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Number Two (1975)
Number Two (1975) poster

Number Two (1975)

Numéro deux

Drama • 1h 28m

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Cast: Sandrine Battistella, Pierre Oudrey, Alexandre Rignault, Rachel Stefanopoli, Jean-Luc Godard

Best English-friendly release

Updated 1 year ago

Best video release


About the film

Jean-Luc Godard mixes video and film in his Grenoble studio, discussing how he secured funding for the film. The action unfolds on two monitors, as a young working-class couple lives in a claustrophobic, high-rise apartment complex and marital discord is set off by the wife’s infidelity.

TSPDT
2025: #1000
2024: #986
2023: #946
2022: #946

More from Jean-Luc Godard

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Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray/BFI Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion and BFI very similar

Best Audio:

Fox Lorber DVD

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2020 Criterion

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

2020 Criterion > StudioCanal > 2009 Criterion

Best Audio:

2007 StudioCanal DVD

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

4K · Superior Imports
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray/2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

(preference)

Criterion 4K Blu-ray > StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The HDR grading has messed up highlights, so some may prefer the 2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2000 Optimum DVD

Additional Info:

Criterion's subtitles seem to be better than StudioCanal's which omits too much IMO.

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2003 R2 BFI DVD

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber or MUBI Blu-ray

Best Video:

No comparisons

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion, 2k transfer

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray is a flawed master with degrain + regrain and bad encoding, but still better than the old Blu-ray

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

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

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion or France Gaumont Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion and France Gaumont similar

More from Olive Films

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Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Elaine May

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray > MoC > Olive Films. From nicolas:

The master is good but it’s not that big an upgrade from the Olive Films disc and Vinegar Syndrome’ encode has some blocky highlights. A shame that they didn’t hire David Mackenzie here.

Audio Notes:

Cinématographe has unnecessary noise gating not present on the previous releases.

Director: Frank Borzage

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Amazon US HD Streaming

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

Video Notes:

Amazon US HD Streaming is from the 2018 UCLA restoration. Olive Films Blu-ray is from an older scan and quite rough. caps

Best Audio:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Olive Films Blu-ray is again rough, with distortion, crackle and other issues, but sounds much more natural. With some EQ the restored track can be significantly improved

Director: Jean Renoir

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: William A. Seiter

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Max Ophüls

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

2017 Olive Films Signature Blu-ray

Best Video:

The Jokers 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(Jokers 4K Blu-ray has forced France subs)

The Jokers 4K Blu-ray has raised black levels/gamma issue, good when fixed

Best Audio:

1992 Republic Pictures LaserDisc

Director: Don Siegel

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or 2018 Olive Films/BFI or 2012 Olive Films/Italy Sinister Films Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

All three are not ideal.

All three are not ideal.

  • Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has frozen grain, sharpening, lots of debris, and handles lesser materials. The supposed non-Superscope version is false advertising. It merely reveals more picture information. 

Best Audio:

1992 Republic Pictures LaserDisc PCM Mono

Additional Info:

Criterion LaserDisc has exclusive commentary. Olive Films Signature Blu-ray and BFI Blu-ray each have exclusive extras. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has exclusive commentary.

Director: Michael Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films OOP Blu-ray

Director: André de Toth

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Sources: cinema.ucla.edu (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

New UCLA restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Dave Fleischer

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films  Betty Boop: The Essential Collection: Volume 4 Blu-ray

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Robert Altman

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

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

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray

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

Upcoming Release:

UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379

Video Notes:

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: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MGM Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

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

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

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

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Audio Notes:

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.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Director: Compton Bennett

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from original technicolor negatives

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· last reviewed 1 year ago

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