As directed by Joshua Logan, it can be beautiful at times, work at times, but ultimately never makes it. Mr. Logan also directed Camelot for Jack Warner a year earlier, and while that one seems to work better, it also has its naysayers. I’ve always enjoyed it, and the fact that most actors performed their own songs – same as Paint Your Wagon.
A DVD staple since the early 1950s, as far as I’m aware, Paint Your Wagon never made it to Blu-ray, but courtesy of Kino has gone direct to 4k UHD, and it’s generally a lovely release.
With a single problem, that will only be noted by those viewing from a Critical Viewing Distance (CVD) as opposed to a Nominal Viewing Distance (NVD).
Color and densities here work beautifully. Black levels are on target. Grain structure is generally great and seems original. The only problem that I’m seeing, and I have no idea why it’s there, are frozen sky blobs (FSBs), in which grain structure takes an a life of its own. I make that note only to be critically precise, as I doubt that any NVD viewer will see a trace of it.
From a NVD, Paint Your Wagon is glorious.
Audio, likewise, is bright and proscenium-filling, especially with the orchestrations from Andre Previn, who was working in music departments since he was 17, and whose work can be heard as composer, conductor or arranger going back to the late 1940s. His work in musicals can be heard in the likes of Small Town Girl, Kiss Me Kate, Bells are Ringing, My Fair Lady and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Be aware that audio defaults to 2.0 stereo, and must be set to 5.1.
For those trying to figure out how well a film from this era shot in 35/4 Panavision equates to 4k, make sure that you examine the main title sequence, which can be knife sharp, as opposed to production photography.
This is a very nice 4k upgrade.
Image – 8 (Dolby Vision)
Audio – 10 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors – Yes
Makes use of and works well in 4k – 7.5
Upgrade from Blu-ray – Yes!
Worth your attention – 6
Slipcover rating – 2
Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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