Probably won't be very soon. According to this interview he just did
Years ago I saw an extended cut of Platform that I think ran about 200 minutes––a version that’s never played here again, and I really feel fortunate to have seen it. Have you restored this version? Or if not, where does that cut exist for you, in your relationship with Platform generally?
We are currently working with the French company Celluloid Dreams; we are trying to find the best way to restore Platform. We currently only have two copies of the film that we can find: one has English subtitles, the other has Italian subtitles. And we really want to, if we can, find the original negatives––restore based on the negatives, rather than using the two best copies that we have with the English and the Italian subtitles. So that is in the works, and then––hopefully with the collaboration of Criterion, also the French distributor––we will be able to accomplish that.
And would this be the longer version?
Yes, longer version.
the restoration of Platform is still in the early stage of material searching. But the good news is that it will feature a longer cut.
Thing is that Janus recently added the film to their website and indicate that a DCP is available. I suspect what's happened is that a digital remaster has been done for the standard post-festival cut, which may or may not rise to the level of a "restoration" (though the distinction is so abused these days as to be virtually meaningless); in the meantime the search is ongoing for materials to restore the Venice cut. Given how long this restoration has been in the works—it was first mentioned over a decade ago, and Jia made a Weibo post in 2020 with a photo of some 35mm film canisters and a confirmation of Criterion's involvement—it's hard to imagine they would still be in the early stage of material searching, unless substantial work has already been done on the shorter cut and they've only recently shifted focus to the long version. What this means for a home video release is anyone's guess—will we have to wait for the restoration of the Venice cut? If Criterion (and/or some non-U.S. label) releases the short cut on Blu, would they really be willing to do a separate release of the longer cut if and when it's restored to Jia's satisfaction? Speaking for myself, I'm so tired of waiting that I'd be fine with getting a raw scan of the English-subtitled print as an extra.
I figure that's probably the case. And the search for material could end up futile and Criterion is not going to wait for ever. I'd too be satisfied with the eventual physical release being a 4K scan of the shorter cut and an HD scan of the subbed-print for the longer cut.
Just noticed that the IFC Center screened the new Platform DCP earlier this month as part of their Jia retrospective (though they also screened it on 35mm). The Unknown Pleasures DCP was shown as well. Did anyone catch either of these?
andyli wrote: Sat May 10, 2025 12:51 am
I figure that's probably the case. And the search for material could end up futile and Criterion is not going to wait for ever. I'd too be satisfied with the eventual physical release being a 4K scan of the shorter cut and an HD scan of the subbed-print for the longer cut.
Criterion? not wanting to sit on something forever? are we sure we're talking about the right company?
Got the disappointing news recently that Janus's DCP of Platform isn't a new restoration or even an HD master, it's the same crummy SD master that's currently streaming on the Criterion Channel. So evidently any restoration of this film is being held up by Jia's wish to restore the Venice cut despite the absence of suitable elements.
Meanwhile Unknown Pleasures recently came out on Blu in Japan as part of a set with Caught by the Tides and Still Life. I haven't found anything to confirm whether it's a new HD master or an upconvert from SD, but given that it was shot in SD this hasn't been crying out for a remaster the way Platform is. Still Life appears to be 1080p with the listed runtime reflecting the 24fps theatrical version, unlike the Big World BD which is an interlaced conversion from 1080i50 (the format the movie was shot in).
