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The Gates of Paris (1957)
The Gates of Paris (1957) poster

The Gates of Paris (1957)

Porte des Lilas

Drama, Comedy, Romance, Crime • 1h 46m

Director: René Clair

Best video release

France Tamasa and Japan

1080p Blu-ray

France Tamasa and Japan has 4k restoration in Blu-ray but no EN subs

Updated 1 year ago


About the film

Juju, a drunken oaf who feels the need of being important to someone---anyone---and his friend The Artist are forced at gunpoint to house a fugitive, Pierre Barbier, in Juju's broken-down home. The urge for being needed is such in Juju that he gives up drinking and takes care of Pierre. But one day Juju finds out that Pierre has been making love to his girl Maria...

More from René Clair

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Director: René Clair

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Gaumont France Blu-ray has no EN subtitles

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly & Video:

VCI US or Filmjuwelen Blu-ray

Sources: DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

VCI US or Filmjuwelen Blu-ray are both MP2 encoded, most likely from the same master. Judging from the size and the caps from DVDBeaver or BR for VCI or caps-a-holic for Filmjuwelen, they are probably very similar.

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Included as extras in Pathé Paris qui dort + Entr'acte Blu-ray

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

Director: René Clair

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Pathé Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4k resto. It has both original negative image cut (not tinted) and a first gen tinted cut owned by BFI but not English-friendly

Director: René Clair

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Sources: janusfilms.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Japan has 4k restoration in Blu-ray but no EN subs

Janus acquired the rights so hopefully a Criterion release some day

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly:

Grapevine Blu-ray

Sources: silentfilm.org (opens in a new tab) · janusfilms.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

The latest and best restoration from official screencaps are from Shout! Factory Silent Film Festival + Cinémathèque Française https://silentfilm.org/preservation/the-italian-straw-hat/ which is from Original Camera Negative and original France title negative. Janus seems to have acquired the rights https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2259 The Grapevine Blu-ray (including their updated 2K transfer) or the Flicker Alley DVD might be the ones referred in the above Shout! Factory Silent Film Festival as "US viewers have had to be satisfied with either the alternate version that was released in the United States in 1931, or hybrids that supplement the US version with additional footage"

Director: René Clair

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best Video:

France and Japan

Video Notes:

France and Japan has 4k restoration in Blu-ray but no EN subs

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly:

Cohen Blu-ray

Best Video:

Cohen Blu-ray, 4k scan

Director: René Clair

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best Video:

No home release, BFI has 35mm print

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Pathé France Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Pathé France has 4k restoration in Blu-ray

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Robert Altman

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.

YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.

Director: Roman Polanski

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray

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

Upcoming Release:

UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379

Video Notes:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray > Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray (better encode on Carlotta without any low-pass filtering, more extras and English subtitles on Vinegar Syndrome)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MGM Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

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

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Audio Notes:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.

Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 1 year ago

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