DVD Review Criterion - NTSC Jean Renoir's - Boudu Saved from Drowning - Boudu sauvé des eaux DVD Review Jean Renoir Boudu Saved from Drowning Boudu sauvé des eaux DVD Review Jean Renoir Boudu Saved from Drowning Boudu sauvé des eaux

(aka "Boudu Saved from Drowning" )

France 1932

After well-to-do bookseller Edouard Lestingois (Charles Granval) rescues a tramp from a suicidal plunge into the Seine, his family adopts the bum and dedicates itself to reforming him. The irrepressible Boudu (Michel Simon) shows his gratitude by shaking the household to its foundations, challenging the hidebound principles of his hosts and seducing them with his anarchic charm. With Boudu Saved from Drowning, legendary director Jean Renoir takes advantage of a host of Parisian locations and a brilliant performance by Simon to create an effervescent satire of bourgeois complacency.

Posters

Theatrical Release: 11 November 1932 (Paris)

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DVD Comparison:

Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Optimum Releasing - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for Optimum Screen Captures!

(Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. Optimum Releasing - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

DVD Box Cover

Distribution

Criterion Collection - Spine # 305

Region 0 - NTSC

Optimum Home Entertainment

Region 2 - PAL

Runtime	1:25:00	1:20:51 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.93 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.53 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Criterion
Bitrate: Optimum
Audio	French Dolby Digital 2.0	French Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles	English, none	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Archival introduction by Jean Renoir • Excerpt from a Cinastes de notre temps program, featuring Renoir and Michel Simon • New video interview with filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin • Archival interview with Eric Rohmer • Interactive map of 1930s Paris, featuring locations from the film • Liner notes essay by Renoir scholar Christopher Faulkner DVD Release Date: August 23rd, 2005 Keep Case Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Stills gallery • Film information • Trailers for Wages of Fear, Breathless, He Loves Me He Loves Me Not DVD Release Date: January 27, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 16

Comments

As expected the Criterion appears sharper than the Optimum, has superior contrast, better subtitles and better extras. It does however still show the same damage marks as the Optimum but they mostly less visible. The Criterion also has some minor cropping on the top and occasionally the right edge. The Criterion has some amazing archival extras with stuff from Rohmer et all. We encourage you to buy the Criterion to view Renoir's masterful film.

- Gary Tooze

Criterion DVD Menus

Optimum DVD Menus

Subtitle Sample

(Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Optimum Releasing - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

Screen Captures

(Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC TOP vs. Optimum Releasing - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

Report Card:

Image:	Criterion
Sound:	-
Extras:	Criterion
Menu:	Criterion

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