French DVD/Blu-ray/UHD Recommendations

[Stefan Andersson]

Comments on the Potemkine Napoléon:

"The restoration also employs a blurred, rounded-corner frame rather than the traditional straight-edged aperture. I actually found this aesthetically appealing, though I understand why some viewers—especially purists—may bristle at the departure from established presentation norms. Evidently this is consistent with how the Cannes screening was staged."

"instead of a sudden transition into the Polyvision format, the central image gradually shrinks over roughly ten minutes before settling into the triptych. I assume this was conceived for theatrical presentations, where curtains reveal the expanded screens, but on a domestic display the effect feels unintentionally mechanical—at one point I genuinely wondered if my television was malfunctioning.

I've read the film was restored at 18fps, which lends a more natural rhythm to the performances and largely avoids the accelerated look that many associate, unfairly, with silent cinema. That said, there are occasional instances of grain behavior that suggest either digital interpolation or some degree of image manipulation to maintain visual continuity"

See post 188 here:
https://www.hometheaterforum.com/commun ... 19/page-10

[Finch]

Thanks tenia and MichaelB!

[Stefan Andersson]

On Tamasa´s Chabrol coffret:
-French HOH subs
-Les Biches and La Femme infidèle are 1.66 (apparently original AR), others are 1.85
-Nada, Docteur Popaul, Les Innocents aux mains sales, La Décade prodigieuse sont are being restored (4K probably).

Caps and specs:
https://www.dvdclassik.com/test/blu-ray ... gue-tamasa

Les Biches:
https://www.dvdclassik.com/test/blu-ray ... sa/galerie

[rufus2056]

According to the Potemkine Napoléon end credits there exist subtitles for American English, German, LATAM Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

[Lowry_Sam]

Just received this from Amazon.fr

We're encountering a delay in shipping your order. The new delivery date is indicated below. We'll send a confirmation when your items ship. We apologise for the inconvenience.

[Stefan Andersson]

Gaumont announced Les Amoureux du France (Pierre Grimblat/François Reichenbach) as a DVD-on-demand release for March 2026:
https://www.dvdclassik.com/forum/viewto ... &start=945

[Stefan Andersson]

Abel Gance scholar Paul Cuff reviews the French bluray of Napoléon Grande Version:
https://therealmofsilence.com/2025/12/0 ... kine-2025/
Dec. 5 post

[MichaelB]

According to the Potemkine Napoléon end credits there exist subtitles for American English, German, LATAM Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

None of which are on the Potemkine discs. Tenia of this parish has already confirmed this first hand, and Paul Cuff adds:

On the discs themselves, I immediately flag an issue that may concern non-French speaking readers of this blog. The Potemkine edition has no subtitles of any kind on any of its presentations. This is despite press releases promising (at the very least) English options for any/all formats of this edition (DVD, Blu-ray, UHD). Furthermore, the restoration end credits include a list of translators for six foreign subtitle tracks. None of these are listed on the packaging, and I checked on the Potemkine website and various other retail outlets in France to confirm: there is no mention of subtitles. I can only assume that this was due to copyright reasons, as it is commercial folly to reduce your potential foreign sales by not offering more language options. I’ve not yet heard about any plans for the film’s international release, either via Netflix or any other means. I can only imagine that one or more interested parties don’t like the idea of an English-language home media edition of this film preceding a future release. Though the Table Ronde publication makes the claim for the Cinémathèque française possessing worldwide copyright for Napoléon, there are clearly limits as to how and when it is being sold to international territories. Since I began writing this review, news has emerged that Potemkine (and other retailers) have begun cancelling orders to anyone outside France. Merry Christmas, everyone!

[Stefan Andersson]

Tenia on Napoléon/Potemkine:
https://testsbluray.com/2025/12/10/test ... bel-gance/

Tenia references b & w sections here tinted/toned with a cream or sepia colour. This seems to be what Paul Cuff describes as "ochre wash has permeated the frame. It will also influence tinted/toned sequences". Cuff sees this as the Cinémathéque´s way of giving the image a "warm look", imitating the brightness levels of 1927 French projectors.

Cuff also points out that the image is cropped on all four sides, as this would have happened with projectors in France in 1927:
"According to /the CF/ analysis, the aperture of contemporary projectors would slightly crop the film image on all four sides of the frame. /.../ there is less information within the frame in the 2024 restoration than in the BFI’s 2016 restoration."
Sample screencaps here:
https://therealmofsilence.com/

[Peacock]

The Potemkine release is also highly flammable, to recreate the experience of viewing the original nitrate film.

[tenia]

What my review doesn't say is that the value is great because you also get an orchestra coming to your house everytime you watch the movie, so this also is replicated.

Joke aside, yes, what I call creamy or sepia tinted most likely is what Paul calls ocre. To me however, there are 2 tints, with the Brienne sequence being tinted in a lighter but more intense way, while later scenes are tinted in a darker way, hence my distinction.

