.

Dr.A

[diamondfoxxx]

I AM satisfied. I've got it on pre-order.
I just want to know whether changes were deliberately made so that the new audience won't start another 'it's too dark' row.
I'm not against it at all, but just don't give me that bullshit about how this was supposed to look like this all along--like Dracula, when people know the theatrical picture was different.
We aren't all dumb, you know.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by diamondfoxxx

We aren't all dumb, you know.

And for this very reason you should not take for granted what your local theater showed and judge all consequent releases of a said film based on it.

Theatrical prints are just as susceptive to external manipulation as SDVD, HD, etc. secondary transfers are.

Dr.A

[diamondfoxxx]

I remember RAH defending the DVD's back then when everyone was criticizing it for its poor quality. He said it was a correct representation of the film--so, if it was correct representation, why the difference here sir?
Oh, I'm sure the usual Dracula excuses will be given. Our TV systems were inferior? Something like that?

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by diamondfoxxx

I remember RAH defending the DVD's back then when everyone was criticizing it for its poor quality. He said it was a correct representation of the film--so, if it was correct representation, why the difference here sir?
Oh, I'm sure the usual Dracula excuses will be given. Our TV systems were inferior? Something like that?

I cannot comment on the gentleman's words you addressed, should there be any issues with the current transfer however I am positive Mr. Harris will be more than willing to address them. What I would like to point to you is that from correct on SDVD to best on HD/BD there is a sea of difference.

Enjoy your set

Dr.A

[diamondfoxxx]

I'm not interested in Robert Harris's input--even though he oversaw the transfer. I don't trust the guy. He'll just parrot the usual stuff and be silent.
I want to know what people think--those who had nothing to with the transfer, those are the opinions that matter to me.

[X400]

well... the camparo screenshots... seem to show the blu-ray being darker in a lot of scenes (i wish my copy would arrive geeeezus -_- )

they dont look brighter to me, rather they just look Clean.. which might make it look brighter.. like cleaning a dirty window

[diamondfoxxx]

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1613...ollection.html

The HDD review says otherwise: Coppola's approach to brightening his films (particularly 'The Godfather' and 'The Godfather Part II') will undoubtedly be controversial

[X400]

Originally Posted by diamondfoxxx

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1613...ollection.html

The HDD review says otherwise: Coppola's approach to brightening his films (particularly 'The Godfather' and 'The Godfather Part II') will undoubtedly be controversial

meh, ill wait till i see it i guess... but from the screenshots alone it doesn't look it.

when reading the review of highdefdigest it seems the audio isn't graded based on the original but rather graded with the rest thats out there 3/5? ouch

[Joe Cain]

Originally Posted by diamondfoxxx

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1613...ollection.html

The HDD review says otherwise: Coppola's approach to brightening his films (particularly 'The Godfather' and 'The Godfather Part II') will undoubtedly be controversial

It's always best to form one's opinions before one's direct personal experience.

[Riff Magnum]

So you won't listen to Robert Harris's opinion, but you'll listen to this guys. Sounds like you've already made up your mind. Btw, those screenshots look great and as others have mentioned, the DVD transfer was done as well as it could have been given the technology available at the time.
I'm no techno geek, but i'm not sure how a person could "add" light to a scene unless they reshot it.

[plowmanjoe]

based on just the screen shots alone, there are shots that look much brighter. but also theres a pic where the sky is darker/more blue. there's definately a difference, maybe for the better. i feel like most people tend to think that if it's on blu-ray, it's perfect.

[X400]

Originally Posted by diamondfoxxx

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1613...ollection.html

DOES ANYONE NOTICE THE COLUMBIA HOUSE CANADA 5 BLU-RAYS for $5?!!!!

I didn't know they started the blu-ray offers already! WOO time to sign up

RAMBO & HITMAN count as 2 Blu-Rays, but I AM LEGEND & DIE HARD count as 1, I wonder how they figured that

[Grain Reaper]

Im reading this stuff and i go over to HDD and read the review and i can tell you that dimandfoxxx is right here that the films are changed and brighter to sucker in todays audience. peter b at HDD is right on something else to and once I see the moves i'll be ab le to prove it and that is that the restoration thing is a fruad. Look what pete says about what they did right form the documentry, he says As we will learn in the disc's included supplements (which details at length the restoration process), new prints were struck from the original negatives, and restored frame-by-frame

and what this means is that theres no digital anything but they CLEANED THE PRINT THAT THEY MADE prolly washed it with something and then made the new copys from it

so diamonfoxxx is right! cleaned and brighter and now we no that theres no restorrng going on and itsw all in petes review the studios ly to us again AND WE HAV E PROOF

[X400]

im hoping thats sarcasm im detecting

[Ben]

No changes have been made to "lighten" any of the Godfather films. If anything, what you are seeing are the more blown out and overexposed whites intended for outdoor and brightly lit scenes (to give the look of old overexposed family photos) while the legendary dark interior shots have never been darker or more beautiful. If you don't gasp when you see the opening shot of The Godfather, then your brightness is set too high.

So, for everyone who is throwing around accusations that this film has been tampered with, it simply isn't so. You will finally get a chance to see The Godfather trilogy as it was intended to be seen. Heck, even Francis Ford Coppola states on one of the set's docs that he had forgotten just how amazing the film looked and seeing the restoration reminded him of what had been missing all these years. SO, even if you saw The Godfather theatrically in 1972, I doubt very seriously that you would have an accurate memory of the experiece - - especially when the film's director had forgotten. At any rate, when Gordon Willis approves of the restoration, then you know it was done right.