![Gangs of New York [Blu-ray]](http://cdn.hometheaterforum.com/b/b6/50x50px-ZC-b6177553_B0017APQ1K-61YVrbpGjZL.jpg)
Gangs of New York, a masterful film by Martin Scorsese, was my Best Picture of 2002.
I was thrilled to add the Miramax DVD to my library until I viewed it, and found that, much like their Cold Mountain, it was one of the worst looking standard definition DVDs of a recent important production.
I have not viewed it since.
With knowledge there comes a higher level of home theater software.
And so it was a thrill when Gangs of New York in Blu-ray finally arrived, replacing something that to my eyes was all but unviewable.
Gangs of New York on Blu is something that looks quite different from anything else that I've seen, and I admit to being a bit confused by what my eyes are telling me.
As a Super 35 production, the original prints had a visible layer of beautiful grain, and a full range of color, from black to white with all shades in between. 35mm prints were just gorgeous.
Gangs on Blu has some things in common with its standard definition counterpart.
It appears that there is an attempt to reduce the grain, and then sharpen the resultant image, creating a soft, occasionally disturbingly grainy image fully textured with the sharpening of electronic enhancement, and with high contrast lines around virtually everything.
White fade to nothingness, and there is no apparent shadow detail.
Make no mistake. This is a Blu-ray that yields an image that is fully electronic.
Like Patton, Gangs of New York is the new poster child for precisely what NOT to do with the Blu-ray software system.
An extraordinary film in every way.
I assure you that it gives me no pleasure to report that it is Extremely Highly NOT Recommended.
I would suggest a re-call, starting out fresh with a new piece of film for scanning in order to give Mr. Ballhaus' cinematography another chance.
I am appending to this post, after having taken another look at the disc.
I must believe that there were old and new masters, with something going horribly wrong, and an incorrect and unapproved master being shipped in error.
RAH
I was thrilled to add the Miramax DVD to my library until I viewed it, and found that, much like their Cold Mountain, it was one of the worst looking standard definition DVDs of a recent important production.
I have not viewed it since.
With knowledge there comes a higher level of home theater software.
And so it was a thrill when Gangs of New York in Blu-ray finally arrived, replacing something that to my eyes was all but unviewable.
Gangs of New York on Blu is something that looks quite different from anything else that I've seen, and I admit to being a bit confused by what my eyes are telling me.
As a Super 35 production, the original prints had a visible layer of beautiful grain, and a full range of color, from black to white with all shades in between. 35mm prints were just gorgeous.
Gangs on Blu has some things in common with its standard definition counterpart.
It appears that there is an attempt to reduce the grain, and then sharpen the resultant image, creating a soft, occasionally disturbingly grainy image fully textured with the sharpening of electronic enhancement, and with high contrast lines around virtually everything.
White fade to nothingness, and there is no apparent shadow detail.
Make no mistake. This is a Blu-ray that yields an image that is fully electronic.
Like Patton, Gangs of New York is the new poster child for precisely what NOT to do with the Blu-ray software system.
An extraordinary film in every way.
I assure you that it gives me no pleasure to report that it is Extremely Highly NOT Recommended.
I would suggest a re-call, starting out fresh with a new piece of film for scanning in order to give Mr. Ballhaus' cinematography another chance.
I am appending to this post, after having taken another look at the disc.
I must believe that there were old and new masters, with something going horribly wrong, and an incorrect and unapproved master being shipped in error.
RAH
