The Criterion Collection (Spine # 111) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. BFI (The Jacques Tati Collection) - Region 0 - PAL vs. Atlantic Film (The Jacques Tati Collection) - Region 2 - PAL

The Criterion Collection

Region 0 - NTSC

1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.22 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.97 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.90 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.

The Criterion Collection (Spine # 111)

BFI (The Jacques Tati Collection)

Atlantic Film (The Jacques Tati Collection)

French (Dolby Digital 1.0)

French (Dolby Digital 2.0)

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Terry Jones intro (5:10)
• L'École des facteurs (15:04)
• Liner notes by Matt Zoller Seitz (insert)

DVD Release Date: January 6th, 2004
Keep Case

Chapters 27
 

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Original trailer and trailers for Playtime and Les Vacances de M. Hulot
• Insert with notes and director's biography by film historian Philip Kemp

DVD Release Date: November 29th, 2004
Keep Case (Individual Release)/Slim Case (Box Set Edition)

Chapters 12

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Soigne ton gauche (1936 / 11:54)
• L'École des facteurs (1947 / 14:26)
• Cours du soir (1967 / 26:31)
• Jacques Tati biography (text)

DVD Release Date: May 23rd, 2005
Keep Case

Chapters 16

Addition: The 2004 BFI edition of Mon oncle has recently been rereleased as part of their Jacques Tati Collection along with Jour de fête / Les Vacances de M. Hulot / Mon Oncle / Playtime and Parade. The only changes that the BFI made with this version is the keep case has been turned into a slim case and the individual booklets have been collected into one and some new artwork added to it. Unfortunately, the visuals have proved to be a problem for past release of Mon oncle, and the BFI release is no exception. While it lacks the excessive grain, combing, and cropping issues of the Criterion and it doesn't have the edge-enhancement of the Atlantic, it suffers from a notable softness in comparison with the other two releases. The sound on the BFI is quite good, and I would guess is about the same as the other two editions. Unlike the Atlantic, this one has English subs, and much better looking ones than the Criterion's. The extras here are rather limited, lacking the shorts of the other two discs. Instead we get three Tati trailers and a typically insightful booklet. If you're looking to buy the disc individually, then you'll probably want to go with the Criterion (unless you don't need the English subs, in which case the Atlantic is a decent choice). However, since the BFI also can be purchased with four other Tati films at a very reasonable price, those looking to buy in bulk should go this route. Either way, it's certainly recommended.

About Criterion
The Criterion image is marginally overscanned ~1% versus Atlantic, and has 2% cropping of the top, which again may be contributed to the scan.

The most notable difference is, that Criterion is very grainy versus a very smooth Atlantic image. Criterion is not sharper in detail, even though it looks that way, but zooming in reveals almost identical patterns, but the many "grains" give more contour.

Artifacts-wise, Criterion has lesser, being 50% less compressed than Atlantic, which basically is a DVD5 (films takes up 4.25 Gig on the dual layered disc), but Criterion still has its share of edge enhancements and halos. It is not that superior an image.

A problem which recently also has been identified on other Criterion DVDs is a combing-flaw in the first frame on chapter change. While chapters aren't identical, there is no such error on Atlantic.

About Atlantic
The same transfer as the Finnish Future DVD (see Playtime and Jour de Fete reviews), being a DVD5, it displays edge enhancements, color banding and macro blocking, but even so, the transfer isn't all that bad. Details are sharp and colors are very true to what I recall of it in the theatres.

The extra material, as on all the five DVDs in the collection, consists of three Tati short films: "Soigne ton gauche" from 1936, "L'École des facteurs" from 1947 and "Cours du soir" from 1967. The quality of these shorts is surprisingly good, especially "Soigne ton gauche" surprised me, being the oldest, but looks the best - great contrast and sharp details.

 - Henrik Sylow