La Tour (1928)
Documentary • 14m
Overview
A poetic documentary tribute to the famous Eiffel tower, built for the 1889 World Fair and intended to have been destroyed 20 years later. A vocal subset of Parisians (among which, one may surmise, Clair would've been counted) insisted the Tower remain above the River Seine, a continued display of French engineering excellence. Clair makes strategic use of double exposures and dissolves, capturing the mechanical exuberance of the Tower; The great swooping steel latticework edifice a bounding symbol of the modern age.
Director: René Clair
VCI US or Filmjuwelen Blu-ray
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.
VCI US or Filmjuwelen Blu-ray
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
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
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
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
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
No home release, BFI has 35mm print
Director: René Clair
No home release, BFI has 35mm print
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: Marcel Carné
New 2016 Pathé France 4K transfer > Criterion/Second Sight with old transfer heavy DNR https://slow.pics/c/z8p3fR0G
Director: Marcel Carné
New 2016 Pathé France 4K transfer > Criterion/Second Sight with old transfer heavy DNR https://slow.pics/c/z8p3fR0G
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: René Clair
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Criterion 4K Blu-ray & Pathé 4K Blu-ray have different gradings (preference). Opening scene on Criterion looks significantly worse, but similar elsewhere.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Criterion 4K Blu-ray & Pathé 4K Blu-ray have different gradings (preference). Opening scene on Criterion looks significantly worse, but similar elsewhere.
More Documentary on Blu-ray
2026 Sony/Columbia 4K Blu-ray
2026 Sony/Columbia 4K Blu-ray
2026 Sony/Columbia 4K Blu-ray
2026 Sony/Columbia 4K Blu-ray
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Directors: Jean Vigo & Boris Kaufman
Directors: Jean Vigo & Boris Kaufman
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray 4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray 4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Martin Scorsese
Director: Martin Scorsese
Directors: Robert Flaherty & Frances H. Flaherty
Directors: Robert Flaherty & Frances H. Flaherty
Director: Arthur Dong
Kino Lorber Arthur Dong Collection Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Arthur Dong Collection Blu-ray
Director: Arthur Dong
Kino Lorber Arthur Dong Collection Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Arthur Dong Collection Blu-ray
Director: Erik Nelson
Director: Erik Nelson
Directors: Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
4K Streaming
The Capelight 4K Blu-ray has both German and English audio, defaulting to the former, but only has German subtitles
Directors: Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
4K Streaming
The Capelight 4K Blu-ray has both German and English audio, defaulting to the former, but only has German subtitles
Edit History
12/25/2025
Best English-Friendly Release
To
Included as extras in Pathé Paris qui dort + Entr'acte Blu-ray
To
Included as extras in Pathé Paris qui dort + Entr'acte Blu-ray
Best Video Release
To
Included as extras in Pathé Paris qui dort + Entr'acte Blu-ray
To
Included as extras in Pathé Paris qui dort + Entr'acte Blu-ray
9/9/2025
Format
From
No Home Media
To
1080p Blu-ray
From
No Home Media
To
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release
From
Institut Français has 35mm print, no home release
From
Institut Français has 35mm print, no home release
3/21/2025
