Best Blurays IconBest Blurays
Films
/
Yellow Earth (1984)
Yellow Earth (1984) poster
Letterboxd

3.7

Yellow Earth (1984)

黄土地

Drama, Music, History • 1h 29m

Overview

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…

Director: Chen Kaige

Best Video Release

Format

1080p Blu-ray

TSPDT

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

External Links

Length

89 mins

Type

Movie

Last Updated

2 years ago

Contributors

-

Best Video Release
Format
1080p Blu-ray
TSPDT
2026: #594
2025: #574
2024: #560
2023: #543
2022: #543
Length
89 mins
Type
Movie
Last Updated
2 years ago
Contributors

-

More from Chen Kaige

See more →
Together poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

MGM MoD Blu-ray

Best Video:

MGM MoD Blu-ray

Best Audio:

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

Additional Info:

The Blu-ray has burned-in English subtitles

Together poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

MGM MoD Blu-ray

Best Video:

MGM MoD Blu-ray

Best Audio:

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

Additional Info:

The Blu-ray has burned-in English subtitles

Farewell My Concubine poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta 4K > Criterion 4K

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta 4K > Criterion 4K

More Drama on Blu-ray

Yi Yi poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray is FiM encoded and superior to Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps but the Carlotta release is not English friendly

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray

Additional Info:

A user writes: 'the 5.0 mix does not closely resemble the matrixed stereo track included on all prior releases (save for a 2003 French DVD which had 5.1). There is significant dialogue emphasis in the 5.0 mix while the older stereo mix has ambient sounds and dialogue mixed at nearly the same loudness. Additionally, the 5.0 mix has minor limiting in select loud sequences and a strange distorted quality on occasion (one notable example is the sound of a plane taking off which plays during a static shot of clouds in the sky). The stereo mix included on the FRA UHD/BD is a downmix of the 5.0 track.'

Yi Yi poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray is FiM encoded and superior to Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps but the Carlotta release is not English friendly

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray

Additional Info:

A user writes: 'the 5.0 mix does not closely resemble the matrixed stereo track included on all prior releases (save for a 2003 French DVD which had 5.1). There is significant dialogue emphasis in the 5.0 mix while the older stereo mix has ambient sounds and dialogue mixed at nearly the same loudness. Additionally, the 5.0 mix has minor limiting in select loud sequences and a strange distorted quality on occasion (one notable example is the sound of a plane taking off which plays during a static shot of clouds in the sky). The stereo mix included on the FRA UHD/BD is a downmix of the 5.0 track.'

Pale Rider poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

WB 4K Blu-ray - Dolby Stereo mix

Additional Info:

According to one source: "Best audio is the original dolby stereo that is included on the UHD Blu-ray. It sounds miles better than anything released on DVD, Blu-ray (they sound much more muffled), and when compared to the atmos...However, it's not without its faults, as WB had to spoil and boost it causing clipping, still it's the best audio available for the time being."

Pale Rider poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

WB 4K Blu-ray - Dolby Stereo mix

Additional Info:

According to one source: "Best audio is the original dolby stereo that is included on the UHD Blu-ray. It sounds miles better than anything released on DVD, Blu-ray (they sound much more muffled), and when compared to the atmos...However, it's not without its faults, as WB had to spoil and boost it causing clipping, still it's the best audio available for the time being."

Full Metal Jacket poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1999 WB R1 DVD

Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1999 WB R1 DVD

Spartacus poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Audio:

4K Blu-ray DTS:X mix most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD has additional features not found on the 4K Blu-ray

Spartacus poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Audio:

4K Blu-ray DTS:X mix most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD has additional features not found on the 4K Blu-ray

Lolita poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

WB Blu-ray but waiting for 4k

Lolita poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

WB Blu-ray but waiting for 4k

Killer's Kiss poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Fear and Desire poster
UHD Blu-ray
Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray worse than Blu-ray with poor encoding (review)

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set

Best Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray worse than Blu-ray with poor encoding (review)

Night of the Juggler poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray is superior to Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray, see mfunk9786 review:

Despite being at a considerably tighter bitrate than the Kino, the BD-66 from Radiance /Transmission is the release to own. Looks fantastic (FiM again), grain pattern is crisp, and the repeating scene error isn't on it, either. Really nice packaging that isn't as beefy as a Second Sight LE is another big plus.

Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray is superior to Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray, see mfunk9786 review:

Despite being at a considerably tighter bitrate than the Kino, the BD-66 from Radiance /Transmission is the release to own. Looks fantastic (FiM again), grain pattern is crisp, and the repeating scene error isn't on it, either. Really nice packaging that isn't as beefy as a Second Sight LE is another big plus.

The Stunt Man poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

The Godfather Part III poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

1991 Home Video Cut: Paramount 2008 Blu-ray

Theatrical Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and worse encoding than the Coda cut.

Coda Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and also has slightly better encoding than the Theatrical/1991 Home Video cuts on 4K.

Best Video:

1991 Home Video Cut: Paramount 2008 Blu-ray

Theatrical Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and worse encoding than the Coda cut.

Coda Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and also has slightly better encoding than the Theatrical/1991 Home Video cuts on 4K.

Best Audio:

LaserDisc for original mix

Additional Info:

The Paramount 4K "restoration" is a desecration. It has completely revisionist color timing, harsh HDR, treatment of stock footage, bad encoding, selective DNR and grain management so bad that the entire screen frequently freezes up with only characters moving around in grain soup. It is so bad that the film's restorer Robert Harris publicly washed his hands of it saying essentially the 2007 restoration (with Willis and Coppola supervising) is how the film was intended and made. This is Paramount's modern version done their way. The new 1080p SDR Blu-rays in print are the crap 4K desecration master with the same problems still there just harder to spot and with crap encodes. Part III fares best of the three and these issues are at their most minimal-but they're still there. The new Coda version is given prominence with lesser encodes for the other two versions. The original mix was remixed into 5.1 decades ago and we have yet another version of this instead of the original Dolby Stereo SR as heard on the LaserDisc release.
The 2008 Blu-ray of the 2007 restoration, while an imperfect outdated disc, is LIGHT YEARS better than this 4K desecration. The only truly major issue is that it is very slightly redder than the 2007 finished master as seen on DCPs.
DFIC review of the hideous crap 4K Blu-rays: https://youtu.be/0uw6-Kcy_UA?si=ob1nDg0wTCvemjH0

Despite being restored alongside the Coppola Restorations of The Godfather: Parts I and II, the Part III restoration is not officially labelled a Coppola Restoration.

Best English-Friendly:

1991 Home Video Cut: Paramount 2008 Blu-ray

Theatrical Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and worse encoding than the Coda cut.

Coda Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and also has slightly better encoding than the Theatrical/1991 Home Video cuts on 4K.

Best Video:

1991 Home Video Cut: Paramount 2008 Blu-ray

Theatrical Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and worse encoding than the Coda cut.

Coda Cut: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, but it has problems described below in the additional info section, and also has slightly better encoding than the Theatrical/1991 Home Video cuts on 4K.

Best Audio:

LaserDisc for original mix

Additional Info:

The Paramount 4K "restoration" is a desecration. It has completely revisionist color timing, harsh HDR, treatment of stock footage, bad encoding, selective DNR and grain management so bad that the entire screen frequently freezes up with only characters moving around in grain soup. It is so bad that the film's restorer Robert Harris publicly washed his hands of it saying essentially the 2007 restoration (with Willis and Coppola supervising) is how the film was intended and made. This is Paramount's modern version done their way. The new 1080p SDR Blu-rays in print are the crap 4K desecration master with the same problems still there just harder to spot and with crap encodes. Part III fares best of the three and these issues are at their most minimal-but they're still there. The new Coda version is given prominence with lesser encodes for the other two versions. The original mix was remixed into 5.1 decades ago and we have yet another version of this instead of the original Dolby Stereo SR as heard on the LaserDisc release.
The 2008 Blu-ray of the 2007 restoration, while an imperfect outdated disc, is LIGHT YEARS better than this 4K desecration. The only truly major issue is that it is very slightly redder than the 2007 finished master as seen on DCPs.
DFIC review of the hideous crap 4K Blu-rays: https://youtu.be/0uw6-Kcy_UA?si=ob1nDg0wTCvemjH0

Despite being restored alongside the Coppola Restorations of The Godfather: Parts I and II, the Part III restoration is not officially labelled a Coppola Restoration.

Edit History

No edit history available

Yellow Earth (1984) backdrop

Made with ❤️ 📀 by vanshady