Submitted by
Alan Head
Black Narcissus (1946)
The VCI/Carlton DVD
Review by: Alan Head
Having just had a quick scan through this (watching all my favourite
scenes) I thought I'd post my (technical) comments.
On the whole its an average DVD. There are no extras and it has the
standard Carlton on-screen menus - a couple of static screens with a
scene of the Emperor and Clodagh (why the Emperor? - its actually the
Reverend Mother, but I simply can't get the sideways Star Wars
reference out of my head when she says at the start "Our plans at Mopu
are in place" - with the wrinkled face, veil, and the intonation of
her voice she simply is Emperor Palpatine ...)
But I digress. The overall picture quality on this DVD is pretty good
- Uncle Alfred's backdrops probably have never looked so good, and
Jack's cinematography is a joy to behold - you can see why they won
Oscars. The transfer isn't the best ever - there are a lot of
scratches, pinholes and general dust and grime, much of which could
have been resolved with a new transfer (which no doubt Criterion will
have done for their upcoming release). There is also occasionally poor
colour balance and wavering contrast/brightness levels but this
doesn't detract too much from the overall improvement in picture
quality over the various VHS releases of the film. Dark, high contrast
scenes are particularly well rendered and there is plenty of detail in
the shadows (particularly where Sister Ruth does her best Nosferatu
impersonation as she chases Clodagh outside to the bell). The picture
is framed at the correct aspect ratio and feels nice and "open" - some
4:3 transfers can feel cramped because they are often cropped all
round and blown up slightly in the telecine process.
The sound is crisp, clear, and loud, and lip sync is good. Whilst
there isn't much you can do wrong with a mono soundtrack at least it
is relatively clear of noise.
The question is, however, do I buy this now or wait for the superior
Criterion edition in January? I would personally say wait,
particularly if you're on a budget - given Criterion's reputation the
disc is likely to be first-class. Of most interest to me is the "Marty
and Micky Show" commentary track that will be included - I'm really
looking forward to hearing my two favourite directors talking about
one of my favourite films ...
However, if you can't wait to see BN on DVD and can afford to "waste"
£11.99 then go and buy it - you won't be disappointed ...
Alan
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