A Few Words About A few words about...™ Yentl -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Who'd have thunk it?

A 40 year-old Barbra Streisand, taking the reins of her first directorial effort, playing the role of a boy less than half her age?

Squint just a bit, and it's believable.

​Virtually everything else about this film is firing on all sixteen cylinders. A wonderful score, beautiful cinematography by David Watkin, and a superb supporting cast.

Twilight Time's new Blu-ray has an aspect ratio set at 1.66, which was apparently correct, although odd, as theaters couldn't easily run that ratio c. 1983.

View the Yentl Blu-ray in projection, and you may get the feeling that there are image harvest problems, as the image has a soft, almost velvety appearance. Look past the image, and you'll find the grain structure, indicating that MGM's transfer is all there.

Color, especially for outdoor sequences, takes on a wonderfully sunlit appearance, while blacks, and shadow details look just fine.

The disc allows viewers the decision to run the film in either the original theatrical cut, or the "director's extended cut," adding about four minutes of former deletions.

​Also, along for the ride, are a great selection of extras, the majority of which have been previously available. I appreciate it when one is permitted to excess a DVD and not be forced to shelve it for extras not on a Blu-ray.

This one's a keeper.

Image - 4.5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH

I didn't realize Streisands age at all when watching the film. Funny I didn't think of it but it was my first time watching the film and while I never bought her as a boy somehow the film works which gives the dynamic between her character and Mandy Patinkins. The film is really good looks great and that final shot! It looks amazing and that wasn't CGI and the camera keeps pulling back further than I expected the ocean water looked amazing.

RAH,

Did you notice any of the following issues regarding this BD?

There has been at least one complaint about digital sharpening throughout the video presentation causing halos and a video look versus a film look. Also, would such issues be more or less prevalent depending on the technology and screen size of your display?

Robert Crawford said:

RAH,

Did you notice any of the following issues regarding this BD?

There has been at least one complaint about digital sharpening throughout the video presentation causing halos and a video look versus a film look. Also, would such issues be more or less prevalent depending on the technology and screen size of your display?

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I did not, but I sampled. Probably viewed about twenty minutes at various spots. Was trying to figure out age of transfer, but nothing stood out. Appeared fine. Will take another peek when I can find a few moments.

RAH

Robert Harris said:

I did not, but I sampled. Probably viewed about twenty minutes at various spots. Was trying to figure out age of transfer, but nothing stood out. Appeared fine. Will take another peek when I can find a few moments.

RAH

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Thank you.

I see nothing like that in the available screencaps. Grain appears to be present, fine and consistent. Not just film like, but very much so. Doesn't look old to me, which isn't surprising since the DVD only came out in 2009.

Robert Crawford said:

RAH,

Did you notice any of the following issues regarding this BD?

There has been at least one complaint about digital sharpening throughout the video presentation causing halos and a video look versus a film look. Also, would such issues be more or less prevalent depending on the technology and screen size of your display?

Click to expand...

I rechecked, and noted some very light sharpening, possibly from the scanner, although possibly added. I had to search for it, and therefore don't see it as a problem. Inasmuch as there's something there, I've lowered the image portion of the score by 0.5, which I'm certain will keep everyone at MGM up at night.

RAH

I thought it looked very nice, although I was never a fan of its color scheme (Miss Streisand admits she hates the color blue and it really shows). It's not the transfer that Funny Lady is, but to my eyes it looks pretty much like it looked back in the day. As Mr. Harris says, if you have to search for it it's really not that much of a problem.

I complained about the sharpening...
It was most evident to me in the beginning of the film. It seems to be always there but depending on image content more or less (in)visible. It's unobtrusive enough to likely go unnoticed if one does not watch with quite revealing conditions. On my 3.5m wide screen conditions are quite revealing, for the better (superior material) or the worse (not so superior material). I wish the transfer were superior. Love the film. As is it's serviceable to me but not more. If I'm generous, 4.0/5.

Michel_Hafner said:

I complained about the sharpening...
It was most evident to me in the beginning of the film. It seems to be always there but depending on image content more or less (in)visible. It's unobtrusive enough to likely go unnoticed if one does not watch with quite revealing conditions. On my 3.5m wide screen conditions are quite revealing, for the better (superior material) or the worse (not so superior material). I wish the transfer were superior. Love the film. As is it's serviceable to me but not more. If I'm generous, 4.0/5.

