New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Papillon Blu-ray

post #1 of 39
5/16/11 at 11:22pm
Thread Starter 

265x265px-LS-f5896218_B004KWVDWI-51uf7Og0IeL.jpg

 

Papillon
Release Date: May 24, 2011
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Single-disc "Digi-Book"
Year: 1973
Rating: PG
Running Time: 2:30:47
MSRP: $34.99
 

  THE FEATURE SPECIAL FEATURES
Video 1080p high definition 2.40:1 Standard definition
Audio DTS-HD Master Audio: English 5.1 Stereo
Subtitles English SDH, Spanish, French None

 

The Feature: 5/5

The penal colony of Devil's Island in French Guiana is notorious for being hell on earth. If disease and the environment don't kill a man, the endless years of imprisonment will surely break his spirit. Sent there to atone for a murder he claims he didn't commit, Papillon (Steve McQueen) can think of nothing else but escape from the moment he's sentenced. And it's on the voyage out to his new home that he takes his first hopeful steps toward freedom, by striking a deal with a timid forger named Dega (Dustin Hoffman) who needs protection from the other prisoners looking for a piece of his wealth. In exchange for Papillon's muscle, Dega agrees to fund his escape plans, though it quickly becomes clear the island and its administrators will not allow such a thing to happen soon or easily. But it's ultimately a critical choice between his own well being and that of his new friend's that will alter Papillon's plans, though no setback - regardless of how serious - will ever change his singular desire for freedom.

"Papillon's" promotional materials make a clever reference to McQueen's filmography by describing the movie as "the greatest escape." Indeed, the story of the single-minded penal colony inmate, nicknamed for the butterfly on his chest, is structurally one long escape plot. But where some films might have focused on the procedural side of such an endeavor, as a sort of reverse heist movie, Screenwriters Henri Charriere and Dalton Trumbo and Director Franklin J. Schaffner instead use the opportunity to explore the bonds of friendship, the limits of the human will to live, and the undying need for freedom. McQueen bolsters the effort with his uncompromising performance, which feels stripped down and guileless compared to his other roles in more iconic films. By comparison Hoffman has noticeably less screen time, but he turns in a touching performance as the foil to McQueen's driven alpha male. Thanks to such stellar performances and a script with humanistic depth, "Papillon" endures and resonates in a way no simple "escape film" ever could.
 

Video Quality: 4.5/5

The film is accurately framed at 2.40:1 and presented in 1080p with the AVC codec. The picture quality is on the whole impressive. Areas some may cite as problematic come down to characteristics of the source material or production choices (e.g. the blurriness in early scenes seems to be a product of the optics not a result of any mishaps with the transfer). Thinking about the film's various scenes, I am most struck by the depth of color in moments involving azure ocean waves, lush green jungles, and of course the baby blues of McQueen himself. Black levels and contrast show good depth and range - though they can be a little limited in the darkest of scenes - and fine detail holds up in both close ups or panoramic vistas. In one particular scene the tangle of thousands of dead tree branches is so crisp it feels like you'd cut yourself touching them (and with nary a sign of digital sharpening artifacts like edge haloing). There are a few instances of scratches or dirt, but overall the picture is clean and devoid of distractions.


Audio Quality: 4/5
Dialogue in the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is consistently clear and intelligible. Surrounds offer some light support for the score and the occasional directional and atmospheric effect, but on the whole it's front-loaded mix that also has a reasonably wide and balanced sound stage. LFE is nowhere to be heard, but the track exhibits good depth and fullness, usually thanks to elements in the orchestral score, but also from ocean waves breaking on the rocky shores of Devil's Island.


Special Features: 2/5

Extras on-disc are meager, but the collectible book includes some information that would normally be covered through featurettes and commentaries. Though the quantity and quality of extras is consistent with past DVD releases, it would have been nice to see a retrospective interview or more archival materials included for its appearance on Blu-ray.

 

The Magnificent Rebel (12:16, SD) is an archival behind-the-scenes during filming, and includes author Henri Charriere describing the experiences that lead to writing the novel.

Original Theatrical Trailer (3:52, SD)

Collectible Book integrated into the packaging includes production stills, cast and crew biographies, trivia, and an essay about the film.
 

Recap

The Feature: 5/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 2/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4.5/5

 

Warner Home Video turns in a stellar presentation of a film that in the final estimation is more about the thirst for freedom than the struggles of imprisonment. The special features don't include anything more than what's been offered on past releases, which is ultimately a disappointment. Nevertheless, the quality of the presentation makes up for any shortcomings in the extras, and is recommended for those purchasing the title for the first time or those looking to upgrade from the now 10-year old DVD release.

Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Papillon [Blu-ray Book]
post #2 of 39
5/17/11 at 4:20am

One of my favorite films.

 

Happy to see that Warner accomplished the task

of putting a satisfying transfer in this package.

 

Will be purchasing this.

 

 

 

Visit our 240DVD, 240BLU-RAY and 2403D REVIEW ARCHIVES

Reply
post #3 of 39
5/17/11 at 4:37am

Thanks for the review, Cameron. I am glad to read that Warner's put out a quality transfer of this fine film. I will be picking this up once the price comes down.

Reply
post #4 of 39
5/17/11 at 4:48am

Awesome movie indeed

 

Hoffman & McQueen at their very best

Reply
post #5 of 39
5/17/11 at 4:49am

Scott,

 

Yeah, that $26 pricetag is annoyingly high. I will

probably wait for a price drop as well.

 

 

 

Visit our 240DVD, 240BLU-RAY and 2403D REVIEW ARCHIVES

Reply
post #6 of 39
5/17/11 at 5:58am

Great review - thanks Cameron. First day purchase for me. I don't feel too disappointed in the lack of extras - there's a fairly comprehensive doc on Steve McQueen on the Bullitt disc.

Reply
post #7 of 39
5/17/11 at 9:09am

Glad to read the review.  I picked this up early on Ebay for 14 bucks, and will be watching it this weekend.   A great movie.

Reply
post #8 of 39
5/17/11 at 6:48pm

Thanks for the review. A definite purchase.

Reply
post #9 of 39
5/19/11 at 4:21pm

What is up with the MSRP on this title??? No buy until a price drop for me, even though it's a favorite.

Reply
post #10 of 39
5/19/11 at 4:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinescott View Post

What is up with the MSRP on this title??? No buy until a price drop for me, even though it's a favorite.


It's slightly less than the price of a Criterion title. But it's true that Criterion titles have more extras...

 

Reply
post #11 of 39
5/19/11 at 4:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinescott View Post

What is up with the MSRP on this title??? No buy until a price drop for me, even though it's a favorite.


It's a Blu-ry book release which is why it costs more than say The Cincinnati Kid which isn't a Blu-book release and is about $15 cheaper.  Yes, it's a money-making strategy by the studios like their Anniversary editions.  Hopefully, you'll be able to buy this on sale or they release a non-BRB edition in the coming months.

Reply
post #12 of 39
5/20/11 at 7:33am

I have gotten to the point in this format that I will

not pay more than $20 for a catalog Blu-ray release.

 

I am confident we will see a price drop on Papillon

in the next few months (I have it tagged on camelcamelcamel).

 

Very much looking forward to owning this.

 

 

Visit our 240DVD, 240BLU-RAY and 2403D REVIEW ARCHIVES

Reply
post #13 of 39
5/20/11 at 7:47am

It seems Warner has dropped "filmed extras" in favor of liner notes and glossy photos - not the end of the world but the price is a bit steep.


Edited by elDomenechHTF - 5/20/11 at 8:49am
Reply
post #14 of 39
5/20/11 at 10:37am

I'm not a big fan of the Digibook marketing strategy either. For certain titles (which are top tier & have undergone serious work to make them presentable) such as Zhivago, North by Northwest & A Star is Born, this seems justified, but when they start producing Digibooks for titles like this one, Outlaw Josey Wales, Falling Down, Clash of the Titans, etc; then it starts to appear as if they're just trying to gouge by charging $34.95 for something that should sale for a fraction of this. A catalog title like Papillon & Falling down should carry a $19.95 msrp - just like Lolita & Barry Lyndon, imho. The fact that Warner continues to follow this digibook strategy tells me that Blu-ray catalog sales/profits must not be very satisfactory for them at this stage.

Reply
post #15 of 39
5/21/11 at 5:07am

I do think the digibook strategy is just a marketing ploy. $34.99 MSRP ($26 to $30 on the street) for a catalog title? Great movie, but c'mon. That's a bit steep and hard to justify. I also would pay $20 and will likely do so in the future, but a glossy production note booklet and a cardboard cover are not worth an additional $10 to me.

 

The studio will likely have lackluster sales on Papillon until the price comes down. Hard core fans will buy, but that's not the meat of the business. This reminds me of the first days of Blu-ray, when virtually every title was $10 more than its DVD equivalent. Thankfully, that's not the case today.

