Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "The Green Ray" or "Summer")
Rohmer has set this up similar to other films
of his in the diary sense where the highlights of each day are chaptered and
displayed to us. It is comforting to notice that often nothing really happens on
certain days, much like "real life". After many walks alone she
finds examples that she may be cursed. Finding a playing card on the street, the
color of self-help signs and horoscopes all give us (and her) pause for thought.
She rebukes obvious advances from men rejecting their proposals, relating later
she would rather be alone than have the empty feeling of a one-night stand.
Being particular about what sort of company she's in and feeling down, she
eavesdrops on a conversation of elderly people who discuss Jules Verne’s book,
“Le Rayon Vert” (The Green Ray). The short answer to your question, “What
is the Green Ray?”, well, it is a rare optical effect (a green beam) exhibited
by the sun at precisely the moment it is completing setting. For those who view,
it is said to help them truly understand their own inner feelings. Already
giving evidence of being bohemian/spartan in her lifestyle, she's at loose ends and
add to that an emotionally weak state, and this overheard conversation has an
effect on her. Perhaps all she needs is a sign?
Excerpt Taken from Gary W. Tooze's review HERE |
Posters
Release Date: August 31st, 1986 - Venice Film Festival
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Arrow Films - Region 0- PAL vs. Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Manga Region 2 - PAL vs. Potemkine Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
1) Arrow Films (UK) Region 0- PAL LEFT 2) Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND 3) Manga Films - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD4) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT |
Box Covers |
|
| ||
or order the Entire Arrow Films DVD Boxset including 'The Aviator's Wife', 'A Good Marriage', 'Pauline At The Beach', 'Full Moon In Paris', 'The Green Ray', 'My Girlfriend's Boyfriend', 'Love In The Afternoon' and 'The Marquise Of O' at a savings of $190 US over buying individually. REVIEWED HERE |
||||
Distribution |
Arrow Films Region 2- PAL |
Fox Lorber Region 0 - NTSC |
Manga
Films
Region 2 - PAL |
Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:34:18 | 1:34:24 | 1:33:57 | 1:34:26.720 |
Video |
1.33 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.5 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.33 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1080i Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 39,588,475,065 bytes Feature: 21,506,193,408 bytes Video Bitrate: 28.02 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
||||
Bitrate:
Arrow Films |
||||
Bitrate:
Fox Lorber |
||||
Bitrate:
Manga |
||||
Bitrate:
Blu-ray |
|
|||
Audio | French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) | French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), DUB: Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) - unchangeable "on the fly" |
DTS-HD Master Audio French 850
kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 850 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit) |
Subtitles | English and none | White - English - non-removable | Spanish, and none ( BUT also cannot be changed "on the fly") | English and none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Arrow Films (UK) Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: January 26th, 2004 Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Fox Lorber Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: June 15, 1999 Chapters 6 |
Release Information: Studio: Manga Films Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: 2003 Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Potemkine Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 1080i Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 39,588,475,065 bytes Feature: 21,506,193,408 bytes Video Bitrate: 28.02 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• En Compagnie de Eric
Rohmer (1:53:06) Chapters 14 |
Comments: |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Potemkine Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (December 2013): I have already stated- I now own the Coffret Rohmer intégral combo blu ray + livret + pochette photos [Blu-ray] - it is 25 Rohmer films and 52 discs, book and more! So it will take a while to go through. My take so far is very positive. I will continue and, hopefully, at one point do a page on the entire set including the bonus discs (although extras don't seem to be English-friendly the features I have checked so far have optional English subtitles).! So it will take a while to go through. My take so far is very positive. I will continue and, hopefully, at one point do a page on the entire set including the bonus discs.Okay, so Le Rayon Vert on Blu-ray throws us a few curves. Firstly, we always have to remember the film was shot in 16mm and you can't do better than the production (silk purse out of a sow's ear). But we have an interlaced transfer - 1080i - yet I don't see combing and I suspect this is simply a 1080i/50 and is from a PAL source (see the running times.) This would be my guess. As you can see it is also in widescreen (1.66:1) losing some information at the bottom of the frame but gaining a lot of the sides. I seem to recall discussion that The Green Ray was theatrically shown in 1.66:1... somewhere. I think the composition looks far better in this ratio. The higher resolution also produces superior visuals - even though they are not pristine. Colors become lighter and detail rises extensively. No question this is the very