L'Âge d'or (1930)
Romance, Comedy, Drama • 1h 3m
Overview
The film consists of a series of tightly interlinked vignettes, the most sustained of which details the story of a man and a woman who are passionately in love. Their attempts to consummate their passion are constantly thwarted, by their families, by the Church and bourgeois society in general.
Director: Luis Buñuel
Cast: Gaston Modot, Lya Lys, Caridad de Laberdesque, Max Ernst, Josep Llorens Artigas, Lionel Salem, Germaine Noizet, Duchange, Bonaventura Ibáñez, Jean Aurenche, Jacques Brunius, Luis Buñuel, Jean Castanier, Juan Castañe, Pancho Cossío, Simone Cottance, Marie Berthe Ernst, Juan Esplandiu, Pedro Flores, Claude Heymann, Valentine Hugo, Jean-Paul Le Chanois, Marval, Juan Ramón Masoliver, Jaume Miravitlles, Manuel Ángeles Ortiz, Jaime Otero, Joaquin Peinado, Roland Penrose, Valentine Penrose, Domingo Pruña, Jacques Prévert, Pierre Prévert, Joaquín Roa, Raymond de Sarka, Paul Éluard
Japan IVC Blu-ray but not English-friendly
Film Foundation has 4k restoration https://www.film-foundation.org/world-cinema but no EN-friendly release yet
Japan IVC Blu-ray but not English-friendly
Film Foundation has 4k restoration https://www.film-foundation.org/world-cinema but no EN-friendly release yet
Director: Luis Buñuel
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray uses a newer 4k scan than Criterion Blu-ray or older StudioCanal Blu-ray see https://caps-a-holic.com/c_list.php?c=4373
Director: Luis Buñuel
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray uses a newer 4k scan than Criterion Blu-ray or older StudioCanal Blu-ray see https://caps-a-holic.com/c_list.php?c=4373
Director: Luis Buñuel
Radiance's audio is ported from the Criterion DVD, see Blah-ray
Director: Luis Buñuel
Radiance's audio is ported from the Criterion DVD, see Blah-ray
Director: Luis Buñuel
Director: Luis Buñuel
StudioCanal has 4k, good encode, accuracy of the color grading is debatable vs Criterion
StudioCanal has 4k, good encode, accuracy of the color grading is debatable vs Criterion
Director: Luis Buñuel
Director: Luis Buñuel
Director: Luis Buñuel
Director: Luis Buñuel
Director: Luis Buñuel
Director: Luis Buñuel
Director: F. W. Murnau
2006 Restoration: Eureka Blu-ray
1995 photochemical restoration: BFI Blu-ray that some may prefer
Eureka with Murnau institute restoration featuring score based on original score, BFI uses Photoplay restoration with James Bernard score
Both Eureka and BFI BDs are worthy of owning. Each restoration has unique positives and extras. The James Bernard score on the BFI is outstanding and the image tinting is different to how the Murnau institute official restoration was done. The Eureka MoC BD is stuffed with extras and remains one of the best-made BDs of all time. Whatever you do: AVOID THE Kino Lorber BD!!! It uses the same Murnau institute restoration but drops frames for the whole feature - thus it loses a significant portion of the film! This was never acknowledged or addressed. The Kino Lorber BD remains one of the worst BDs of all time for this reason.
Director: F. W. Murnau
2006 Restoration: Eureka Blu-ray
1995 photochemical restoration: BFI Blu-ray that some may prefer
Eureka with Murnau institute restoration featuring score based on original score, BFI uses Photoplay restoration with James Bernard score
Both Eureka and BFI BDs are worthy of owning. Each restoration has unique positives and extras. The James Bernard score on the BFI is outstanding and the image tinting is different to how the Murnau institute official restoration was done. The Eureka MoC BD is stuffed with extras and remains one of the best-made BDs of all time. Whatever you do: AVOID THE Kino Lorber BD!!! It uses the same Murnau institute restoration but drops frames for the whole feature - thus it loses a significant portion of the film! This was never acknowledged or addressed. The Kino Lorber BD remains one of the worst BDs of all time for this reason.