Reply
post #16 of 39
5/21/11 at 5:52am

I don't like it that much either, but 34.99 is not that bad compared to the $79 msrp for Citizen Kane. $79 is truly strange, I think, esp. for a film where they don't even have the negative.

 

I like lower prices like the next guy or gal, but I think if we want top quality releases sometimes we need to pay about $20 or sometimes a little bit more. But I agree that for that it should be fully restored, and that there should be great extras like you get with Criterion.

Reply
post #17 of 39
5/21/11 at 3:36pm

This is an old favorite of mine too. I have the DVD, but the BD sounds so good PQ-wise (about time) that it's a must-buy.

 

I've noticed that MSRPs seem to be getting ridiculously high lately for lots of titles. Makes the real selling price look like a better deal I guess. If anything, regardless of inflated MSRPs, BDs in general are selling for less than ever. Most titles that I upgrade to BD cost less than the DVD did way back. Often waaaay less...

Reply
post #18 of 39
5/21/11 at 9:25pm

Just watched this.  There was a bit of haloing evident in some of the early scenes, but overall I was very pleased.  I was especially struck by the richness of the black levels and the vividness of the colors.  So happy to have this.

Reply
post #19 of 39
5/23/11 at 11:56am

From all accounts, this does appear to be a really good Blu-ray. It's just hard to justify a cost of over $20 personally. It is a catalog title, so the $35 seems a bit out-of-line. Citizen Kane at $75 is even worse, but at least that film is regarded by many as the best ever made. Papillon's a classic for sure, but CK is in a league of its own.

 

Not a problem; I can wait for the pricing to go down or grab a used copy on Ebay. There are some titles where I am willing to do that instead of breaking the budget.

Reply
post #20 of 39
5/23/11 at 3:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinescott View Post

From all accounts, this does appear to be a really good Blu-ray. It's just hard to justify a cost of over $20 personally. It is a catalog title, so the $35 seems a bit out-of-line. Citizen Kane at $75 is even worse, but at least that film is regarded by many as the best ever made. Papillon's a classic for sure, but CK is in a league of its own.

 

Not a problem; I can wait for the pricing to go down or grab a used copy on Ebay. There are some titles where I am willing to do that instead of breaking the budget.


I guess we'll just have to get in the habit of waiting for non-digibook versions of catalog titles. I'm also interested in getting The Man who would be King, and lo and behold, its also been given the digibook treatment as well. I really don't think these deluxe packages will help spur consumers to purchase catalog titles at premium prices.

 

Reply
post #21 of 39
5/23/11 at 3:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReggieW View Post




I guess we'll just have to get in the habit of waiting for non-digibook versions of catalog titles. I'm also interested in getting The Man who would be King, and lo and behold, its also been given the digibook treatment as well. I really don't think these deluxe packages will help spur consumers to purchase catalog titles at premium prices.

 


I totally agree. I'd consider myself a pretty hard-core fan of Papillon and even I can't see spending that much for a digibook. If I feel that way, how does the impulse buyer feel when it's $34.99 at Best Buy? It'd have to be a 3-disc special edition with all-new HD content and an absolutely perfect all-new transfer. The price has to absolutely kill sales for a title like this.

 

Reply
post #22 of 39
5/24/11 at 11:23am

The price range on this title is $24-30 in NYC-area stores. I don't even know if Best Buy is carrying it, Amazon has it for $26. I like to buy in-store whenever possible (I hate waiting for the Post Office) but it looks like I'm going to have to wait for a price-drop online or get it used. There's no rush, right?

Reply
post #23 of 39
5/24/11 at 4:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luisito34 View Post

The price range on this title is $24-30 in NYC-area stores. I don't even know if Best Buy is carrying it, Amazon has it for $26. I like to buy in-store whenever possible (I hate waiting for the Post Office) but it looks like I'm going to have to wait for a price-drop online or get it used. There's no rush, right?



Fortunately, I was able to purchase this title for a lot cheaper from the Warner's site.

 

Reply
post #24 of 39
6/2/11 at 2:02pm

I caved and bought this one online today for about $25. More than I normally spend, but I have a weakness when it comes to this movie.

Reply
post #25 of 39
6/4/11 at 11:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinescott View Post

I caved and bought this one online today for about $25. More than I normally spend, but I have a weakness when it comes to this movie.



