Cinéart vs. Criterion image: It appears as though the source for the transfers is the exact same as there is not much difference at all between the two digital presentations (see bitrate graph similarities). The Criterion can sometimes appear a shade sharper (perhaps some minor tinkering) and its subtitles seem more complete with a different, larger, font. But beyond that as both are progressive (with no other extras sharing the dual-layered disc), have a similar bitrate but the Criterion is in NTSC running time while the Cinéart has 4% PAL speedup.  The Criterion is advertised as "Restored digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Chantal Akerman". Both look and sound marvelous (Criterion mono to Cinéart's 2.0 channel) in my opinion.

Supplements on the Cinéart: Important news on the PAL package is that all of its supplements have optional English and Dutch subtitles. You get two Akerman shorts - Saute ma ville (1968) running 12 minutes plus a silent camera piece, running 11 minutes, called La Chambre (1972). On the Les rendez- vous d’Anna DVD we have 3 separate Interviews - one with Babette Mangolte, a second with the director's mother Natalia Akerman and another with Aurore Clement (total approx. 1 hour 20 minutes). On the supplements disc for Jeanne Dielman there is an interview with Chantal Akerman (17:15) and a featurette called Autour de Jeanne Dielman. It is a limited production behind the scenes expose and runs for 1:18:25. I found it kind of boring.

Supplements on the Criterion: the film is so long and bare that I can't see a full-length commentary being viable. Unless I am incorrect - Autour de “Jeanne Dielman,” seems to run about 10-minutes shorter on the Criterion disc. It's a documentary—shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnes Ravez and Akerman—made during the filming of Jeanne Dielman. It looks at the on-set relationship between Akerman, Delphine Seyrig and the crew. It's still boring BUT did notice that the Criterion subtitling is far more complete than the Cinéart which leaves many gaps without translation. Sauté ma ville (1968) is 13-minutes and is also on the Cinéart. It is Akerman’s first film, but contains an introduction by the director (13:02). Chantal Akerman on Jeanne Dielman is a 20-minute interview conducted in Paris April 2009. Chantal Akerman on Filmmaking runs 17-minutes and is footage excerpted from “Chantal Akerman par Chantal Akerman,” a 1997 episode of the French television program Cinéma de notre temps. This is the same one available on the Cinéart disc. We get about 7-minutes of a Feb. 1976 television interview excerpt featuring Akerman and star Delphine Seyrig from the program Les rendez-vous du dimanche hosted by Michel Drucker. Akerman and Seyrig discuss their work together. There is a new interview with longtime collaborator, cinematographer, Babette Mangolte who shot her films Hôtel Monterey and La Chambre. This runs 22-minutes. There is a 1/2 hour interview with Akerman’s mother Natalia (by the director herself) from 2007 - also available on the Cinéart package. Criterion have included a 20-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Ivone Margulies.

This is a landmark, un-missable, film and both packages represent it to an excellent level - but the Criterion, as a whole, may be marginally more polished with some new interview supplements. Those considering a double-dip should mull over the Cinéart's PAL speedup and less complete subtitle translations as discussed above. Criterion have done their, expectantly, thorough and professional job with this important title and we surely must recommend.