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Not much of a fan of film...are you...

haineshisway said:

I thought it looked very nice, although I was never a fan of its color scheme (Miss Streisand admits she hates the color blue and it really shows). It's not the transfer that Funny Lady is, but to my eyes it looks pretty much like it looked back in the day. As Mr. Harris says, if you have to search for it it's really not that much of a problem.

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I'm so glad to hear you - or anyone - say that Bruce. I mean, what a butt-ugly visual design for a motion picture!

And that has nothing to do with this transfer...the film's color palette was just so obviously and artificially skewed burnished-grungy that it quickly graduated from annoyance to distraction. There's even a brief shot of more or less bluish sky which falls off unnaturally to - you guessed it - brown at the edges. I've seen many others try that trick and it never works for me; it just looks amateur hour...the cheesiest way to do period.

Thanks to Streisand and particularly Patinkin I enjoyed this picture anyway, but man, what a celluloid ditch.

schan1269 said:

Not much of a fan of film...are you...

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What film? Film as a medium and art form?

Michel_Hafner said:

What film? Film as a medium and art form?

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It would help, if you could ever post what was done...right.I know the "BD elitist" makes up the smallest niche of niche.But with everything else, the smallest demographic barks the loudest.This film probably won't sell well. Shame really. This film deserves to be seen once...by everybody. Sadly, once is all most people really need. I would have preferred this show up on a 2 movie disc with something else, what?...don't know.But besides bringing up 1 scene with issues, where are the points on at least 5 or 6 others...done well?You never bring up that side.

schan1269 said:

It would help, if you could ever post what was done...right.I know the "BD elitist" makes up the smallest niche of niche.But with everything else, the smallest demographic barks the loudest.This film probably won't sell well. Shame really. This film deserves to be seen once...by everybody. Sadly, once is all most people really need. I would have preferred this show up on a 2 movie disc with something else, what?...don't know.But besides bringing up 1 scene with issues, where are the points on at least 5 or 6 others...done well?You never bring up that side.

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I really hate it, when we apply to labels to other people/HTF members. No question, we all have different standards or expectations to what's acceptable to us, but that's just how we are as different individuals.

Robert Crawford said:

I really hate it, when we apply to labels to other people/HTF members. No question, we all have different standards or expectations to what's acceptable to us, but that's just how we are as different individuals.

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And I understand that. But, many times to help your own agenda(thought process) it helps to bring up the other side. I learned that long ago in debate. Easiest way to win a debate, is know(and bring up) the other side of the topic.Why?Keeps people from tuning out.This particular scene could have been explained..."The ending of this movie is gorgeous. Has issues but gorgeous. Too bad they had to sharpen this other scene"...

schan1269 said:

And I understand that.But, many times to help your own agenda(thought process) it helps to bring up the other side. I learned that long ago in debate. Easiest way to win a debate, is know(and bring up) the other side of the topic.Why?Keeps people from tuning out.This particular scene could have been explained..."The ending of this movie is gorgeous. Has issues but gorgeous. Too bad they had to sharpen this other scene"...

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There really isn't a debate here, though! He has some issues with the video presentation while others are either not seeing those same issues or the issues aren't enough to detract from their enjoyment of this BD. That's not a debate, it's a difference of opinion based on different sensibility and expectation.

But starting your expectation that everything must be 2001 or The Dark Knight is wishful thinking.I'd like to know what he finds wrong with Blood and Sand...

schan1269 said:

But starting your expectation that everything must be 2001 or The Dark Knight is wishful thinking.I'd like to know what he finds wrong with Blood and Sand...

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I try not to tell others what they're expectations should be. I have enough trouble keeping my own in check.

schan1269 said:

But starting your expectation that everything must be 2001 or The Dark Knight is wishful thinking.I'd like to know what he finds wrong with Blood and Sand...

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Blood and Sand...?

RAH

Robert Harris said:

Blood and Sand...?RAH

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They both get the same type of video review.Fox is lauded.MGM(UA) not so much.