I'm about to follow your lead.  :)

Reply
post #26 of 39
6/6/11 at 2:27pm

I've watched a good portion of this Blu-ray and I'm impressed. The price is too high, but this is a great transfer. Warner is doing a very good job with its catalog titles. I've always been a huge fan of Papillon for the way in which director Franklin Schaffner (of Planet of the Apes and Patton fame) tells the story. This is a prison movie in the same vein as The Shawshank Redemption in which a prisoner (Steve McQueen) is falsely imprisoned and forced to serve years of incarceration in the jungle of French Guyana.

 

Papillon's a very long movie (over 2.5 hours), but that's OK, because I happen to be a fan of very long movies when the subject matter is appropriate. If anything is appropriate IMO, it would be to communicate the effects on the mind of years of imprisonment including torture and solitary confinement. Although the basic structure of the story is escape, this is not an escape movie; this is a movie about survival, perseverance, and human bonding. Steve McQueen really impresses me in Papillon and amazingly it is the only movie I have ever seen him in. I'll have to change that in the future. Dustin Hoffman is the other major character and he does a fine job.

 

With the Blu-ray, I am convinced the softness is the opening portion is from the master. There are parts of the screen that go a bit in and out of focus and just don't make any sense if one tries to explain it through DNR or anything else done by Warner. It's probably an optical issue, because shortly after the credits are over, everything becomes very, very clear. Blu-ray's just given us all the ability to see this movie the way it really is. that's fine with me, because it looks pretty amazing. The red and white striped prison uniforms that have given every video version of this movie problems in the past are right on. Beads of sweat glisten and sparkle. The tropical foliage is sharp, green, and lush. The color palette is pretty bland for about two-thirds of the movie, but keep in mind it takes place in a prison. It's not a hotel with paintings and wallpaper on the walls.

 

Audiences likely would not have the patience for a movie like this today and that's too bad. This is a film where the viewer can watch a story being told without needing to rush from one sequence to another at breakneck speed. The performances are often non-verbal and found in body posture and makeup. The score too is simply beautiful. Very memorable.

 

I seem to have an attraction for stories about people that go through incredible suffering and survive. Maybe I'd like to believe I have some of the same qualities myself, although I hope I am never tested like this. 

Reply
post #27 of 39
6/6/11 at 6:29pm

If you'd like to see Steve McQueen in another thoughtful epic on blu-ray, try The Sand Pebbles. It's directed by Robert Wise, and also stars Candice Bergin and Richard Attenborough. It's not exactly a "feel good" film, but it's one of the most thoughtful epics about war and colonialism I've ever seen. The pq on it is mostly very good.

Reply
post #28 of 39
6/13/11 at 8:36am

This is why I love this hobby so much. I had barely heard of "The Sand Pebbles," but after Ben's recommendation and reading the film and Blu-ray reviews, I have bought it this very morning sight unseen. It's definitely the kind of movie I like. Thanks Ben and to others for recommending great films.

Reply
post #29 of 39
6/13/11 at 9:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinescott View Post

This is why I love this hobby so much. I had barely heard of "The Sand Pebbles," but after Ben's recommendation and reading the film and Blu-ray reviews, I have bought it this very morning sight unseen. It's definitely the kind of movie I like. Thanks Ben and to others for recommending great films.


Hope you like it. Please give us a little review once you've had a chance to watch it....

 

Reply
post #30 of 39
6/17/11 at 5:04am

Saw "The Sand Pebbles" for the first time last night. Great movie! Steve McQueen should have won an Oscar for this role. 

 

For those who haven't seen it, McQueen plays a boat mechanic on board the San Pablo (nicknamed Sand Pebble) in China circa 1926. The 20s are a tumultuous time in China and the crew of the San Pablo must do everything it can to stay out of political trouble. The Chinese want all Americans out and the Americans are not ready to leave. This understandably creates some problems, especially when a sailor (Richard Attenborough), falls in love and marries a Chinese American woman (no spoilers). There are tremendous performances all around including McQueen, Attenborough, Richard Krenna, and Candice Bergen. Directed on-location in Taiwan by Robert Wise, TSP was obviously a very expensive production, with accurate locations and 1,000s of extras. Gerry Goldsmith does a very memorable score as well.

 

Regarding the Blu-ray, the transfer is first-rate. A high level of detail and depth are present. Not much grain, but not many signs of DNR to me either. It's just a very pleasing image with great color and beautiful vistas of the Far East. This is a long movie (3 hours) with an intermission, but worth the effort. There is also a good assortment of extras, including an isolated score (yes!), and a commentary by Robert Wise, Richard Krenna, and Candice Bergen. I'm looking forward to that one.  

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Official HTF Blu-ray Reviews

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Papillon [Blu-ray Book]