The Last Emperor (1987) 4K UHD

[Akijama]

Coming in February via Metropolitan Video

https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BJSKD1WG?...%2C115&sr=8-14

[James Luckard]

The film is entirely in English, so no need for English subtitles for most viewers.

As long as there are no forced French subtitles, this should be amazing!

[singhcr]

Nice.

Do we know the aspect ratio? Is it 2.40:1 or that 2:1 Univisum garbage that it clearly wasn't framed for?

[qw0aszx]

Originally Posted by singhcr

Nice.

Do we know the aspect ratio? Is it 2.40:1 or that 2:1 Univisum garbage that it clearly wasn't framed for?

The 4K restoration was done for theatrical cut in original 2.40:1, so I believe that should be the version on UHD.

[joenostalgia23]

I own the Italian 3D release of The Last Emperor and if this is sourced from that same master, it could be quite controversial. While the original aspect ratio was preserved, the colors are radically different from the Criterion release as well. It has a much more vibrant look, and the whole film looks brighter. I’m personally a fan of how it looks and the increase in detail even in this 1080p 3D converted version is appreciable. I believe the release claims Bertolucci himself oversaw the restoration and conversion. My biggest issue with the transfer is the brightness is raised to the point of washing out blacks, such as those in the opening credits. I would hope that that was only done to compensate for the dimming that would come with watching with 3D glasses. Despite that, it’s my go to way of viewing the theatrical cut, I just disable one of the 3D eyes (the conversion adds little to nothing).

[MarkGubarenko]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

The film is entirely in English, so no need for English subtitles for most viewers.

As long as there are no forced French subtitles, this should be amazing!

not entirely, it's also in Japanese and Chinese.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by MarkGubarenko

not entirely, it's also in Japanese and Chinese.

I checked the film last time this came up a couple of years ago, and there's no spoken Japanese or Chinese at all.

All the Chinese characters speak only English to each other, and they also speak only English with the Japanese characters, who also speak only English.

There's lots of Chinese and Japanese text seen on objects in various scenes in the film (banners, posters, documents,etc), but none of them are subtitled. Also, in one scene a protesting crowd chants in unsubtitled Chinese. That's it for non-English material.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by joenostalgia23

I own the Italian 3D release of The Last Emperor and if this is sourced from that same master, it could be quite controversial. While the original aspect ratio was preserved, the colors are radically different from the Criterion release as well. It has a much more vibrant look, and the whole film looks brighter. I’m personally a fan of how it looks and the increase in detail even in this 1080p 3D converted version is appreciable. I believe the release claims Bertolucci himself oversaw the restoration and conversion. My biggest issue with the transfer is the brightness is raised to the point of washing out blacks, such as those in the opening credits. I would hope that that was only done to compensate for the dimming that would come with watching with 3D glasses. Despite that, it’s my go to way of viewing the theatrical cut, I just disable one of the 3D eyes (the conversion adds little to nothing).

This should be the brand new master that was being created recently.

https://deadline.com/2020/05/hanway-...on-1202925239/

If it's that older master, that's really disappointing.

[James Luckard]

Yikes, it was 10 years ago that I checked the film for which languages are used, haha, time flies. Here's my post from 2012, right after I checked:

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Oh, and just so everyone knows, I just popped in my DVD to confirm.

EVERY WORD of the film is in English. there is no need to worry about scenes that will be missing subtitles for foreign languages. Everyone, British, American, Chinese and Japanese in the film speaks English in every single scene.

The only "subtitles" in the film are the burned in titles for locations, like "PEKING 1908", and they are clearly still there, as shown by the photos in the Japanese thread:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...6&postcount=11

[Ben_C]

Presumably will be coming out in all the other territories too. Will be another one to tick off the never seen list.

[fuzzymctiger]

Originally Posted by Ben_C

Presumably will be coming out in all the other territories too. Will be another one to tick off the never seen list.

That’ll be Arrow for the UK at least. They teased this years ago along with Naked Lunch and Crash as part of the same acquired library, and only Crash eventuated

[NotASpeckOfCereal]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

The film is entirely in English, so no need for English subtitles for most viewers.

It's a no sale for me. This (hard of hearing) and other minority disabled groups would like to point out that you don't need to be a majority to be represented.

Chris

[The Mole]

If Arrow gets this then I hope for a 4k release of the extended version as well. Until then the Japanese BD will do.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by NotASpeckOfCereal

It's a no sale for me. This (hard of hearing) and other minority disabled groups would like to point out that you don't need to be a majority to be represented.

Chris

Unfortunately, this is a French UHD, so any subtitles included for the hard of hearing would be in French.

French discs rarely include English subtitles of any kind, conventional or hard of hearing. Instead, they often have forced French subtitles. Given that, the best case scenario for this disc was only ever that it might be able to be watched with no subtitles at all, unfortunately.

The best option is when companies pay the extra money to include both conventional English subtitles and also English subtitles for the hard of hearing, which describe music cues and sounds as well. In an ideal world, all discs would include both sets of subtitles, I completely agree.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by fuzzymctiger

That’ll be Arrow for the UK at least. They teased this years ago along with Naked Lunch and Crash as part of the same acquired library, and only Crash eventuated

That was the HanWay library, which I posted about above. Unfortunately, HanWay was recently sold. I hope that doesn't impact future Arrow releases.

[Gacivory]

The restoration has been credited to being by Arrow, so I’m sure an Arrow release is in the cards.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

The restoration has been credited to being by Arrow, so I’m sure an Arrow release is in the cards.

The restoration on this French UHD? Has there been detailed info about it released? All I've seen here is the Amazon France link.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

The restoration on this French UHD? Has there been detailed info about it released? All I've seen here is the Amazon France link.

I’d have to imagine this is part of the same restoration.

https://deadline.com/2020/05/hanway-...202925239/amp/

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I’d have to imagine this is part of the same restoration.

https://deadline.com/2020/05/hanway-...202925239/amp/

Yep, that was the article I posted above.

Unfortunately, HanWay has since been sold to Cohen Media Group:

https://deadline.com/2022/08/hanway-...on-1235097253/

I hope that hasn't had an impact on the Arrow release.

[Beckstreaker]

Originally Posted by MarkGubarenko

not entirely, it's also in Japanese and Chinese.

Afaik there are two versions, One entirely in English and the other entirely in Mandarin?