As for what rufus mentioned regarding the existence of subs, I suppose the point was to say they do already exist, but if they're not included here, they're ready to go most likely preparing rights sales elsewhere in the world.

[Stefan Andersson]

Tenia on Napoléon/Potemkine:
https://testsbluray.com/2025/12/10/test ... bel-gance/

Tenia references b & w sections here tinted/toned with a cream or sepia colour. This seems to be what Paul Cuff describes as "ochre wash has permeated the frame. It will also influence tinted/toned sequences". Cuff sees this as the Cinémathéque´s way of giving the image a "warm look", imitating the brightness levels of 1927 French projectors.

Cuff also points out that the image is cropped on all four sides, as this would have happened with projectors in France in 1927:
"According to /the CF/ analysis, the aperture of contemporary projectors would slightly crop the film image on all four sides of the frame. /.../ there is less information within the frame in the 2024 restoration than in the BFI’s 2016 restoration."
Sample screencaps here:
https://therealmofsilence.com/

Update:

Robert Harris comments on the cream/sepia/ochre/illumination levels and image cropping issues:

"Per a friend who knows far better than I, both carbon arcs as well as high intensity arcs were in use in 1927, so there should have been no problems with illumination. Of course, that doesn’t mean they were used for those shows in Paris in 1927."

"As far as contrast and color, it might have been more accurate to add a green tinge which would have come from the port glass and reduce the contrast as lenses were not multicoated."

"As it is reported that the CF has in its collection the original projectors, they would know more about the situation."

Quoted from post 193 in the Napoléon thread here:
https://www.hometheaterforum.com/commun ... 19/page-10

[Lowry_Sam]

Not sure where else to post this, but while shopping on Amazon.fr, I noticed some interesting titles of films. Looks like they're using AI to (re-)translate film titles from the French back into English. Seems like it's mostly for newer titles, older titles don't seem as off. See if you can guess the original:

Murder In Alcatraz

Spoiler

Murder In The First

The Limited Laureate

Spoiler

The Graduate

Melody Of Happiness

Spoiler

The Sound Of Music

Renter (The)

Spoiler

The Tenant

Who Wants Rabbit Skin

Spoiler

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Foolproof

Spoiler

Hard Boiled

Is There A Cop To Save The World?

Spoiler

The Naked Gun

Secret Chat

Spoiler

The Conversation

Limited

Spoiler

The Departed

Mom, I Missed The Plane!

Spoiler

Home Alone

The Chills Of Anxiety

Spoiler

Profondo Rosso

Santa is a junk

Spoiler

Santa Claus Is A Stinker

The Wharf Of Mists

Spoiler

Le Quai Des Brumes

Grandpa Makes Resistance

Spoiler

Grandpa Is in the Resistance

[Stefan Andersson]

Post moved to Czech DVDs thread.

[Stefan Andersson]

News from Elephant Films, France -- the 2026 lineup for the Cinema Master Class/CMC label, blu+dvd&dvd:

06/01/2026
Épreuves (Next Time We Love) de Edward H. Griffith (1936)
La Folle Alouette (Skylark) de Mark Sandrich (1941)
The Great Moment de Preston Sturges (1944)

24/02/2026
Sensation Seekers de Lois Weber (1927)
L'Athlète incomplet (The Strong Man) de Frank Capra (1927)

03/03/2026
Rythmes d'amour (Murder at the Vanities) de Mitchell Leisen (1934)
Jeux de mains (Hands Across the Table) de Mitchell Leisen (1935)
L'Aventure d'une nuit (Remember the Night) de Mitchell Leisen (1940)
Éveille-toi mon amour (Arise, My Love) de Mitchell Leisen (1940)
L'Aventure vient de la mer (Frenchman's Creek) de Mitchell Leisen (1944)
À chacun son destin (To Each His Own) de Mitchell Leisen (1946)

26/05/2025
Les Aventures de Robinson Crusoé (Robinson Crusoe) de Luis Buñuel (1954)
La Bête de la caverne hantée (Beast from Haunted Cave) de Monte Hellman (1959)
The Leather Boys de Sidney J. Furie (1964)

22/09/2026
The Iceman Cometh de John Frankenheimer (1973)
Maison de poupée (A Doll's House) de Joseph Losey (1973)
Galileo de Joseph Losey (1975)

https://www.dvdclassik.com/forum/viewto ... start=2670


Elephant Films also announces 1 film/day on FB thru January (probably the above titles):
https://www.facebook.com/ElephantFilms/

Also, a Leisen box set w/ above titles:
https://www.elephantfilms.com/mitchell- ... 2x42073995
https://www.elephantfilms.com/mitchell- ... 2x42137966

[senseabove]

News from Elephant Films, France -- the 2026 lineup for the Cinema Master Class/CMC label, blu+dvd&dvd:

