Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring 4K UHD (1986) (Criterion Collection)

[MifuneFan]

Criterion will be releasing Claude Berri's wonderful films Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring (1986) on 4K in April!

Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring 4K UHD

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/79...y-claude-berri

SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 4K digital restorations, supervised by director of photography Bruno Nuytten, with 5.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks
• In the 4K UHD edition: Two 4K UHD discs of the films and two Blu-rays with the films and special features
• Claude Berri: The Card Dealer (2018), a documentary on director Claude Berri’s life and career
• The Force of Destiny (2017), a documentary about the making of the films
• Trailers
• New English subtitle translations
• PLUS: An essay by film scholar Sue Harris

Illustration by Sam Hadley

A sprawling tale of greed, betrayal, and revenge plays out amid the bucolic splendor of the French countryside in Claude Berri’s masterly two-film adaptation of a literary work by the legendary Marcel Pagnol. Spanning three generations in the lives of two families, Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring vividly recreate the provincial world of an early-twentieth-century village, where an outsider’s arrival sets in motion a devastating chain of events. With gorgeous cinematography, keen insights into human nature, and superb performances from icons of French cinema (Gérard Depardieu, Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, and Emmanuelle Béart), these richly absorbing moral tales—at the time of their production, the most expensive French films ever made—are triumphs of epic storytelling in the classical tradition.

[Nocheduro]

I’m very interested to know how the color timing will be on this release. I have the Shout BR release and it looks like an older master but good color. The Pathe release from 2017 is improved in every way that you would expect from a new master but the color timing has the green push that Hiventy is known for.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Nocheduro

I’m very interested to know how the color timing will be on this release. I have the Shout BR release and it looks like an older master but good color. The Pathe release from 2017 is improved in every way that you would expect from a new master but the color timing has the green push that Hiventy is known for.

You can see sample screenshots at Criterion. It definitely leans yellow/greenish in most shots so it sounds the same or similar to the Pathe release. I don't know what it originally looked like, or if the DP who supervised it is using anything for references here, but I imagine it'll be controversial with the site reviewer and others. Shout's release also had many yellowish hues too so I'm guessing these aren't necessarily revisionist.

Independent of color, the detail looks pretty excellent in those samples, so I think this will look amazing in 4K.

[nicwood]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

You can see sample screenshots at Criterion. It definitely leans yellow/greenish in most shots so it sounds the same or similar to the Pathe release. I don't know what it originally looked like, or if the DP who supervised it is using anything for references here, but I imagine it'll be controversial with the site reviewer and others. Shout's release also had many yellowish hues too so I'm guessing these aren't necessarily revisionist.

Independent of color, the detail looks pretty excellent in those samples, so I think this will look amazing in 4K.

Nuytten also shot a film by Marguerite Duras, India Song, and it has a similar color scheme. On the other hand, he supervised Le Samourai’s 4K restoration (the Pathé grade) and the film The Inquisitor (Garde á vue) which was released in France in 4K and they look completely different with darker blues and no yellowish look at all. It’s probably fair to assume that he knows what he’s doing but yeah, the 4K will no doubt be controversial.

[Nocheduro]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

You can see sample screenshots at Criterion. It definitely leans yellow/greenish in most shots so it sounds the same or similar to the Pathe release. I don't know what it originally looked like, or if the DP who supervised it is using anything for references here, but I imagine it'll be controversial with the site reviewer and others. Shout's release also had many yellowish hues too so I'm guessing these aren't necessarily revisionist.

Independent of color, the detail looks pretty excellent in those samples, so I think this will look amazing in 4K.

Originally Posted by nicwood

Nuytten also shot a film by Marguerite Duras, India Song, and it has a similar color scheme. On the other hand, he supervised Le Samourai’s 4K restoration (the Pathé grade) and the film The Inquisitor (Garde á vue) which was released in France in 4K and they look completely different with darker blues and no yellowish look at all. It’s probably fair to assume that he knows what he’s doing but yeah, the 4K will no doubt be controversial.

I’m seeing more yellow than green in the Criterion shots. The Pathe release has a definite green push, especially in low light shots, some daytime shots also look more overcast and less sun drenched, and in the aforementioned night shots there is also black crush in some cases leading to things being invisible that were clearly visible on the Shout.

