The African Queen 4K UHD (1951)

[Pieter V]

Disc Size: 89,692,769,819 bytes
Protection: AACS2
Extras: Ultra HD
BDInfo: 0.7.5.5

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name: 00000.MPLS
Length: 1:45:16.166 (h:m:s.ms)
Size: 73,671,484,416 bytes
Total Bitrate: 93.31 Mbps

(*) Indicates included stream hidden by this playlist.

VIDEO:

Codec Bitrate Description
----- ------- -----------
MPEG-H HEVC Video 84356 kbps 2160p / 24 fps / 16:9 / Main 10 @ Level 5.1 @ High / 10 bits / HDR10 / BT.2020
* MPEG-H HEVC Video 102 kbps 1080p / 24 fps / 16:9 / Main 10 @ Level 5.1 @ High / 10 bits / Dolby Vision / BT.2020

AUDIO:

Codec Language Bitrate Description
----- -------- ------- -----------
LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
* DTS Audio English 768 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
* DTS Audio English 768 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
* DTS Audio English 768 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit

SUBTITLES:

Codec Language Bitrate Description
----- -------- ------- -----------
Presentation Graphics English 36.360 kbps

Color primaries : BT.2020
Transfer characteristics : PQ
Matrix coefficients : BT.2020 non-constant
Mastering display color primaries : BT.2020
Mastering display luminance : min: 0.0001 cd/m2, max: 1000 cd/m2
Maximum Content Light Level : 1805 cd/m2
Maximum Frame-Average Light Level : 304 cd/m2

Originally Posted by Pieter V

I have my doubts. The reviewer flagged HDR10 off in the database. He has done this before. Also with Furiosa (2024)
Looks like he doesn't know how it works. When there is Dolby Vision involved he flags HDR10+ on too. It's not writing like HDR10 + Dolby Vision.

HDR10+ is an own format, as you know.

I give up.

[moviemaker]

I'm so tempted to order the Arthaus edition from Germany. I recently picked up their edition of Lynch's The Straight Story and it's simply a gorgeous presentation. I expect this to be equally as good.

You would think a US release is eminent, but in 2024/2025 the world is a much smaller place and one is not limited by king or country.

[moviemaker]

Originally Posted by DAT_JB

I think the Art Haus Blu-ray is playable on a Region A Panny 820 using the Top Menu trick. Can anyone confirm this?
I know the Blu-ray of their other titles work this way.

That's one reason I was leaning away from the UK version. I can survive not having "The" in the title.

[moviemaker]

Originally Posted by moviemaker

I think the Art Haus Blu-ray is playable on a Region A Panny 820 using the Top Menu trick. Can anyone confirm this?
I know the Blu-ray of their other titles work this way.

That's one reason I was leaning away from the UK version. I can survive not having "The" in the title.

Scratch that. Hearing reports that the German edition has been edited for "political correctness". Here is what I found translated from German:

"Visually speaking, the 4K disc is very well done. Unfortunately, Studiocanal was of the opinion that they had to tweak the original German synchro for reasons of political correctness. Let me give you a brief example: From about minute 17:25, the original dubbing, which can be heard on the old Blu-ray from Eurovideo, for example:

“When I drove away the other day, I heard the Negroes drumming in the jungle. Soon after, my boys started whining and rolling their eyes. I asked her what that meant. They said that the drums were reporting that the Germans were carrying out a punitive expedition because the Negroes had raided one of their camps in the area, and when I came to Limbasi, everything had burned down. When my boys saw this, they disappeared in a flash. The misfortune is that the natives don't even know who they should fight for or against.”

In the version here with a noticeably different voice actor, this resulted in:

“As I drove away the other day, I heard drums in the jungle from all directions. Soon after, my boys started whining and rolling their eyes. I asked them what drumming meant. They then said that the Germans began to abduct their people and set fire to their huts so that they would have nothing to return to. Everything had also burned down at home in Limbasi. When my boys saw this, they disappeared in a flash. The way I see it, the Germans want all of Africa. For this, they need soldiers and help the locals.”