03/03/2026
Rythmes d'amour (Murder at the Vanities) de Mitchell Leisen (1934)
Jeux de mains (Hands Across the Table) de Mitchell Leisen (1935)
L'Aventure d'une nuit (Remember the Night) de Mitchell Leisen (1940)
Éveille-toi mon amour (Arise, My Love) de Mitchell Leisen (1940)
L'Aventure vient de la mer (Frenchman's Creek) de Mitchell Leisen (1944)
À chacun son destin (To Each His Own) de Mitchell Leisen (1946)

Also, a Leisen box set w/ above titles:
https://www.elephantfilms.com/mitchell- ... 2x42073995
https://www.elephantfilms.com/mitchell- ... 2x42137966

Be still my heart... The Leisen box also includes DeMille's The Sign of the Cross (for which Leisen was art director and costume designer), Death Takes a Holiday, Easy Living, and Golden Earrings. I'm tempted to get this just to struggle through the booklet with my bad French to see what the French think of Leisen.

How are Elephant's releases? Set-and-forget encodes thrown together with a book of whatever they can scrounge up, lovingly and carefully crafted, or somewhere in between? I'm assuming extras won't be English-friendly?

[domino harvey]

Excited for Losey’s Ibsen movie. An HD copy turned up from TV not long ago so glad the wait was short for a Blu. I assume Fonda being in it means Kino might release it though

[senseabove]

It looks like the Leisen box is already out, which led me to this unboxing video that—before I realized YouTube now enables auto-dubbing by default!—amusingly refers to "Cecil B2000"

[Stefan Andersson]

Review of Frenchman´s Creek, 4K, in the Leisen box:
https://www.cinefaniac.fr/dvd/test-1869 ... eisen.html

[Stefan Andersson]

Roboto Films, France, are releasing:
Theater of Life parts 1-2, Tadashi Sawashima - 1963
https://roboto-films.fr/en/products/the ... 2-blu-rays
Zatoichi the Daiei Years box, 5 films including "Blind Bandit" (1960) w/ Shintaro Katsu as Suginoichi. More boxes to follow, apparently.
https://roboto-films.fr/en/products/zat ... i-partie-1
Samurai Reincarnation, Fukasaku
https://roboto-films.fr/en/products/sam ... ncarnation
Violent Streets, Gosha
https://roboto-films.fr/en/products/violent-streets
Great Jailbreak, Ishii
https://roboto-films.fr/en/products/great-jailbreak
Violent Panic: The Big Crash, Fukasaku
https://roboto-films.fr/en/products/vio ... ion-simple

Catalog:
https://roboto-films.fr/en/collections/tout

[Stefan Andersson]

Si Versailles m´était conté, Sacha Guitry, in 4K UHD/blu, French HOH subs only. Restored by Transperfect Media, formerly Hiventy.

Restoration video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZAkFqqaiPw
No subs for text cards with technical comments.

https://testsbluray.com/2026/01/10/test ... ait-conte/

https://www.dvdclassik.com/test/blu-ray ... -ray-bonus

https://www.dvdclassik.com/critique/si- ... nte-guitry



Carol, Haynes, French UHD:
https://testsbluray.com/2026/01/11/test ... uhd-carol/

[Stefan Andersson]

Les rendez-vous de quais, Paul Carpita, 1955, 4K, re-release in France; Carpita´s short films and other features also restored/to be restored.

Released by Doriane Films. They also released a 2005 DVD with 2 features and 9 short films, still listed at the Potemkine webshop.

https://dorianefilms.com/film.php?id=66
https://www.lamarseillaise.fr/culture/e ... BJ19454243
https://www.cnc.fr/cinema/actualites/li ... ta_1849612
https://www.lamarseillaise.fr/culture/p ... EJ19454220
https://www.avoir-alire.com/le-rendez-v ... a-critique
https://store.potemkine.fr/dvd/37002469 ... pita-paul/

Rencontre a Varsovie, Carpita, 1958, HD:
https://dorianefilms.com/film.php?id=88

[Stefan Andersson]

La prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV, Rossellini, 4K restoration to be released by Elephant Films. Elephant will also release Godard´s King Lear in Criterion´s 2K master.
Jan. 26 post:
https://www.dvdclassik.com/forum/viewto ... c#p3215636

[Stefan Andersson]

Les Dames de Bois de Boulogne, 4K UHD+blu from Rimini:
https://homepopcorn.fr/test-blu-ray-les ... t-bresson/
https://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/c302195-dames ... logne.html

Same master as TF1 edition 2018.

French HOH subs + audiodescription.

[Stefan Andersson]

Judit Elek box; HD restorations; French subs only:
https://www.extralucidfilms.com/prochai ... ivret.html

Assa, Sergey Solovyev; French subs only:
https://www.extralucidfilms.com/boutiqu ... y-dvd.html