About the film
A five-man US fireteam dig in at the Bon Song Valley (represented by the Bavarian forest) to await the end of the Easter truce with the Vietnamese. A Vietnamese girl passes by and the team rape and kill her. One refuses to take part and escapes to report the incident, but it is dismissed by his superior.
Director: Max Ophüls
French version: Criterion Blu-ray
German version: Filmmuseum DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · cinema-scope.com (opens in a new tab) · fredcamper.com (opens in a new tab) · +1 more
French version: 2020 Carlotta Blu-ray
German version: Filmmuseum DVD
French version: Criterion Blu-ray (Carlotta has no English subtitles)
German version: Filmmuseum DVD
Carlotta Films corrects the mistakes of Criterion due to the compression on dark scenes and gives the gorgeous transfer of the restoration a better encode/compression and more bitrate.
The German cut, titled Lola Montez, is considered by Ophüls scholars such as Jonathan Rosenbaum, Dan Sallitt and Tag Gallagher to be superior to the French cut. It has only been reissued on the Filmmuseum DVD.
Sources: thanhouser.org (opens in a new tab) · edition-filmmuseum.com (opens in a new tab) · vimeo.com (opens in a new tab)
Thanhouser or Germany Filmmuseum Screening the Poor 1888-1914 DVD
Directors: Leo McCarey & Fred Guiol
Germany Filmmuseum Max Davidson Comedies DVD
Sources: archive.org (opens in a new tab)
The Internet Archive seems to have the same file as the DVD
Director: G.W. Pabst
Germany Filmmuseum PAL DVD
Sources: edition-filmmuseum.com (opens in a new tab)
Germany Filmmuseum PAL DVD https://www.edition-filmmuseum.com/product_info.php/info/p81_Die-freudlose-Gasse.html
Germany Filmmuseum PAL DVD https://www.edition-filmmuseum.com/product_info.php/info/p81_Die-freudlose-Gasse.html has the most complete version of 151 minutes in its sixth 2020 edition of the DVD.
Although MoMA is also going to show a "2025 restoration" also from Filmmuseum so hopefully a newer home release is going to be soon.
More Drama on Blu-ray
Director: Robert Altman
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.
YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.
Director: Roman Polanski
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379
Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray > Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray (better encode on Carlotta without any low-pass filtering, more extras and English subtitles on Vinegar Syndrome)
Director: John Woo
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.
Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.
Director: Richard Brooks
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Vincent Sherman
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray
1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray
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