NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (July 2020): Criterion have re-transferred Agnès Varda's "One Sings, The Other Doesn't" to Blu-ray, as part of their 15-disc The Complete Films of Agnès Varda Blu-ray collection boxset to a disc entitled "Her Body, Herself" (which contains the aforementioned— One Sings, The Other Doesn't (1977), as well as Réponse de femmes (1975), and Plaisir d'amour en Iran (1977) as well as the film, "Nausica". The disc included in this new 15-disc set is similar to the previous release from Criterion on Blu-ray, with an almost identical image (subtitle placement is ever so slightly shifted and some grain structure is different, most likely due to the slight decrease in file size / bitrate which now averages in the high 20's instead of maxed out).

Nothing has changed in the audio department, with the new box set featuring "One Sings, The Other Doesn't" in the same linear PCM mono 1.0 sound. English subtitles are also included on this Region FREE Blu-ray, playable worldwide!

The extras mostly remain the same as the previous release of "One Sings, The Other Doesn't" with the exception of one fantastic new addition. "Nausica" (running 1-hour and 38 minutes), Criterion describes this feature best here; "Agnes Varda wrote the script of this semi-autobiographical love story, a reaction to the military putsch in Greece, in 1967. After receiving approval to shoot the film for French television in 1970, her elements were confiscated, her post production lab was broken into, and the entire film was eventually seized and suppressed. Varda never received a formal explanation from the government. The Royal Belgian Film Archive preserved the sole existing workprint of the film, which is presented here. The sound restoration was made by L.E. Diapason from the original 35mm magnetic mix." Though the film features grain and debris, any fan will not bat an eye, as this is a great new bonus to the Blu-ray. A fantastic and valuable addition to a set bursting with content.

Criterion's new Agnes Varda box set is one of their finest collections to date, featuring a ton of content from one of the masters of both narrative and documentary filmmaking. This disc's added bonus of "Nausica" makes owners of the previous release possibly wanting to upgrade to this box set. There is much more to Varda than just "Cleo From 5 to 7", and "Vagabond".

Colin Zavitz

***

NOTE: Curzon Artificial Eye - Region 'B'  Blu-ray -  Curzon / Artificial Eye's 8 Blu-ray disc is on The Agnès Varda Collection set that includes Vagabond, La Pointe Courte, Cleo From 5 To 7, Le Bonheur, L'une Chante, L'autre Pas, Jacquot De Nantes, The Gleaners and I and The Beaches Of Agnes.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (May 2019): The Criterion starts with this text screen "L'UNE CHANTE L'AUTRE PAS directed in 1976 by AGNES VARDA on 35mm silver color stock in a 1.66 format was restored by Cine Tamaris in 2014 at the laboratory-ciair with the support of the CA . The 2k digital restoration of the images was done from a 2k scan of the original negative. The color grading was supervised by Agnes Varda and the DP Charlie Van Damme."  The 1080P image has some green-blue-teal-leaning but shows pleasant earthy-browns, consistent, fine grain and an impressive film-like appearance in the 1.66:1 frame.

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original French language. It is also restored; "the sound restoration was made by L.E. Diapason from the original 35mm magnetic mix." It is flat but clear and consistent via the lossless mono transfer. The Criterion BD offers optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

For supplements, Criterion include the 3/4 hour 1977 documentary "Women Are Naturally Creative: Agnès Varda" directed by Katja Raganelli, featuring an interview with Varda shot during the making of the film, plus on-set interviews with actors Valérie Mairesse and Thérèse Liotard. Criterion also include the Varda short, Women Reply (1975). It starts with "REPONSE DE FEMMES was directed in 1975 by AGNES VARDA on 35mm argentic color stock in a 1.33 format was restored by Gine Tamaris in 2015 at the laboratory Eclair Group. The 2k digital restoration of the images was done from a 2k scan of the original 35mm internegative. The color grading was supervised by Agnes Varda. The sound restoration was made by L E Diapason from the original 35mm magnetic mix." Described on IMDb as "What does being a woman really mean? How do women live the status society reserves for them? A group of women, beautiful or not, young or not, gifted with motherly instinct or not, answer before Agnès Varda's camera." Also included is with restoration described "PLAISIR D'AMOUR EN IRAN was directed in 1976 by AGNES VARDA on 35mm argentic color stock in a 1.66 panoramic format was restored by Cine Tamaris in 2015 at the laboratory Eclair Group. The 2k digital restoration of the images was done from a 2k scan of the original 35mm negative. The color grading was supervised by Agnes Varda. The sound restoration was made by L.E. Diapason from the original 35mm magnetic mix." The film is about a couple who find their erotic love mirrored perfectly in the architecture and mosaics of Iran. There is also a trailer and the included liner notes booklet has an essay by critic Amy Taubin and excerpts from the film’s original press book.

One Sings, the Other Doesn't is a poignant film about the lives of two women in 1970s France who share various pivotal experiences of each others' lives accepting the, often, strident differences in their personas. It is such a pleasure to enjoy Varda in HD via the Criterion collection. It's a film I am very happy to own it on Blu-ray. An absolute recommendation! 

Gary Tooze