BFI 4K Blu-ray is significantly better than older Blu-ray however the HDR grade is questionable as it introduces black crushes, see nic's review and caps
For Blu-rays, Germany StudioCanal Blu-ray > MoC Blu-ray see caps
BFI 4K Blu-ray
All disc sourced from the 4K restoration use the same solid audio track. Older DVD releases are from a higher generation source with less detail and more hiss.
BFI 4K Blu-ray is significantly better than older Blu-ray however the HDR grade is questionable as it introduces black crushes, see nic's review and caps
For Blu-rays, Germany StudioCanal Blu-ray > MoC Blu-ray see caps
BFI 4K Blu-ray
All disc sourced from the 4K restoration use the same solid audio track. Older DVD releases are from a higher generation source with less detail and more hiss.
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Director: Jean Renoir
The BFI and Gaumont Blu-ray releases are both from the same restoration by Éclair. Although this restoration is much superior in detail to the old Criterion DVD, like many Éclair restorations, it has issues with colour. There is a definite yellow cast to the footage, making skin tones appear sickly and dampening the impact of the colour. The image is also murkier than the Criterion.
As Renoir scholar Tag Gallagher notes: "I talked a lot toward the end about the light blue walls (Criterion); but when I got the BFI blu I was greatly deflated, because the walls are light gray!"
That said, as visible in the screen caps at DVD Beaver, the Criterion has compromised colour too, and often looks too blue/magenta. There is a regraded edition of the BFI Blu-ray out there on the high seas.
The audio on the Blu-ray releases is slightly compressed, but better than earlier DVD releases and relatively full frequency.
The BFI is most likely the best English-friendly release as it includes English subtitles for the bonus features.
Director: Jean Renoir
The BFI and Gaumont Blu-ray releases are both from the same restoration by Éclair. Although this restoration is much superior in detail to the old Criterion DVD, like many Éclair restorations, it has issues with colour. There is a definite yellow cast to the footage, making skin tones appear sickly and dampening the impact of the colour. The image is also murkier than the Criterion.
As Renoir scholar Tag Gallagher notes: "I talked a lot toward the end about the light blue walls (Criterion); but when I got the BFI blu I was greatly deflated, because the walls are light gray!"
That said, as visible in the screen caps at DVD Beaver, the Criterion has compromised colour too, and often looks too blue/magenta. There is a regraded edition of the BFI Blu-ray out there on the high seas.
The audio on the Blu-ray releases is slightly compressed, but better than earlier DVD releases and relatively full frequency.
The BFI is most likely the best English-friendly release as it includes English subtitles for the bonus features.
Director: Jean Renoir
Director: Jean Renoir
Director: Akira Kurosawa
BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR
Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray
BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.
The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.
Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR
Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray
BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.
The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.
Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.
More Romance on Blu-ray
Director: Steven Shainberg
Director: Steven Shainberg
Director: Rob Reiner
Director: Rob Reiner
Director: Michael Gordon
Director: Michael Gordon
Director: Melville Shavelson
Kino Lorber Blu-ray 6K master from Paramount
Director: Melville Shavelson
Kino Lorber Blu-ray 6K master from Paramount
Director: H. C. Potter
Kino Lorber Blu-ray 2K restoration
Director: H. C. Potter
Kino Lorber Blu-ray 2K restoration
Director: Elliott Nugent
Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a newer 4K restoration than Imprint Blu-ray and significantly better see caps
No information on French Elephant Films Blu-ray
Director: Elliott Nugent
Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a newer 4K restoration than Imprint Blu-ray and significantly better see caps
No information on French Elephant Films Blu-ray
Director: Henry King
Director: Henry King
Director: Sam Wood
Probably Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Probably Kino Lorber Blu-ray
While no comparison is available, this is indeed a new 4K restoration. However it has its problem like not scanned from best surviving prints due to some issues, or technicolor out of alignment but seems to be still better than older releases
Director: Sam Wood
Probably Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Probably Kino Lorber Blu-ray
While no comparison is available, this is indeed a new 4K restoration. However it has its problem like not scanned from best surviving prints due to some issues, or technicolor out of alignment but seems to be still better than older releases
Director: William D. Russell
Kino Lorber Blu-ray 4K restoration from 35mm Original Camera Negative
Director: William D. Russell
Kino Lorber Blu-ray 4K restoration from 35mm Original Camera Negative
Director: Jean Aurel
Director: Jean Aurel
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