Magnificent 'Seven'
Filed under: Classics, Foreign Language, Newsstand, Home Entertainment, Cinematical Indie
If you thought that DVD's effect on film preservation and restoration was minimal -- or only for hard-core film nerds -- think again: CNN.com is running an excellent piece (including before-and-after comparisons of individual frames) about the restoration of Criterion's new Seven Samurai DVD that does a great job of articulating the challenges of repairing a classic -- without completely altering it, or falling into the abyss where the perfect becomes the enemy of the good. Criterion Technical director Lee Kline is quoted as saying "For the most part, you wish you had a few more weeks ... people are used to pristine. But if we did that, we'd never get it out." Has DVD made people expect perfection? And can you make an older film 'perfect' without losing its soul? I for one love the Criterion Samurai, right down to the flaws and scratches that remain -- but are there film fans out there who, in this bit-heavy, high-def day and age, would turn off a film that offered anything less than perfect image quality, regardless of how great the story is?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-24-2006 @ 12:37PM
zymman said...
That's the thing I just don't get about high def and it's connection to movies. Watching a film in high def is great, but it really isn't neccessary. The story of the film will ultimately come through as long as you are watching it in a format that shows you the movie unbroken (e.g. not some of those poorly bootlegged flicks). Video games are the medium that stand to gain the most from high definintion video as many times the difference between clarity could mean the difference between find the important piece of a puzzle or lining up that perfect shot. Movies are not in need of a clarity upgrade.
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9-24-2006 @ 1:01PM
jmg said...
Good point there... and I agree... I LUV HD. I truly do... but where do I NOTICE this the most?
I am not a gamer and can only imagine the ENDLESS possibilities... but SPORTS!!!
Football, baseball, basketball... SOCCER... omg that's just a visual delight to feast on...
but movies?
Depends... but I want movies with a PLOT, character development, AND IRONY or new twist... and well HD won't get it there... if it never had it...
**ok, my guilty pleasure would be some geeky sci-fi or acrobatic asian action film... lol
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9-25-2006 @ 12:30AM
SJ said...
Movies are good enough to watch at DVD resolution (720 X 480), but when you are watching movies through projectors or 50" TV screens it helps to watch them in hi-def. Film has always had a hi-def resolution (even more than 1920 X 1080) and that has helped movies in being shown in theaters.
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