best I have seen my favorite Rohmer film. Audio is uncompressed via a DTS-HD Master in the original mono. The solo violin - memorable in final scene - seems to benefit from the transfer - it sounded superior to any of the SDs. There are optional English subtitles and the Blu-ray disc is region 'B'-locked. Despite supplements not being English-friendly - it was a pleasure to see a 20-minute interview with Marie Riviere in French but I didn't indulge in the, almost 2-hour, En Compagnie de Eric Rohmer that seemed filled with interviews, casual time with the director, meetings with friends. There is also a PAL DVD included in the cardboard case. I am glad we were able to indentify this as 1080i and I am a little disappointed as it is a favorite but it doesn't dampen my excitement over this incredible Rohmer Boxset - which we will continue to review. Stay runed. *** ADDITION: January -2004 I am so relieved - After looking at the Arrow Films "Boyfriends and Girlfriends" I thought they were all going to be no improvement over the atrocious F/L'ers. The Arrow Films DVD is a significant improvement though. I think it may be from that new print that toured a year or so ago. Lets remember this was shot in 16mm, so this may be as good as it gets. It shows both the Fox Lorber and Manga DVDs to be cropped on all sides. The color and contrast of the Arrow Films DVD is far superior in flesh and earth tones. It makes the other two look very saturated. Extras are also worthwhile on the Arrow Films disc with a great little thing with Rohmer explaining details (subtitled) of "The Green Ray" . Very much like a commentary although it is only 8 minutes long. The subs on the Arrow Films are removable which is also very nice. I say this is a MUST buy for all film fans. Phewwww! What a joke. Here we have a Golden Lion WINNING Film less than 20 years old and this is what we get. Admittedly this is a favorite film of mine and as I was so disgusted with the atrocious state of the Fox/Lorber DVD that I purchased the only other version available, even though it did not have English subs! I know the film so well, I was sure my pigeon French could get me through. I just wanted to see this film in a superior image... that's all!... I know there is a restored print out there. I have even scanned it and put it on my Rohmer website. It HERE (thanks Nick Wrigley). I realize that Gaumont R2- France are coming out with many Rohmer films in May 2003, and they better be a big improvement on the mess you see below. Okay, tirade over. I'm sure the source print for this must be pretty darn bad... but why? This isn't some up-and-comer film maker... this is internationally acclaimed Eric Rohmer. Better stop now or I'm going to blow my stack again. The Spanish Manga version allows you to learn French without the annoying F/L burned in subs. That is my only positive comment about all this. Ohhh... and the Manga Menus are animated. The Extras on both discs are non-existent. The picture quality equally sucks on both versions. The sound is like a cereal commercial (Snap, Crackle, Pop). Don't buy either ... wait for the Gaumont. I will review it and compare as soon as I can get my hands on them. |
Recommended Reading in French Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
Agnes Varda by Alison Smith | Godard on Godard : Critical Writings by Jean-Luc Godard | Notes on the Cinematographer by Robert Bresson |
Robert Bresson (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No.
2) by James Quandt |
The Art of Cinema by Jean Cocteau |
French New Wave
by Jean Douchet, Robert Bonnono, Cedric Anger, Robert Bononno |
French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present by Remi Fournier Lanzoni |
Truffaut: A Biography by Antoine do Baecque and Serge Toubiana |
Check out more in "The Library"
Menus
(Arrow
Films (UK) Region 0- PAL LEFT vs. Fox
/ Lorber
- Region 0 - NTSC - CENTER vs. Manga Films - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray
|
Potemkine Box
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample Blu-ray
Screen Captures
1) Arrow Films (UK) Region 0- PAL TOP 2) Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND 3) Manga Films - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD4) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Arrow Films (UK) Region 0- PAL TOP 2) Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND 3) Manga Films - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD4) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Arrow Films (UK) Region 0- PAL TOP 2) Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND 3) Manga Films - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD4) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Arrow Films (UK) Region 0- PAL TOP 2) Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND 3) Manga Films - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD4) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Arrow Films (UK) Region 0- PAL TOP 2) Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND 3) Manga Films - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD4) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
More
Blu-ray Captures
Report Card:
Image: |
Blu-ray |
Sound: |
Blu-ray |
Extras: | Blu-ray |
Box Covers |
|
|
||
or order the Entire Arrow Films DVD Boxset including 'The Aviator's Wife', 'A Good Marriage', 'Pauline At The Beach', 'Full Moon In Paris', 'The Green Ray', 'My Girlfriend's Boyfriend', 'Love In The Afternoon' and 'The Marquise Of O' at a savings of $190 US over buying individually. REVIEWED HERE |
||||
Distribution |
Arrow Films Region 2- PAL |
Fox Lorber Region 0 - NTSC |
Manga
Films
Region 2 - PAL |
Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray |