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Yellow Earth (1984)
Yellow Earth (1984) poster

Yellow Earth (1984)

黄土地

Drama, Music, History • 1h 29m

Director: Chen Kaige

Cast: Xue Bai, Wang Xueqi, Tuo Tan, Quiang Liu

Best video release

WCL China Blu-ray is the only Blu-ray available as of Aug 2026

Updated 3 months ago


About the film

A communist soldier is sent to a remote region of China in order to collect folk songs. Staying with a peasant family (a widower with two small children), he discovers a community whose way of life is completely alien to him, but he gradually wins their trust…

TSPDT
2026: #594
2025: #574
2024: #560
2023: #543
2022: #543

More from Chen Kaige

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Director: Chen Kaige

Best Video & English-Friendly:

MGM MoD Blu-ray

Best Audio:

MGM NTSC DVD

Audio Notes:

MGM NTSC DVD includes 5.1, Blu-ray is only stereo

Additional Info:

The Blu-ray has burned-in English subtitles

Director: Chen Kaige

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta 4K

Video Notes:

France Carlotta 4K > Criterion 4K

More from WCL

See more →

Director: Tian Zhuangzhuang

Best Video & English-Friendly:

China WCL Blu-ray

Director: Bu Wan-Cang

Best Video & English-Friendly:

China WCL Blu-ray

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

WCL China Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Coin Germany mire Cinema 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(not English friendly)

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Arrow Blu-ray is the less manipulated track, but according to cbc: "I find it sounds a bit shrill at times, and the 4K Blu-ray is not bad at all, it does lose some high freq detail but I would probably prefer it for watching"

Director: Zhang Yimou

Best English-Friendly:

Most likely WCL China Blu-ray

Best Video:

WCL China Blu-ray

Video Notes:

WCL China Blu-ray probably best transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=19502187&postcount=Crocodile124 over Imprint Collaborations: The Cinema of Zhang Yimou & Gong Li

Director: Yojiro Takita

Best English-Friendly:

WCL China 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WCL China 4K Blu-ray, caps

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

The 4K Blu-ray has slightly neutered dynamics

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray is from a 4K restoration, better detail, compresison is passable, grading is a bit of a mixed bag (might have been a regrade from SDR)

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Richard Rush

4K · Excellent
Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

> Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode on Radiance compared to Duplitech encode on Shout! Factory)

Director: Victor Sjöström

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Flicker Alley Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Blu-ray with a new score composed and performed by Matti Bye

Director: Victor Sjöström

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Blu-ray new 2K restoration

Director: Victor Sjöström

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Blu-ray 

  • New 4K digital restoration of the 1928 theatrical-release version, preserved and digitally restored by the MoMA, with original soundtrack

  • New 2K digital restoration of the 1983 variable-frame-rate version, with a score by Carl Davis

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Superior Imports
Video Notes:

Capelight/Plaion Media Germany 4K Blu-ray > MUBI UK. Good encode and correct colors on the Germany import

Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Philip Kaufman

4K · Excellent
Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is a significant upgrade over previous WB Blu-ray see comparison

Audio Notes:

Criterion for the first time on home video have provided the 70mm 6-track as well as the Dolby stereo which was previously on LaserDisc. Both tracks are unique so included both with the 6-track default. Criterion’s 5.1 remix is lossless compared to the lossy tracks of the previous blu-rays and DVDs.

See comparison

Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Strand Releasing Blu-ray vs New Wave Blu-ray?

Additional Info:

New 4K restoration recently screened at Venice Film Festival https://variety.com/2026/film/news/apichatpong-weerasethakuls-4k-restorations-match-factory-1236843949/

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best Video & English-Friendly:

WB Blu-ray

Additional Info:

New restoration to be shown at TCM Film Fest

Director: Robert De Niro

4K · Solid
Best Video & English-Friendly:

MVD 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

2027 FreeWind Media UK 4K Blu-ray 

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Researched and maintained by

axeyou

· last reviewed 3 months ago

Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.