Carlotta Releases

[Calvin]

Antonioni's Red Desert and Story of a Love Affair both confirmed to be from the recent 4K restoration.

Story of a Love Affair is only released today, but I'm holding back because I already have the UK Cult Films release from 2020. This would probably be from the same restoration, right?

No, the Cult Films release was from an old master not the new restoration.

[ellipsis7]

Very definitely so... The Cult Films Blu Ray is sourced from an old restoration which was supervised by the late Giuseppe Rotunno, which was also the source for the NoShame DVD release some while back... It leaves a lot to be desired...

The new recent 4K restoration can be found on the Italian Surf Film Blu Ray and now on the French Carlotta Blu Ray, just released...

CRONACA DI UN AMORE - Restored in 4K in 2020 by Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Surf Film at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, with funding provided by MiBACT.

[tenia]

I can confirm first hand the Carlotta 2022 BD of Cronaca is from this 2020 restoration, which looks good overall, though it seemed at first glance (I only skimmed through the disc so far) slightly grain managed but also slight washed out.

The Deserto Rosso 4k restoration is more disappointing : the grain is mostly frozen, moving like force field around people or moving objects, it's also clearly not as sharp as I'd expected (I'll have to check what was scanned, but if it was the OCN, then I can only guess the scanner was out of focus) and the grading seemed all over the place (it looks like the movie is full of color inconsistencies) and old-looking. The combination of these, while at least it's not EEd to death like both the BFI and Criterion discs were, make the BD look like it's sourced from something way older it actually is.
Of course, the grading from Lucè Cinecitta is also notably different from both the BFI and Criterion discs, so I still have no idea what the colors of this movie, whose cinematography has been praised for 50 years, are supposed to be. It's however, for those who have seen those, not far from other stuff from Lucè, like for instance their Dino Risi movies (ie quite pinkish and pastel).
As for Cronaca, I only skimmed through the disc though my first impressions rarely change after a full watch (because I screen enough), but if it indeed doesn't change here, the results are quite disappointing.

[ellipsis7]

My DESERTO ROSSO Carlotta Combo SE is on its' way... Arriving Thursday, when I'll be able to compare it with the recent Japanese Blu Ray sourced from the same 2017 4K restoration supervised by Luciano Tovoli (restoration curated by CSC-Cineteca Nazionale Istituto Luce – Cinecittà in collaboration with RTI-Mediaset film laboratory Fotocinema, Laboratorio CSC-Cineteca Nazionale)... I am pretty pleased with the result on the Japanese disc...

[tenia]

The text panel introducing the movie states Tovoli was involved, so I suppose it's the same restoration.

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

Unfortunately, I'll have to agree with Tenia on this one. Such a disappointment. To my eyes, the sharpness is fine most of the time, though. There is a lot of deliberately out of focus shots throughout the film, of course, and generally the detail level of course is much better than on the old BD's. But grain is not good. Looks digitized and badly encoded. Would be interesting to read ellipsis7's comparison of this and the Japanese BD, especially if they come from the same restoration. Where this falters completely for me is in the grading. The colors truly look all over the place, sometimes from scene to scene, and it looks quite boosted as well. I sampled the beach scene where there's a ship with red sails. On the Carlotta the sails are pinkish. Can't be correct/intended. This definitely looks like a missed opportunity which is very disappointing because this truly was in dire need of a restoration.

I remember reading that Antonioni shot this on Technicolor because he really wanted to go full-on with his first color film. Could be that they messed something up in the process of scanning the negatives? I'm no technical expert, but isn't Technicolor a combination of three different colored negatives? Certainly would be easy to mess this process up, I guess?

[ellipsis7]

Notes on Some Limits of Technicolor: The Antonioni Case, a Senses of Cinema article discussing how the original colour grading on DESERTO ROSSO was achieved...

[rrenault]

I was wondering whether or not it’s worth picking up Carlotta’s Red Desert Blu-Ray, even if I already have the Criterion Blu-Ray. I guess I have my answer. Spending 20-odd Euros on the Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie UHD is probably a better use of funds.

On a side note, why in France do home video releases typically appear on brick and mortar shelves over a week before the listed release date on Amazon France? Is there some law that requires online retailers to allow brick and mortars a head start on selling their stock or something.

