Le Samouraï (1967)
Crime, Thriller, Drama • 1h 41m
Overview
After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts, finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armor of fedora and trench coat can protect him.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Cathy Rosier, Michel Boisrond, Catherine Jourdan, Jean-Pierre Posier, Robert Favart, Jacques Leroy, Roger Fradet, Carlo Nell, Robert Rondo, André Salgues, André Thorent, Jacques Deschamps, Georges Casati, Jacques Léonard, Pierre Vaudier, Maurice Magalon, Gaston Meunier, Jean Gold, Georges Billy, Ari Aricardi, Guy Bonnafoux, Humberto Catalano, Carl Lechner, Maria Maneva
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Arrow includes the original theatrical sound mix in all its glory. All previous releases other than the 1996 AC-3 LaserDisc were tamed relative to the original theatrical DTS track.
The disc is authored by Duplitech, but doesn't exhibit any compression issues, though the image is pretty soft, that's likely just down to the stock used.
Old New Line Video LaserDiscs include an exclusive commentary track.
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Arrow includes the original theatrical sound mix in all its glory. All previous releases other than the 1996 AC-3 LaserDisc were tamed relative to the original theatrical DTS track.
The disc is authored by Duplitech, but doesn't exhibit any compression issues, though the image is pretty soft, that's likely just down to the stock used.
Old New Line Video LaserDiscs include an exclusive commentary track.
Director: John McTiernan
Director: John McTiernan
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Directors: Jean Vigo & Boris Kaufman
Directors: Jean Vigo & Boris Kaufman
Director: Danny Boyle
Criterion 2026 4K Blu-ray (UPC 715515334617)
Criterion 2026 4K Blu-ray (UPC 715515334617) > Criterion 2024 4K Blu-ray > Film4 4K Blu-ray
5.1: Universal EU Blu-ray - Criterion and Lionsgate are missing LFE, otherwise the same
Stereo: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Film4 4K Blu-ray is on a BD-66, both Criterion releases are on BD-100 discs.
Criterion 2024 release bitrate: 94.67 mbps
Criterion 2026 release bitrate: 93.66 mbps
Film4 bitrate: 62.00 mbps
Director: Danny Boyle
Criterion 2026 4K Blu-ray (UPC 715515334617)
Criterion 2026 4K Blu-ray (UPC 715515334617) > Criterion 2024 4K Blu-ray > Film4 4K Blu-ray
5.1: Universal EU Blu-ray - Criterion and Lionsgate are missing LFE, otherwise the same
Stereo: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Film4 4K Blu-ray is on a BD-66, both Criterion releases are on BD-100 discs.
Criterion 2024 release bitrate: 94.67 mbps
Criterion 2026 release bitrate: 93.66 mbps
Film4 bitrate: 62.00 mbps
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Like previous releases, the 4K Blu-ray was scanned from an interpositive rather than the original camera negative at Paul Thomas Anderson’s request which may explain the softness.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Like previous releases, the 4K Blu-ray was scanned from an interpositive rather than the original camera negative at Paul Thomas Anderson’s request which may explain the softness.
Director: Michael Mann
Arrow 4K Blu-ray is encoded by FiM encode is better than Criterion, see caps https://slow.pics/c/Z2RRQAAT
Criterion 4K Blu-ray vs Blu-ray: caps colors are more different and nuanced than anticipated even in the SDR-converted caps and the usual gain in highlight detail is also apparent. Encode looks excellent except for the brightest areas as usual.
Arrow/Criterion 4K Blu-ray. Only imperceptible differences in bit-depth: 20 vs 24.
Arrow and Criterion 4K Blu-rays have differing extras, Arrow LE has Theatrical cut Blu-ray from older HD master, most likely from a 2K scan of an interpositive.
Director: Michael Mann
Arrow 4K Blu-ray is encoded by FiM encode is better than Criterion, see caps https://slow.pics/c/Z2RRQAAT
Criterion 4K Blu-ray vs Blu-ray: caps colors are more different and nuanced than anticipated even in the SDR-converted caps and the usual gain in highlight detail is also apparent. Encode looks excellent except for the brightest areas as usual.
Arrow/Criterion 4K Blu-ray. Only imperceptible differences in bit-depth: 20 vs 24.
Arrow and Criterion 4K Blu-rays have differing extras, Arrow LE has Theatrical cut Blu-ray from older HD master, most likely from a 2K scan of an interpositive.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
2007 Criterion DVD/2011 StudioCanal Blu-ray. 2017 StudioCanal Blu-ray might(?) be the same.
2007 Criterion DVD/2011 StudioCanal Blu-ray. 2017 StudioCanal Blu-ray might(?) be the same.
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: David Lynch
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
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: David Lynch
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
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: David Lynch
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
Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL
Director: David Lynch
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
Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Edit History
12/15/2024
Best Video Release
From
CC UHD vs Pathe UHD
To
Criterion 4K Blu-ray & Pathé 4K Blu-ray have different gradings (preference). Opening scene on Criterion looks significantly worse, but similar elsewhere.
From
CC UHD vs Pathe UHD
To
Criterion 4K Blu-ray & Pathé 4K Blu-ray have different gradings (preference). Opening scene on Criterion looks significantly worse, but similar elsewhere.
