McCabe & Mrs. Miller DVD (1 Viewer)

[Daniel J.S.]

I was watching this DVD and I was wondering about the transfer: is the very soft and hazy look part of the film's cinematography or is it an issue with the transfer? I'm asking because I still use the same TV set that my family has had since 1988, so even transfers that take shit on the review sites still look good enough to me. However, I'm willing to guess that it is a poor transfer that had no restoration work; the image is nowhere near the level of "Attack of the Clones", which looks flawless even on my ancient set!

Great film, though. I still like "Nashville" more however.

 

[Joel C]

The hazy look is the way the film was shot. Check out this review:

http://www.dvdfile.com/software/revi...mrsmiller.html

It still might be a bad transfer, but it sounds like a lot of it was the way the film was processed.

 

[Stas T]

I've not seen the DVD of the film, so I can't comment on the transfer quality, but the movie is one of my favorites, and I can assure you that its hazy, grainy, impressionistic look is indeed intentional; it was filmed to look this way.

One of the techniques used to achieve such a look was the "flashing" of the film stock; exposing it to a low-level of light in order to alter the film's response to light, thus lowering its contrast and making the image appear more washed out and hazy.

 

[Jon Robertson]

Ignore that DVD File review - it's not a bad transfer in the slightest, it's simply impossibly difficult source material to transfer and compress, with which Warner have done an admirable job. If I recall correctly, aside from the much-praised "flashing", they manufactured the prints using a new process that ensured that no two prints looked the same.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I saw the film when it first played in theaters. This is an excellent transfer.

M.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Superb transfer of a truly amazing an unique American Western. Beatty's performance is a marvel to behold and I am not a fan of his at all.

Similary, MGM's transfer of Altman's striking, The Long Goodbye is excellent also.

Images is out later this year.

But what about Brewster McCloud? :frowning:


Gordy

 

[Thomas T]

Let me add my voice to the chorus that the DVD is a fine transfer of a very difficult film in the visual sense. McCabe's unique dim, grainy "soft" look was quite intentional and even in theatrical avenues took awhile to get used to.

God bless Warners for staying faithful to the source material and not digitally cleaning it up to make it more palatable to the "Wow! It looks fantastic! There's absolutely no grain" crowd. It's a movie, not a video.

 

[Daniel J.S.]

Well, since it appears that the visuals of the DVD are faithful to the cinematography of the film (which makes the movie look like an old photograph. Quite appropriate I must say), I applaud Warner for their work on this disc. About the film, what I admire most is its proleptic view of independant outfits being squeezed out of the action by huge conglomerates. Sears and Harrington, Microsoft, what's the difference?

 

[JohnRice]

I didn't realize the film had been "flashed." Now that I know, it sure looks like it. That will tend to make the blacks not so black and noticeably reduce the contrast in the shadows, giving the film a flat, somewhat drab look. As Daniel said, something like and old photograph. It will probably tend to increase the grain as well. Warner definitely could have digitally adjusted the black level to eliminate that, as well as cause a load of other problmes. Sure glad they didn't.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

What does everyone think of Anchor Bay's DVD of Obsession? That film was also flashed. I think the DVD looks superb.


Gordy

 

[John Hodson]

I've got the AB R2 of Obsession (which AFAIK is no different to the R1), and I'm delighted with it; and McCabe and Mrs Miller has now gone on to my 'wants' list.

---
So many films, so little time...

 

[oscar_merkx]

thanks for the comments about McCabe, just ordered this

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

You have chosen wisely, Oscar!

They don't make 'em like that anymore.


Gordy