[tenia]

I've been wondering myself and the only answer I ended up with is that most people just don't care, as long as it's just a bit earlier, like a week, and not a whole month in advance.
I suppose also that it might be because most indie labels concerned by this have release dates mostly tied up to when they think the finished products will be available, and if there are a week earlier, then they can be sold a week earlier.

After the disturbances created by Covid and the current logistics issues, I think pros are OK with products being early.

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

Notes on Some Limits of Technicolor: The Antonioni Case, a Senses of Cinema article discussing how the original colour grading on DESERTO ROSSO was achieved...

Thanks! That's probably the article I remembered reading back in the day. I forgot to add that I've seen this film twice on 35mm at the local cinematheque. Of course, it was an old copy which shouldn't be trusted, colorwise, but I clearly remember while seeing it the second time around that I thought that the BFI's slightly colder grading came closest. Definitely not the warmer Criterion or this new color popping restoration from Carlotta.

[rrenault]

I've been wondering myself and the only answer I ended up with is that most people just don't care, as long as it's just a bit earlier, like a week, and not a whole month in advance.
I suppose also that it might be because most indie labels concerned by this have release dates mostly tied up to when they think the finished products will be available, and if there are a week earlier, then they can be sold a week earlier.

After the disturbances created by Covid and the current logistics issues, I think pros are OK with products being early.

I love walking into Gibert Jospeh and being like "well there goes 20-odd Euros Amazon won't be getting from me after all...Welp."

[ellipsis7]

Had an initial look at the Carlotta BR... It's from the same restoration as the Japanese BR, but whatever Carlotta have done with it, relatively their picture appears anaemic & even a little soft. So I tend to agree with Tenia's comments... I've compared a couple of scenes in the two versions & much prefer the Japanese disc... In the shop, in the painted street in Ravenna & at the apartment building of the worker, the colours seem more defined & true and the texture more visceral & real... Two other significant negatives for the Carlotta BR are that the French subtitles are fixed & cannot be removed and that there are no chapters so you have to roll the film from the top... Both of these issues are rectified on the Japanese disc... All in all, I feel Carlotta have dropped the ball badly on this one...

Out of interest, here is Luciano Tovoli in the viewing theatre discussing his approach to the 2017 restoration...

[tenia]

There should be chapters, but no chapter menu (as it has become routine for most indie labels). I'm surprised by your comparison : Carlotta have a very hands off approach regarding technicals and their BDs are almost exclusively encoded by David M (I haven't checked those but I'd be surprised if it's not the case).
Meaning it's more likely for the Carlotta disc to be more transparent to the restoration than the Japanese disc.

[ellipsis7]

Ok, no chapter menu, but chapters maybe, pretty lacking not to have a menu in a high end Combo limited SE package... Will review more comprehensively tomorrow, but there's something lacking in the potency of the Carlotta image IMHO... The persistent problem with DESERTO ROSSO colour grading is finding the right reference... Criterion used a print held by MoMA, BFI a print in the BFI National Film Archive... DoP Carlo di Palma is dead, so for the 2017 restoration the Cineteca Nazionale turned to Luciano Tovoli, the DoP on Antonioni's THE PASSENGER/PROFESSIONE REPORTER, CHUNG KUO CINA & IL MISTERO DI OBERWALD, albeit in different visual styles and shooting approach. The 4K restoration was essentially endorsed by Enrica Fico Antonioni at the Venice Film Festival that year... A glimpse here of a clip in SD...

[rrenault]

Two other significant negatives for the Carlotta BR are that the French subtitles are fixed & cannot be removed and that there are no chapters so you have to roll the film from the top... Both of these issues are rectified on the Japanese disc... All in all, I feel Carlotta have dropped the ball badly on this one...

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What is it with Continental European distributors putting forced subs on their discs?

[MichaelB]

What is it with Continental European distributors putting forced subs on their discs?

Almost invariably a contractual obligation on the part of the rightsholder.

[tenia]

What is it with Continental European distributors putting forced subs on their discs?

Almost invariably a contractual obligation on the part of the rightsholder.

Yes, and in the present case, it's even more of a likely reason since Carlotta have the habit not to force them.

[ellipsis7]

The other area in which the Japanese BR wins out is with the restored soundtrack, which is reproduced crystal clear and in pin sharp detail, revealing the subtle layers of the elaborately designed soundscape...

[rrenault]

What is it with Continental European distributors putting forced subs on their discs?

Almost invariably a contractual obligation on the part of the rightsholder.

