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Histoire(s) du cinéma (1989)
Histoire(s) du cinéma (1989) poster

Histoire(s) du cinéma (1989)

Documentary • 4h 27m

Cast: Jean-Luc Godard, Julie Delpy, Juliette Binoche, Sabine Azéma, Alain Cuny, Serge Daney

IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Radiance Blu-ray

1080p Blu-ray

Best English-friendly release · updated 17 days ago

Compare the discs

Blu-ray.comslow.pics

Overview

An 8-part documentary chronicling the history of cinema, examining the history of the concept of cinema and how both relates to the 20th century.

Release details

Best Video Release
TSPDT
2026: #140
2025: #138
2024: #134
2023: #133
2022: #133
Length
267 mins
Type
TV Show

Featured in Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films

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Director: David Lynch

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

 Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray in December

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray - subtle difference in encoding to the Criterion in encoding, trading blows in different shots, with Plaion taking a slight edge with less highlight blocking

Best Audio:

1993 MGM LaserDisc/2000 Region 1 MGM DVD

Criterion's 2.0 sounds muffled due to noise reduction and EQ.
Plaion's 2.0 lacks bass and has a very bright EQ, more resembling the 5.1 remix. Plaion’s 2.0 doesn't have any filtering unlike the Criterion, see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23831289&postcount=110

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray or US Disney Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · lddb.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/6JWnlfit

Best Audio:

All sources are within margin of error. Comparisons: Japanese, English
Alternate Streamline English dub is available only on 1994 Fox LD.

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray has more bonuses than the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Carol Reed

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray or Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray/Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray (shared encode); slight improvement over the 2015 StudioCanal Blu-ray

Best Audio:

StudioCanal/LG UHDs port the 1999 Criterion DVD, considered the best source

Additional Info:

StudioCanal has a remastered Blu-ray, Lionsgate only a 4K Blu-ray

Director: John Carpenter

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray. Maybe Turbine Blu-ray instead for better audio?

Sources: blog.sporv.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Director: Martin Scorsese

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook

Sources: blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook fixes duplicate shot seen on the previous Columbia Classics release and has better encoding

Best Audio:

Original mono mix: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1991 Columbia LaserDisc
The 4K Blu-ray mono is only minimally worse (see blah-ray).

5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Ridley Scott

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Theatrical Cut: Fox 4K Blu-ray 

2003 Directors Cut: Fox 4K Blu-ray 

Best Video:

Theatrical Cut: Fox 4K Blu-ray 

2003 Directors Cut: Fox 4K Blu-ray  (additional scenes appear to be upscaled)

Best Audio:

Original Theatrical 70mm 6-Track Stereo: Fox 4K Blu-ray (DTS-HD MA 4.1)

Original Theatrical 35mm Matrixed Dolby Stereo: 1999 DVD? (2.0 mix on the UHD is a downmix)

2003 Directors Cut: Fox 4K Blu-ray, Fox Blu-ray (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray

Director: Dario Argento

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

US Synapse 4K Blu-ray or UK Shameless 4K Blu-ray (some may prefer Synapse's grading, while some prefer Shameless's grading)

Best Video:

US Synapse 4K Blu-ray or UK Shameless 4K Blu-ray (some may prefer Synapse's grading, while some prefer Shameless's grading)

Best Audio:

4.0 track on the Synapse 4K Blu-ray

Director: Billy Wilder

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray or Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray. See caps
HDR/grading: nice, but some blown out
Encoding: inconsistent, smeared motion
DNR: inconsistent, frozen
Old Paramount Blu-ray is arguably a solid alternative choice

Best Audio:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray mono is different version of the Blu-ray mono from the same old 2000 DVD transfer.

Additional Info:

The 5.1 remix on the 4K Blu-ray is an appalling remix done by going wild with artificially generated stems from Park Road Post who were given the surviving mono to separate. The experience is jarring and fidelity to original mix in terms of level balance, directionality and impact is nonexistent. Not only does this sound painfully weird, but the Paramount mixers then did whatever they wanted in terms of LFE, sound pans and effect changes.
The original mono mix was not restored and still needs it badly. The 4K master is filled with frozen grain examples coming and going plus some HDR issues in addition to the usual Paramount problems. It is simultaneously better and worse than the Blu-ray master.

Director: David Lynch

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray > Criterion 4K Blu-ray. 

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray is encoded by FiM and doesn’t have the low-pass filter the Criterion 4K Blu-ray has.

Best Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is closer to the original DVDs than the 2015 Criterion release, not sure about whether the StudioCanal 4K is like the Criterion 4K/original DVD

Additional Info:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL

More from Jean-Luc Godard

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Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

2020 Criterion

Best Video:

2020 Criterion > StudioCanal > 2009 Criterion

Best Audio:

2007 StudioCanal DVD

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Superior Imports
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray/2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray (preference)

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray > StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The HDR grading has messed up highlights, so some may prefer the 2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2000 Optimum DVD

Additional Info:

Criterion's subtitles seem to be better than StudioCanal's which omits too much IMO.

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2003 R2 BFI DVD

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber or MUBI Blu-ray

Best Video:

No comparisons

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion, 2k transfer

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray is a flawed master with degrain + regrain and bad encoding, but still better than the old Blu-ray

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Olive Films DVD

Best Video:

Japan Blu-ray

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4k transfer

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion DVD

Best Video:

Potemkine has Blu-ray, not sure how good

More from Radiance

See more →

Director: Ivan Passer

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray, though note its different color grading from the IP-sourced but poorly compressed Fun City Editions US Blu-ray (caps)

Best Audio:

Judging from spectrograms at https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23933756&postcount=57, Fun City Editions US Blu-ray appears to have marginally less filtering than Radiance 4K Blu-ray (whose padded 16-bit depth is a non-issue). There are also loudness differences, though it's unclear whether dynamic range also differs. Caveat: need to A/B both tracks to confirm, but no one has posted actual A/B impressions.

Director: Luchino Visconti

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Image Entertainment DVD

Upcoming Release:

Radiance Blu-ray with 4K restoration

Best Video:

Japan Blu-ray

Director: Jacques Rivette

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Radiance Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance Blu-ray, FiM encoded, 4K restoration for both theatrical and director's version

Director: Dennis Hopper

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

2026 Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

2026 Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Director: Forugh Farrokhzad

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

DVD

Upcoming Release:

Radiance Blu-ray Box Set - Treasures from the Golestan Film Studio

Best Video:

DVD

Director: Wojciech Has

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Director: Takashi Miike

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray from nic:

Unadvertised HDR10 grade that looks better than the equivalent Blu-ray it's packaged with, grain rendered very clean even when it's heavy. FiM encode so surely it's better than the Media Blasters UHD, but there are still issues with frame stability, some shots have this jitter that kinda hurts to look at. Not a night and day upgrade over the Blu, but it's better and despite its issues, probably the best it'll ever be.

Director: Robert Bierman

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent

Director: Lou Ye

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

UK Radiance Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · strandreleasing.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

UK Radiance Blu-ray: caps and more caps. In addition, note that the US Strand Blu-ray is erroneously presented at 30 fps.

Best Audio:

(Maybe) Taiwan Welcome Music Blu-ray: OG mono mix. All other Blu-rays feature the 5.1 remix only. Per the technical information on page 22 here, new foleys and effects were added to the remix.

Director: Tom Noonan

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Radiance Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Radiance Blu-ray (caps)

4K restoration from the Original Camera Negative

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 17 days ago

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