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

[Robert Harris]

Rope, an independent 1948 production, originally distributed through Warner Bros., is an interesting technological experiment.

Produced to appear to be one continuous take -- film rolls end with someone walking across the path of the camera, or in some other way, allowing an edit -- with moving walls and set pieces, allowing the camera to keep on the move.

Photographed in three-strip Technicolor, short (80 minute) film, doesn't look its best on this Blu-ray.
Color is less than stellar, and registration is imperfect.

Quality is quite high enough for a standard definition release, but it should have been re-scanned from the originals for Blu-ray.

Image - 3

Audio - 4.5

RAH

 

[mikeyhitchfan]

Yes, another title that never looked to good to begin with. Kind of washed out color but I think they used 3 strip technicolor cameras. Maybe an older transfer.

 

[Ruz-El]

A favourite of mine. Shame it's not looking as good as it can.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Maybe Warner Bros. wasn't willing to restore the negs for this. I imagine they still have them.

 

[Reagan]

RAH,
Based on the screen shots (and yes, I know that it can be foolish to draw conclusions from screen shots, but it's all I have) on DVDBeaver, it appears that the transfer was done from a composite element rather than a WB-style ultra-rez treatment of the OCN.
Am I correct?
-R

 

[Doctorossi]

RAH,
Based on the screen shots (and yes, I know that it can be foolish to draw conclusions from screen shots, but it's all I have) on DVDBeaver, it appears that the transfer was done from a composite element rather than a WB-style ultra-rez treatment of the OCN.

In light of the evident misalignment, it's hard to imagine otherwise.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi /t/324706/a-few-words-about-rope-in-blu-ray#post_3993241
In light of the evident misalignment, it's hard to imagine otherwise.

35mm IP exposed from the original negatives.

RAH

 

[haineshisway]

This has received a rave review from DVD Beaver

 

[Lord Dalek]

Originally Posted by Reagan /t/324706/a-few-words-about-rope-in-blu-ray#post_3993230
RAH,
Based on the screen shots (and yes, I know that it can be foolish to draw conclusions from screen shots, but it's all I have) on DVDBeaver, it appears that the transfer was done from a composite element rather than a WB-style ultra-rez treatment of the OCN.
Am I correct?
-R

Yeah its clearly a dye-transfer IP and not some sort of 4k ultra rez deal. It may be the only element Universal has.

 

[ShellOilJunior]

This has received a rave review from DVD Beaver

The colors are "rich and tight". Gotta love 'dem tight colors!

 

[Reagan]

35mm IP exposed from the original negatives.
RAH

Well that's too bad. I've always wanted to see how good this movie could look if done right.
The wait continues.
-R

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Loose colors are the undoing of far too many films these days.

 

[mikeyhitchfan]

Originally Posted by Reagan /t/324706/a-few-words-about-rope-in-blu-ray#post_3993695
Well that's too bad. I've always wanted to see how good this movie could look if done right.
The wait continues.
-R

Wow, well good luck with that. Because you're going to have a looooooooooooooooooooooooong wait.

 

[Ruz-El]

Originally Posted by mikeyhitchfan /t/324706/a-few-words-about-rope-in-blu-ray#post_3993757
Wow, well good luck with that. Because you're going to have a looooooooooooooooooooooooong wait.

I guess that makes it okay to accept sub-par material then. That's the HTF mission statement right? Celebrating the best that the format has to offer, unless it's too much trouble then please feed us whatever you can WE MUST BUY BUY BUY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! WE'LL ACCEPT ANYTHING YOU SLOP OUT TO US WE ARE WEAK! WEAK! PLEASE RELEASE THIS FILMS QUICK AND CHEAP AND EASY DESPITE BEING ABLE TO DO BETTER!! MUUUUSSSSSST BUUUUUUUUUUYYYYY HIIIIIIIIITCHHHHHHHHCKOCK!

Yeah, let's just throw money at the studios even when we're disappointted. Maybe they'll get it right the next time right? Yeah, right. Remember to laugh with them while they're on the way to the bank, not at them....

 

[Paul Penna]

I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything left in the world that people can't get self-righteous about. I blame the Internet.

 

[Ruz-El]

Originally Posted by Paul Penna /t/324706/a-few-words-about-rope-in-blu-ray#post_3993769
I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything left in the world that people can't get self-righteous about. I blame the Internet.

So prior to the internet everyone just ignorantly accepted any crap* product out of politeness? Where are these mysterious beings, I've never seen them.

I remember a time when people weren't ridiculed for expressing an opinion in favour of the greater good. Which is exactly what calling out a studio for a lackluster product is. I mean, this isn't a case of "This is the best the film will look". RAH states it simply:

"Quality is quite high enough for a standard definition release, but it should have been re-scanned from the originals for Blu-ray."

Why wasn't the work done? It's a bloody Blu-ray! Is it not deserving because it's Rope and not Psycho? Someone call Criterion, their putting forth a blu of the original "Man Who Knew Too Much", a film Hitch described as amateurish. No need for them to put any energy in to it. We're satisfied with "good enough, even though it sucks and it not what it should be."

Ridiculous.

*I fully understand that Rope on Bluray is far from "crap", it's also not what it should be.

 

[DavidJ]

I too blame the Internet. There should be more civility and respect for differing opinions.

 

[JohnMor]

Originally Posted by Russell G /t/324706/a-few-words-about-rope-in-blu-ray#post_3993760
I guess that makes it okay to accept sub-par material then. That's the HTF mission statement right? Celebrating the best that the format has to offer, unless it's too much trouble then please feed us whatever you can

I completely agree. As I said in another thread, no human endeavor can produce perfection, but sub-par isn't acceptable. If Universal doesn't have the time, the funds or the human talent to put out a decent blu-ray of any Hitchcock film, then they should forgo that particular title. It's not as if they are contractually obligated to release all of them. But if they CHOOSE to do so, they should do them right. (And I'm not speaking of complete restorations, which is a whole other subject.) And we know from the Monsters set that they CAN do it when they put their mind to it.

 

[Kevin EK]

Having watched this, I can say that the red registration error is noticeable, creating red outer lines at the blinds and people's collars. People who are less sensitive to registration errors will be okay with this. People who are driven to distraction by this will not have a good time.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Again we're all assuming the original assets are extant and easily accessible to Universal. That may not be, and probably isn't, the case.