NOTE: 41 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: The Great Escape (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Red Shoes (software uniformly simulated HDR), Citizen Kane (software uniformly simulated HDR), Unbreakable (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mulholland Dr. (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Hills Have Eyes (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Servant (software uniformly simulated HDR), Anatomy of a Murder (software uniformly simulated HDR), Taxi Driver  (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Wolf Man (1941) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Frankenstein (1931) (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Deep Red (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Misery (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Silence of the Lambs (software uniformly simulated HDR), John Carpenter's "The Thing" (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Cat' o'Nine Tails (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (software uniformly simulated HDR), Perdita Durango (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Django (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Fanny Lye Deliver'd (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, (NO HDR applied to disc),  Rollerball (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Chernobyl  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Daughters of Darkness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vigilante (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tremors (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cinema Paradiso (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bourne Legacy (software uniformly simulated HDR), Full Metal Jacket (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Psycho (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Birds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rear Window (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vertigo (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Spartacus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Jaws (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Invisible Man, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucio Fulci's 1979 Zombie  (software uniformly simulated HDR),, 2004's Van Helsing (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Shallows (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bridge on the River Kwai (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Deer Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Elephant Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Quiet Place (software uniformly simulated HDR), Easy Rider (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspiria (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pan's Labyrinth (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Wizard of Oz, (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shining, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Batman Returns (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Killed Killed and then The Bigfoot  (software uniformly simulated HDR),,  Bram Stoker's Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucy (software uniformly simulated HDR), They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR),  A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR),  2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

Criterion use a 5.1 surround track in a strong DTS-HD Master track with some notable separations from the ocean and occasional naturalistic sounds in the brush. The Piano's beautiful score is by Michael Nyman (Gattaca, Man with a Movie Camera, Keep It Up Downstairs, Peter Greenaway's A Zed & Two Noughts etc.) There is a nice balance with the calmness and intensity of the music with The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise piece as a piercing, indelible, piano theme. The film's audio is impressive its own right - but shines even more nobly in the lossless transfer. Subtitle options include English and English (SDH) and as with all 4K UHD discs, this Criterion is Region 'Free', however the included Blu-ray of extras is Region 'A'-locked.

Included is a second Criterion disc is a Blu-ray and has the film (and commentary) plus is loaded with new and past extras. We start with a 27-minute conversation, recorded in New York in October 2021 for the Criterion Collection, with director Jane Campion talking to film critic Amy Taubin about her process as a filmmaker. In a new 10-minute interview, recorded in New York in July 2021 for the Criterion Collection, director of photography Stuart Dryburgh explains how he and director Jane Campion devised the look of The Piano. We also get a dozen minute interview with production designer Andrew McAlpine who talks about creating the sets for The Piano. It was recorded remotely in July 2021. Inside “The Piano,” is a 1993 program about the making of The Piano featuring interviews with director Jane Campion; actors Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, and Sam Neill; and producer Jan Chapman. It runs 1/4 hour. There is a 23-minute 2018 interview where actor Holly Hunter shares with FilmStruck host Alicia Malone her observations from working with director Jane Campion. “The Piano” at 25 is a 1/2 hour conversation with director Jane Campion and producer Jan Chapman who reminisce about their journey through the making of The Piano. It was shot in 2018 at Karekare Beach in New Zealand, one of the film's locations. Included is a 50-minute interview with composer Michael Nyman who discusses writing the score for The Piano. In an 18-minute audio interview, costume designer Janet Patterson talks to actor Adam Bowen about creating the Victorian-era costumes for The Piano. It was recorded in 2015 for the Oral History program at Australia's National Film and Sound Archive. In a new (2021) 1/4 hour interview, Maori actor Waihoroi Shortland talks about his role as an adviser on The Piano. It was recorded in Auckland, New Zealand. Jane Campion directed Water Diary, a 2006 short film about a child's experience of life during a period of drought. It stars Campion's daughter, Alice Englert and runs shy of 18-minutes. Lastly is a trailer and the package has an essay by critic Carmen Gray and has a new cover by Greg Ruth.

Criterion's 4K UHD release of Jane Campion's The Piano is an a brilliant package. A director-approved transfer of a masterful film; The Piano was a critical and commercial success, grossing $140.2 million USD worldwide with a budget of only $7 million. Sigourney Weaver was Campion's first choice for the role of the Scottish mute woman Ada McGrath, with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Isabelle Huppert as possibilities. Eventually Holly Hunter aggressively pursued the role and won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance. A wonderful choice for Criterion to have brought to the brilliance of 4K UHD. It is overloaded with supplements including a commentary. It has our highest recommendation!

Gary Tooze