316 Ran

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schellenbergk
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Re: 316 Ran

#226 Post by schellenbergk » Mon Apr 29, 2019 10:22 am

I see that here in the nation's capitol, the National Gallery is promoting a screening of "Ran" on June 30 2019 at 4pm (https://www.nga.gov/calendar/film-progr ... 9/ran.html).

The notes talk about this being a screening of a "DCP restoration" - is this the same restoration that previously shown at the Film Forum in NYC (which was billed as a "4K DCP restoration") and in Chicago?

The Criterion site simply lists a "digital restoration" for the DVD - is this the same restoration? I note that the NGA is screening "The Baker's Wife" just a few weeks before Criterion will release it. Does this perhaps hint at a forthcoming BluRay upgrade for "Ran"? (I'm deeply ignorant of the whole "rights" issues and what studios Criterion has access to; which would negate my speculation. Any info appreciated.)

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Drucker
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Re: 316 Ran

#227 Post by Drucker » Mon Apr 29, 2019 10:32 am

If you're seeing a DCP of Ran, there is almost certainly only one actively in circulation. It will probably be the one that forms the basis of the blu-ray reissue/Film Forum screenings from last year.

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tenia
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Re: 316 Ran

#228 Post by tenia » Mon Apr 29, 2019 10:51 am

There is a DCP of this restoration, which is what I saw in theaters in 2015 at Lyon catalogue film festival.

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yoloswegmaster
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Re: 316 Ran

#229 Post by yoloswegmaster » Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:27 pm

The theatrical rights to it is still with Rialto.

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hearthesilence
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Re: 316 Ran

#230 Post by hearthesilence » Wed May 17, 2023 1:54 am

MoMA screened a 35mm print for their Rialto retrospective (and to be clear, ALL of their prints and DCP's for this retrospective came from Rialto, and you can even see that in the opening logos). I just realized it's possible I've never seen this projected before - I'm glad I caught this print because it looks GORGEOUS. Everything from the color and the detail looked marvelous. The wear during the opening credits indicates it was not new and has gotten some usage, but overall it was in excellent shape. Best of all, they screened it in MoMA's biggest theater. This probably doesn't need further confirmation, but looking at DVDBeaver's screencaps afterwards, you can definitely say the 4K restoration is an abomination thanks to the ridiculous color - it looks like they dropped the negative into a vat of teal dye. It also appears that someone emailed Tooze years ago and said they saw a 35mm print at Film Forum that was struck from the OCN - I'm guessing what they showed tonight could very well be the same print. (Again, Rialto has a close relationship with Film Forum as Bruce Goldstein is also the repertory programmer there.)

And what a great film. I feel like my enthusiasm for this picture has gone up and down over time - I was always a fan, especially the first time I saw it on TV, but I think I went through a stretch where I thought it was too flawed to rank among Kurosawa's best films. This time around the strengths seem to overwhelm any arguable shortcomings. I haven't seen it in years and it really does resonate given the way the world's changed. It no longer feels like it's potentially too nihilistic - if anything, it's spot on. And the ideas have gained far more weight in the current sociopolitical climate - throughout the film, Hidetora is constantly reminded of his wrongdoings to build the kingdom his children are now fighting over. By the end, it really feels like a kingdom that was inherently tainted or corrupted by its violent history, and its fate was always inevitable, not because of destiny or some higher force but because nothing created in such a heinous manner can be preserved or sustained in peace and tranquility.

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Drucker
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Re: 316 Ran

#231 Post by Drucker » Wed May 17, 2023 9:15 am

Well now I'm kicking myself for bailing on the screening yesterday!

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tenia
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Re: 316 Ran

#232 Post by tenia » Wed May 17, 2023 9:21 am

hearthesilence wrote:
Wed May 17, 2023 1:54 am
This probably doesn't need further confirmation, but looking at DVDBeaver's screencaps afterwards, you can definitely say the 4K restoration is an abomination thanks to the ridiculous color - it looks like they dropped the negative into a vat of teal dye.
Sadly predictable, and I'm not sure I'm "happy" it got a confirmation or frustrated that it's indeed confirmed the grading is non sensical.

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MichaelB
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Re: 316 Ran

#233 Post by MichaelB » Wed May 17, 2023 9:26 am

I've always thought it was suspect. I saw the film in 35mm when it came out and quite a few times thereafter (we played it in rep regularly throughout the 1990s, so I had the luxury of being able to pop in to watch favourite bits), and it simply didn't look like the 4K version - the colours were much brighter, and more "primary" in that reds and yellows were allowed to be themselves without being tempered by teal.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: 316 Ran

#234 Post by Michael Kerpan » Wed May 17, 2023 9:39 am

Is there any reasonably decent representation of the film on DVD/Blu?

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hearthesilence
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Re: 316 Ran

#235 Post by hearthesilence » Wed May 17, 2023 11:35 am

To be fair, even if Criterion had been able to release a Blu-ray as originally planned, it would probably have needed a fresh scan by now. (IIRC it would've been one of their first, before any of their masters were sourced from 4K scans and likely from the same HD transfer used for the DVD.)

Forgot to ask, were the end credits always in French? I hadn't noticed it before but it was all in French rather than English - I realize it was a French co-production, but if U.S. prints previously had English end credits, I wonder if this was simply a byproduct of accessing the best elements possible (presumably the OCN, if that applies to the end credits somehow)?

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jsteffe
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Re: 316 Ran

#236 Post by jsteffe » Wed May 17, 2023 3:14 pm

hearthesilence wrote:
Wed May 17, 2023 11:35 am
Forgot to ask, were the end credits always in French? I hadn't noticed it before but it was all in French rather than English - I realize it was a French co-production, but if U.S. prints previously had English end credits, I wonder if this was simply a byproduct of accessing the best elements possible (presumably the OCN, if that applies to the end credits somehow)?
It's been a while since I've seen the film on 35mm, but I remember the end credits being in French even during its initial release in the U.S. For some reason that stood out to me, and it was probably the first time that I grasped the concept of an international co-production.

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MichaelB
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Re: 316 Ran

#237 Post by MichaelB » Thu May 18, 2023 6:45 am

They were definitely in French in the prints that I saw.

Orlac
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Re: 316 Ran

#238 Post by Orlac » Thu May 18, 2023 4:20 pm

Same with Nagisa Oshima's Realm/Empire films...I've only ever seen them with French credits.

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