The source material for this DVD was taken from New Yorker's vaults and was not in pristine condition but it was restored in 2001 and New Yorker states on the DVD packaging and start of the film "... this version of the film aims to be as faithful to the original as possible."  "L'Atalante" has been through some mishaps over the last 69 years. The original version of the film is not available hence New Yorker's valiant efforts to produce this particular version. I can't say how close it is to the original but the film (on DVD) had a very even flow and I suspect that it is as close to the original as we will ever see.

The quality of the image is excellent considering the age of the film and the limitations of the restored print. I notice some minor jittering of the image in the first 5 minutes but then that settled down for the rest of the film. The sound is excellent. It appears to have been cleaned up extensively compared to the New Yorker VHS that I own. There are some scratches and marks on the film, but overall the image quality is extremely strong if I compare it to any other versions that I have ever seen. I would wager that this is easily the best L'Atalante has ever looked or sounded.

On the negative I believe it has been slightly cropped on the left vertical edge in the opening title  but the closing credits seem centered and visible. New Yorker have provided some nice extras and clean menu system. I have to give them credit. This is more than many fans of this film could have hoped for. The only omission is a commentary. I can't imagine it being too much better other than that. I will give it  out of    Gary W. Tooze