I’m hoping that Criterion or some other party has revised the color timing on this, hard to say for certain but the yellow in the Criterion pics looks like regular sunlight to me, not a blanket yellow tint like we get from Ritrovata.

Shame there doesn’t appear to be an HDR grade, though if it’s the 2017 master it probably wasn’t given one at the time. I’m surprised this hasn’t already been released on UHD in France, it’s just a question of when, and maybe it will be from an even newer restoration with HDR.

[KingBoo]

I can remember watching this in French class in high school. The main takeaway was getting shown something with nudity in school, so it'll be good to actually watch it 20 years later as an adult and appreciate it as a film, rather than as a group of bored teenagers who giggled at boobs.

[Spearmint701]

Originally Posted by KingBoo

I can remember watching this in French class in high school. The main takeaway was getting shown something with nudity in school, so it'll be good to actually watch it 20 years later as an adult and appreciate it as a film, rather than as a group of bored teenagers who giggled at boobs.

haha, i have the exact same memory,

May have to pick this up, for the same reason, watch it to appreciate the film.

[Torgon]

Originally Posted by KingBoo

I can remember watching this in French class in high school. The main takeaway was getting shown something with nudity in school, so it'll be good to actually watch it 20 years later as an adult and appreciate it as a film, rather than as a group of bored teenagers who giggled at boobs.

Originally Posted by Spearmint701

haha, i have the exact same memory,

May have to pick this up, for the same reason, watch it to appreciate the film.

I saw it in my twenties (and numerous times since) and appreciated the films in many ways. The boobs were an added bonus, lol.

[Torgon]

This will be a quadruple-dip for me. I've had the MGM DVD, the Shout! blu-ray, and the Pathe blu-ray. These movies have been around the block, but I'm glad it's coming to 4K finally. Just in time for my birthday too. Can't wait.

[DaViD Boulet]

Originally Posted by Torgon

This will be a quadruple-dip for me. I've had the MGM DVD, the Shout! blu-ray, and the Pathe blu-ray. These movies have been around the block, but I'm glad it's coming to 4K finally. Just in time for my birthday too. Can't wait.

I had the laserdiscs too!

[Mose Harper]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

I had the laserdiscs too!

- Original (separate) full frame Pioneer LD releases
- deluxe widescreen (Pioneer?) boxed set (last LD release I ever purchased)
- separate non-ansmorphic DVD releases
- Pathe , separate, 16:9 DVD releases
- Single, 16:9 MGM two film DVD release
- Shout Factory Bd release
- Pathe, remastered Bd release

Discovered these via rental in the late 80s. They've been at the top of my all time favorites list ever since. For the longest time they'd jockey with Billy Wilder's Apartment as my no. 1(s),. There's probably a few more horses in the mix now, but these two still come out on top more often than not. The themes, and craftsmanship of these hit me on a cellular level.

[Cremildo]

Manon of the Spring is a masterpiece

[5meohd]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Manon of the Spring is a masterpiece

Could you give me a "for fans of" type mini-review? I haven't even heard of these for some reason!

[movielib]

Super excited for these. Great films.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by 5meohd

Could you give me a "for fans of" type mini-review? I haven't even heard of these for some reason!

These beautifully photographed and acted movies patiently build a painful story of hidden family connections and underhanded cruelty in the French countryside that ultimately packs a wallop, even though they don't resort to overt dramatic fireworks to achieve it. It took me a year to watch Manon after being rather unimpressed by Florette - a mistake, as they're parts one and two of a single story and cannot be regarded separately.

[sultanofcinema]

It would be wonderful if they followed up with the other double feature, equally as excellent: My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by sultanofcinema

It would be wonderful if they followed up with the other double feature, equally as excellent: My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle.

Film Movement have those two and released it on BD through Vinegar Syndrome's OCN distribution last year:



(it was also released by Film Movement in 2023 but that release was botched and used older masters by accident, which was corrected with this newer OCN release.)

Here's the BD thread I made for that release:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=352514

[Dubliner1]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Manon of the Spring is a masterpiece

Emmanuelle Béart is also a masterpiece

[vinvanveen]

I just purchased the Umbrella Blu-ray, but I'l gladly double-dip. One of my favorite cinematic experiences.

[Torgon]

New 4K digital restorations, supervised by director of photography Bruno Nuytten

Is 2017 considered new? This is basically the same info listed on the Pathe release. I'm hoping they went back for new scans. No mention of HDR or Dolby Vision.