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Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)
Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932) poster

Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)

Boudu sauvé des eaux

Comedy • 1h 27m

Director: Jean Renoir

Cast: Michel Simon, Marcelle Hainia, Sévérine Lerczinska, Jean Gehret, Max Dalban, Jean Dasté, Charles Granval, Geneviève Cadix, Jacques Becker, Georges D'Arnoux, Régine Lutèce, Jane Pierson

Best video release

1080p Blu-ray
Video notes:

UK has Blu-ray

Updated 1 year ago


About the film

Michel Simon gives one of the most memorable performances in screen history as Boudu, a Parisian tramp who takes a suicidal plunge into the Seine and is rescued by a well-to-do bookseller, Edouard Lestingois. The Lestingois family decides to take in the irrepressible bum, and he shows his gratitude by shaking the household to its foundations. With Boudu Saved from Drowning, legendary director Jean Renoir takes advantage of a host of Parisian locations and the anarchic charms of his lead actor to create an effervescent satire of the bourgeoisie.

TSPDT
2026: #642
2025: #627
2024: #615
2023: #600
2022: #600

More from Jean Renoir

See more →

Director: Jean Renoir

Best Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Jean Renoir

Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray (flawed restoration)

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Best Video & Audio:

BFI or Gaumont Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(both from the same flawed restoration)

Additional Info:

The BFI and Gaumont Blu-ray releases are both from the same restoration by Éclair. Although this restoration is much superior in detail to the old Criterion DVD, like many Éclair restorations, it has issues with colour. There is a definite yellow cast to the footage, making skin tones appear sickly and dampening the impact of the colour. The image is also murkier than the Criterion. 

As Renoir scholar Tag Gallagher notes: "I talked a lot toward the end about the light blue walls (Criterion); but when I got the BFI blu I was greatly deflated, because the walls are light gray!"

That said, as visible in the screen caps at DVD Beaver, the Criterion has compromised colour too, and often looks too blue/magenta. There is a regraded edition of the BFI Blu-ray out there on the high seas.

The audio on the Blu-ray releases is slightly compressed, but better than earlier DVD releases and relatively full frequency.

The BFI is most likely the best English-friendly release as it includes English subtitles for the bonus features.

Director: Jean Renoir

Best Video:

2023 BFI Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2005 StudioCanal DVD

Audio Notes:

2005 StudioCanal DVD > Criterion

Additional Info:

The 2023 BFI Blu-ray and Criterion Blu-ray are similar, from the same restoration.

The audio on the 2005 StudioCanal DVD is still the best version of the audio.

Director: Jean Renoir

4K · Excellent

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

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.

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray has the least tampered with audio of the DVD era, but it's possible the 1993 Criterion LaserDisc or the 1998 Japan LaserDisc are preferable.

Director: Jean Renoir

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion 4k transfer

Best Audio:

France M6 Video Blu-ray

Director: Jean Renoir

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Director: Jean Renoir

Director: Jean Renoir

Best Video:

2021 StudioCanal Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

2021 StudioCanal Blu-ray has better encode and gamma levels compared to older StudioCanal Blu-ray caps

Director: Jean Renoir

Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal Blu-ray

Best Video:

StudioCanal 4k transfer

Director: Jean Renoir

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion DVD

Best Video:

StudioCanal France and Spain

Video Notes:

StudioCanal France and Spain have BDs

More Comedy on Blu-ray

Director: Mike Nichols

4K · Solid

Director: Mike Cheslik

Best Video & Audio:

UK Blu-ray

Video Notes:

> US Blu-ray

Director: Hal Ashby

4K · Excellent

Director: Tom Holland

4K · Excellent
Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Eureka Blu-ray's stereo or LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

sounds better than the Sony 4K Blu-ray , https://slow.pics/c/pJfES0fl

Additional Info:

Twilight Time has an isolated score

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Frank Oz

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jack Conway

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

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· last reviewed 1 year ago

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