ADDITION: Studio Canal - Region 'B' Blu-ray - March 2014: The European 1080P transfer looks pretty sweet, brighter, sharper, significantly more layered contrast and less artifacts - just about everything we'd expect from a top-shelf Blu-ray transfer. It shows more information in the frame - mostly at the top and bottom but a shade on the sides as well. It looks quite beautiful in-motion with hints at textured grain.

Audio comes in a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel at 1568 kbps in the original French (there is also a German DUB). It sounds very clean with some depth. The score by Georges Van Parys (Le Million, L'Age D'Or, Madame de..., French Cancan, Les diaboliques, 1958's Les Misérables) benefits from the lossless rendering. The initial menu gives the option of German, French or English and then shows menus in that language with the appropriate subtitle option. This disc is region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

We lose the valuable Criterion DVD extras including the excellent commentary, but Studio Canal add a 32-minute documentary entitled At the Heart of Emotions - Legend of Golden Marie. It's a half hour documentary with input from film historians and an older clip with Jean Renoir discussing the production and Jacques Becker. It is almost exclusively in French but has full English subtitles.

If my sources are correct regarding 'rights' - there won't be a Criterion Blu-ray release of Casque D'Or - and I haven't heard of one coming to region 'A'. This European a/v is excellent and I am glad I own it - but am also glad I still have the Criterion DVD for the commentary and other extras. The film is a masterpiece. The Studio Canal Blu-ray is strongly recommended! 

***

ON THE DVD: An absolutely gorgeous image - one of Criterion's best from 2005. Everything about it seems perfect - from the minimal, but prevalent, grain to the high degree of sharpness. Contrast is at Criterion's usual standard of perfection. The Cowie commentary is good, if somewhat dry at times and there are bountiful extras to make any degree of Becker fan or neophyte content. 

Quite commonly the mono sound will export from the centre channel only of any 5.1 systems so many may want to disperse it further through a 2-channel playback. The optional English DUB is actually created by the principals of the film - this was done for the premiere in London where it went on to be very successful throughout Britain. I think this is a perfect DVD.

Gary W. Tooze