The subsequent tampering with works of art for the sake of so-called wokeness is hair-raising nonsense. For this reason, unfortunately, an ambiguous publication."



Can anyone confirm this? And does this edit appear on all the various 4K UHD editions from different countries?

[BXR 1138]

Originally Posted by moviemaker

Can anyone confirm this? And does this edit appear on all the various 4K UHD editions from different countries?

That article is clearly referring to the German dub track, not the original audio. The original English dialogue is unaltered, and in that particular scene is different than either of the German dub translations. Not sure why you'd want the German edition anyway when the already released Studiocanal 4K is perfectly fine and not likely to be improved upon.

[moviemaker]

Originally Posted by BXR 1138

That article is clearly referring to the German dub track, not the original audio. The original English dialogue is unaltered, and in that particular scene is different than either of the German dub translations. Not sure why you'd want the German edition anyway when the already released Studiocanal 4K is perfectly fine and not likely to be improved upon.

Thanks for the clarification. Appreciate it.

I think the ArtHaus Blu-ray is playable on a Region A Panny 820 using the Top Menu trick. I know the Blu-ray of their other titles work this way.

The UK Studio Canal Blus are locked. And I like to have a "playable" backup blu for my 4Ks.

[BXR 1138]

Originally Posted by moviemaker

Thanks for the clarification. Appreciate it.

I think the ArtHaus Blu-ray is playable on a Region A Panny 820 using the Top Menu trick. I know the Blu-ray of their other titles work this way.

The UK Studio Canal Blus are locked. And I like to have a "playable" backup blu for my 4Ks.

Apparently the Studiocanal 4K works just fine with the top menu trick according to the OP of this thread:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=375054

[moviemaker]

Originally Posted by BXR 1138

Apparently the Studiocanal 4K works just fine with the top menu trick according to the OP of this thread:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=375054

That is music to my ears. Thank you!

[Darth Marcus]

Originally Posted by BXR 1138

Apparently the Studiocanal 4K works just fine with the top menu trick according to the OP of this thread:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=375054

Originally Posted by moviemaker

That is music to my ears. Thank you!

Yep, I tested it on my UB820. Had to press Top Menu more than once, but it works!

[Deadend45]

Thank goodness I have the Paramount BD, looks like Ritrovata (or one of its subsidiary) has ruined another UHD.

Originally Posted by kmhofmann

No, it looks beautifully graded, like print film.

Lol! Yeah that it is indeed the standard nonsense posted every time Ritrovata wrecks the color grading including films I saw back in the 80s and 90s that in no way look like the butchery Ritrovata did.

[nicwood]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

Thank goodness I have the Paramount BD, looks like Ritrovata (or one of its subsidiary) has ruined another UHD.

Ritrovata had nothing to do with this UHD. This is the exact same restoration you have on your Paramount BD. SC only ported it to 4K and added a HDR grade. Also, the master’s colors were timed to match Jack Cardiff’s exact specifications.

[PonyoBellanote]

I don't like the colouring of this movie as well, but it's what we have to deal with if it's what the director wanted.

[Alfred E. Neumann]

Originally Posted by nicwood

Ritrovata had nothing to do with this UHD. This is the exact same restoration you have on your Paramount BD. SC only ported it to 4K and added a HDR grade. Also, the master’s colors were timed to match Jack Cardiff’s exact specifications.

The cinematography (+ color grading) looks identical to Cardiff‘s “Rambo - First Blood: Part II“ (1985).
The jungle shots are so similar, it’s almost impossible to tell them apart.

[DRC72]

Originally Posted by nicwood

I received my copy today. This is a UHD-100 and indeed with Dolby Vision for the feature. Audio is PCM 2.0, commentary audio DTS 2.0, which is the first sign that Fidelity in Motion did not do the encode and rather VDMS.

I’ve only sampled a couple of sections and am very happy with what I’ve seen. The 2010 restoration is fantastic and has significantly tighter grain than people might expect but this is solely due to elder releases (most likely) resolving the grain less perfectly and if something like low-pass filtering is added, it obviously affects detail as well. I only have the Eureka Blu-ray and was never really happy with its encode. Grain is quite noisy, sometimes entirely frozen and weirdly color-pixelated while frozen. The Eureka doesn’t look filtered but far from crisp and tight.

The new UHD is a winner for that aspect alone. It’s a beautiful encode with tight grain and no visible issues (other than a tiny, tiny touch of chroma noise that’s noticeable in still frames but not in motion). However, the big novelty for me was a change in color timing. This new UHD presents the film in a yellower and green-ish grade but hear me out before shrugging it off. It’s a tasteful look, NO blanket tint and nothing that looks overtly revisionist because it’s a grade that looks fine-tuned depending on the scene and light instead of a global adjustment.

As mentioned, I only have the Eureka disc and the film looks more "natural" in certain segments but not all of it. It’s as if they did a partial re-grade to get rid of some semi-turquoise skies and Technicolor yellows in the original SDR grade on which the UHD is also based. The "semi-" really needs emphasis as the "teal" is not an in-your-face atrocity like the Violent City remaster. While Eureka managed to achieve a partial reduction quite well, after comparing I still wouldn’t want to go back to that BD simply because the 4K feels consistent in its approach and presents the film most likely as intended by Jack Cardiff when he did the color timing compared to a more inconsistently re-balanced look of the BD. The film now looks properly filmic and appropriate for its setting. Can’t comment on how the other BDs look as I’ve never owned / seen them.

Regarding HDR/DV: Exquisite and beautifully done. Very carefully, not exaggerated and gently enhancing when it makes sense to. The way they applied it here is comparable to how Criterion did it for The Red Shoes when they put out the 2009 restoration in 4K.

This is a fantastic UHD and I think the wait was more than worth it.

Audio is difficult for me to judge. I felt it sounded good but the upper register is a bit tinny. Either they filtered it or that’s the way it was recorded - I really don’t know.

Awesome review!!! I just ordered the 4K, and I am looking forward to viewing this in beautiful Dolby Vision.

[Reissuleipa]

I'm wondering if any of the country specific editions (Germany, France, or Spain) have English subs, or are they only in the U.K. version. Can anybody who's bought these confirm?

[PonyoBellanote]

Originally Posted by Reissuleipa

I'm wondering if any of the country specific editions (Germany, France, or Spain) have English subs, or are they only in the U.K. version. Can anybody who's bought these confirm?

I can confirm Spain UHD does not have English subs, because it's a local company with rights only in Spain. Studiocanal has rights for Germany, France, and UK, and releases the same disc in all three countries.

[bowlingbilly10]

This seems like this would be perfect to release on 4k through the paramount presents line

[Jorvic]

Originally Posted by nicwood

However, the big novelty for me was a change in color timing. This new UHD presents the film in a yellower and green-ish grade but hear me out before shrugging it off. It’s a tasteful look, NO blanket tint and nothing that looks overtly revisionist because it’s a grade that looks fine-tuned depending on the scene and light instead of a global adjustment.

Regarding HDR/DV: Exquisite and beautifully done. Very carefully, not exaggerated and gently enhancing when it makes sense to. The way they applied it here is comparable to how Criterion did it for The Red Shoes when they put out the 2009 restoration in 4K.

This is a fantastic UHD and I think the wait was more than worth it.

I've seen the film before and watching this 4K yesterday at first I thought the transfer was too bright, but it's not. Watching in Dolby Vision, it's a pretty pleasing presentation with the well-resolved grain, the varied, lush colours well-captured and a lovely gleam from metallic objects at certain points. Some really fine detailing in closer shots of the two main characters. All seems good.

Can't imagine this one ever looking too much better than it does here.

[Toscaclarinet]

So are the titles at the start supposed to be yellowish, not white? They looked whiter on Eureka's release.

[NeilZ]

Originally Posted by Toscaclarinet

So are the titles at the start supposed to be yellowish, not white? They looked whiter on Eureka's release.

Is the color grade worsened vs the Eureka then? Was about to buy this but if that's the case I'll skip on it.