Yes, and in the present case, it's even more of a likely reason since Carlotta have the habit not to force them.

On that note, I'm guessing there aren't forced subs on their Christine UHD...

Also, Carlotta seems like a good candidate to do a (David M. encoded)UHD for Blow Out at some point if one doesn't want to break the bank on a Criterion import.

[ellipsis7]

For anyone currently in Paris, IL DESERTO ROSSO/LE DESERT ROUGE screens theatrically on Monday as part of the Dolce Vita sur Seine festival, presumably in the new restoration... An opportunity to contrast & compare on the big & the small screen?...

Il Deserto rosso

de Michelangelo Antonioni
avec Monica Vitti et Richard Harris

Lundi 11 juillet 20h30
Christine Cinéma Club
4 rue Christine, 75006 Paris
01 43 25 85 78

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

I found the grading of this new restoration quite extreme with colors popping extremely in many instances, and I mentioned the red sail on the ship which have now become pink. So just to compare the three HD masters that are now available I took screenshots of this ship where one can also compare the color(s) of the ocean. And the differences are quite striking. I would say that the Criterion has the dullest, most neutral look, and the BFI maybe the most natural look, probably? But BFI also has a kind of greenish tinge throughout the rest of the movie, and it is fairly edge enhanced. I don't see as much EE on the Criterion, but, as mentioned, it has the dullest look of them all which almost certainly doesn't look like Antonioni intended it.

I don't remember the grading of any of these two masters shifting significantly from scene to scene like the Carlotta, either. On the other hand, the Carlotta's azure ocean might suit the scene's settings better, but from the cutting it looks like those shots were filmed somewhere else, and once again, I believe that sail should be red, not pink. Maybe ellipsis7 can take a screenshot from the Japanese blu-ray so we can see if it's also pink on that one?

Anyway, judge for yourselves. I might upload another comparison later:

[therewillbeblus]

This feels like a film similar to Le Cercle Rouge where it may be worth getting all the versions because the color palette can change the tonal experience of the film

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

This feels like a film similar to Le Cercle Rouge where it may be worth getting all the versions because the color palette can change the tonal experience of the film

Yeah, and it's especially frustrating because the colors of this film are so striking either way it's graded. It's feels like a whole new movie sampling this restoration, but it really is all over the place, and I'm sure Antonioni aimed for a more consistent look and overall feeling in mind. It really feels like a missed opportunity, and while doing this comparison I also changed my mind and agree with Tenia that the look of this version is too soft, bordering on slightly out of focus. Of course, especially the BFI and maybe also the Criterion to a lesser extent are edge enhanced, but this is too much in the other direction. Of note it should also be added that the BFI was released in 2010 and the Criterion in 2012, so ten years of waiting and now this...

[therewillbeblus]

I’ve only ever seen the film on Criterion’s DVD and blu-ray releases, but I know many here prefer the BFI. I’ve come around to seeing these different palettes as opportunities for subjective recontextualizations. Of course it would be cool to get exactly what Antonioni intended but if I’m going to double dip, I’d like it to be for reasons beyond supplements-only. I’m really looking forward to a future viewing of Le Cercle Rouge’s BFI blu (containing the cool tones I’ve always been fond of) side by side with the new Criterion UHD, as I think it’ll be a strikingly different experience. It’s the rare case where I don’t want to dump a release because they’re so different, and I want the option to compare and contrast my varying responses to them. Maybe one day we’ll get a 4K Red Desert that’s entirely different too, and a chance to embark on a similar project- I probably won’t buy four/five versions of this though!

[ellipsis7]

Unfortunately I don't have the facility to take a frame grab of the Japanese BR, but I still believe that it is superior to these three... I watched the most recent two through today, noting both the sound and the vision... Also for comparison I reckon the 'fable' within the film, while very important obviously, is not as significant as the industrial scenes, while absolutely keeping an eye on the rendering of the unique pink beach and the distinctive hue of the sea... But, as you say, it is reds, yellows, greens & blues that judgment has to be based upon... IMHO dealing with the reds alone they are rendered more distinctively on the Japanese BR, which is altogether much more visceral & defined, sound & vision wise...

So far I have viewed in my calculation seven versions of DESERTO ROSSO on DVD & BR... A neverending story, I guess...

Image US DVD
Carlotta Fra v.1 DVD
Madman Aus DVD
Criterion US BR
BFI UK BR
Japanese BR
Carlotta Fra v.2 BR