- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,428
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Sidney Lumet's 1962 production of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night is terrific cinema, as adapted from the stage.
It was beautifully photographed in black & white by the great Boris Kaufman, who early in his career had worked with French luminaries such as Jean Vigo, Abel Gance.
There's incredible history here. Born in Poland, he moved to Russia with his family in 1914. The cinema was obviously a family thing.
His two brothers were Mikhail Kaufman, who photographed Man with a Movie Camera, and Denis, better known as Dziga Vertov.
After WWII, he emigrated to Canada, and began a new life working for documentarian John Grierson, with the NFBC.
Apparently unable to shoot features in the US, because of guild ethics, he worked in the documentary arena until being selected by Elia Kazan to shoot On the Waterfront.
I find the need to mention this, as his work on Long Day's Journey looked far different in the cinema than it does on this Blu-ray, which is very okay.
Created from what appears to be a decent film element, the imagery simply lacks any real depth of image. While we have decent blacks, grays, etc, I find the image lifeless.
A huge pity.
Considering how easily it could have been translated to Blu-ray with all of its textures intact.
One more from Olive, which while having access to great product, never seems ready, willing or able to deliver the goods full on. I'd love to see them go back and complete the necessary work on The Quiet Man, their work on which is technically incomplete, yielding a second class product of a first class production.
I'd love to see the Olive licensed product in the hands of a more knowledgeable and committed purveyor of Blu-ray goods. Alternatively, possibly they could release fewer films, but raise their quality.
Image - 3
Audio - 4.5
RAH
It was beautifully photographed in black & white by the great Boris Kaufman, who early in his career had worked with French luminaries such as Jean Vigo, Abel Gance.
There's incredible history here. Born in Poland, he moved to Russia with his family in 1914. The cinema was obviously a family thing.
His two brothers were Mikhail Kaufman, who photographed Man with a Movie Camera, and Denis, better known as Dziga Vertov.
After WWII, he emigrated to Canada, and began a new life working for documentarian John Grierson, with the NFBC.
Apparently unable to shoot features in the US, because of guild ethics, he worked in the documentary arena until being selected by Elia Kazan to shoot On the Waterfront.
I find the need to mention this, as his work on Long Day's Journey looked far different in the cinema than it does on this Blu-ray, which is very okay.
Created from what appears to be a decent film element, the imagery simply lacks any real depth of image. While we have decent blacks, grays, etc, I find the image lifeless.
A huge pity.
Considering how easily it could have been translated to Blu-ray with all of its textures intact.
One more from Olive, which while having access to great product, never seems ready, willing or able to deliver the goods full on. I'd love to see them go back and complete the necessary work on The Quiet Man, their work on which is technically incomplete, yielding a second class product of a first class production.
I'd love to see the Olive licensed product in the hands of a more knowledgeable and committed purveyor of Blu-ray goods. Alternatively, possibly they could release fewer films, but raise their quality.
Image - 3
Audio - 4.5
RAH
