I have the blu-ray "Lumiere" which I think is the same restoration that Criterion will use for its blu-ray (without changing the color grading) - I assume that Criterion (according to the trailer Criterion posted - the restoration one- and the Criterion.com web site page of "Mirror") that they will use the same transfer than the "Lumiere" restoration and that the color grading (according to everything I saw posted at Criterion web site) will be the same than the "Lumiere" restoration/blu-ray.
It looks like a significant upgrade in comparison to the Artificial Eye blu-ray which looks like a DVD upscale to HD.
Now, if I'm pleased with the HD details and the color grading (the fire scene, the indoor apartment scene, the "black & white" scene of the printing (my favorite scene ever- there is a slight tint of sepia (not at all like Stalker but not "pure" black & white like the previous screenshots at DVDBeaver) I have to say that the sky is even not blue in the introducing sequence : it's almost white. No pink'ish/blu'ish tint anymore. This is one of my favorite scene of the movie, and while the HD details are great (clothes, the grass and the haunting wind (which announces ? Stalker) the almost white sky is disturbing. We kind of lost the strange atmosphere of this unforgettable opening scene.
Well I don't know - the most accurate base for me is :
http://nostalghia.com
but this blu-ray has not been reviewed so far (the "Lumiere").
So the white cover "matches" the new "almost" white only sky.
The Janus poster has a pink'ish look but the restoration trailer with the Janus logo posted at the same time than the Janus poster was already a transfer which seem to me like the "Lumiere" blu-ray restauration. I remember having watched it carefully because I thought that Criterion had a different transfert/restoration. And there was a short clip of the opening scene and the sky was almost white only like the "Lumiere" transfert.
I highly doubt that Criterion would re-grading the color of this opening scene.
It's odd because the transfer as a film-like look (argentic-texture) which is very pleasing, and the color grading does not seem to be disturbing for me (I had a lot of DVDs of the Mirror before this one, and the Artificial Eye Blu-Ray) : the color are warm, the black & white scene looks good, the snow scene looks good, the interior scene looks good- I can not see some color which could have been "boosted"- it looks "balanced". And each scene is different, like a puzzle, and I think that it looked rather good through all the movie (the footage sequence for instance); except the for the sky.
Apparently Tarkovsky seem "uncatchable" and resistant to being "catched" on numeric/digital format. I'm not totally sure if this is because of acceding to the negative of Tarkovski movies or if there is something in Tarkovski movies (Stalker, Solaris, The Mirror) which seem to be elusive and resistant - Mind you, Criterion blu-ray are okay (Stalker, Solaris) but we barely reaches an organic texture of film. Well, I don't know, there is something mysterious with Tarkovsky movies.
this is a huge step with the Mirror, but perhaps not the definitive edition.
I would be curious to read a review of the Lumiere blu-ray at nostalghia.com
there are probably some texts, writings by Tarkovsky and the director of photography about the look of the sky; it's certainly documented.