Silence Is Golden (1947)
Le silence est d'or
Romance, Comedy • 1h 40m
Director: René Clair
Cast: Maurice Chevalier, François Périer, Marcelle Derrien, Dany Robin, Raymond Cordy, Bernard Lajarrige, Paul Ollivier, Christiane Sertilange, Roland Armontel, Paul Demange, Max Dalban, Jean Daurand, Albert Michel, Gaston Modot, Robert Pizani, Bruno Balp, Robert Berri, Jean Berton, Georges Bever, Fernand Blot, Albert Broquin, Marcel Charvey, Maurice Derville, Raymond Destac, Cécile Didier, Pierre Duncan, Paul Faivre, Édouard Francomme, Colette Georges, Fernand Gilbert, Danielle Godet, Harry-Max, Maud Lamy, Charles Lavialle, Jean-Jacques Lécot, Frédéric Mariotti, Simone Michels, Philippe Olive, René Pascal, Léon Pauléon, Jane Pierson, Ribour, Nicole Riche, Georges Sauval, Victor Vina, Yvonne Yma, Eugène Yvernès, Zélie Yzelle
Best English-friendly & video release · updated 1 year ago
Overview
Emile is a French film producer at the beginning of the century. One of his friends leaves his daughter Lucette in his house, when he is starting a tour through France. Emile falls in love with her. Problems starts when his younger friend Jacques come back from military service and after complaining his misfortune with women, follows Emile's advice in starting affairs with women and he meets Lucette.
Director: René Clair
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
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)
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
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
Director: René Clair
Sources: silentfilm.org (opens in a new tab) · janusfilms.com (opens in a new tab)
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
Director: René Clair
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Director: René Clair
Director: Sofia Coppola
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Director: Neil Marshall
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
UK StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray or FR Pathé 4K Blu-ray share the same disc (caps)
The StudioCanal UHD has a much better encode than the Lionsgate UHD with the same grade. The Vuelta UHD has a decent encode but it is in an incorrect color space and has German overlays.
UK disc includes only 5.1.
The 7.1 mix included on the Lionsgate UHD appears to be identical to the 2006 USA BD's LPCM 7.1 track and to be a straight transfer of the theatrical Dolby Digital Surround EX mix (originally matrixed 6.1, with the rear surrounds in the discrete 7.1 presentation being dual mono). The old GER BD has a 6.1 mix but it is a poor remix and the GER UHD has an Auro-3D remix of the 7.1 mix (mostly adjusted surround levels). All other discs offer a 5.1 mix, including the Studio Canal UHD
Director: Jacques Audiard
France Pathé 4K Blu-ray has Dolby Atmos audio
Director: Saul Dibb
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Director: Bruce Beresford
Director: Marcel Carné
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
> Criterion/Second Sight with old transfer heavy DNR https://slow.pics/c/z8p3fR0G
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
More Romance on Blu-ray
Directors: Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell
Imprint 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · filmalert101.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
FiM encode and none of the low-pass filtering present on the Criterion 4K, resulting in more detail and better handling of highlights on Imprint
Review, comparisons
All HD and 4K sources use the same 2009 restoration. Criterion's master (also used by Imprint) is a bit more rolled off, though the difference is minor.
Director: Norman Taurog
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Delbert Mann
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Garson Kanin
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Only Streaming has 1080p
Director: Roman Polanski
Kino Lorber disc has audio pitch errors
Director: Terrence Malick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Lovely underlying remaster by Criterion and Resillion but encode is sadly low-pass filtered by Pixelogic, and even then, the encode is still less than ideal. Still easily obliterates any prior disc release, but certainly wouldn't hurt to have a UK or German label take a crack at this same master.
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