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

ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - January 2015': The Renoir short looks the best it ever will in digital - restored, and a max'ed out bitrate. It is cleaner (far fewer marks, damage and speckles), tighter and has rounded corners. For the most part is shows more information in the frame and grain texture is very evident.

Audio gets a linear PCM and is still imperfect - as decreed by the original 1936 production. Criterion's subtitles are fully optional and the Blu-ray disc is region 'A'-locked.

Criterion don't have the Philip Kemp commentary but do add many supplements in their Blu-ray package. There is a six minute introduction by director Jean Renoir from 1962 television. We get a new, 25-minute, interview with Renoir scholar Christopher Faulkner about the film’s production. Originally shot in 1936, A Day in the Country was not released until ten years late, in a forty-minute, unfinished version. In this interview, conducted by Criterion in October 2014, Faulkner discusses the film's complicated production history and where it fits in the director's oeuvre. Christopher Faulkner also conducts a 17-minute new video essay on Renoir’s methods who was thought to have used improvisation in the production. This was illuminated in 1994 when the Cinematheque francaise released Un tournage a la campagne composed of 89-minutes of outtakes from the production A Day in the Country. This video essay examines those outtakes. And this complete 1994 film compilation of outtakes from Renoir's film (taken from 4.5 hours of footage) entitled Un tournage à la champagne is included here in 1080P. We also get a 5.5 minute interview with producer Pierre Braunberger from 1979 where he talks about his relationship with Renoir and the film's procudtion difficulties. This interview originally appeared in the documentary Portait d'un producteur: Pierre Braunberger, directed by Robert Rea. Lastly we have the screen tests found on the BFI DVD and Criterion include one of their liner notes booklets with an essay by film scholar Gilberto Perez.

Not only do we get the film in 1080P, but some brilliant analysis is inslcued in the valuable supplements. We highly recommend this Blu-ray.  

***

ON THE DVD: BFI have gone to some lengths with this DVD. It is a forgotten unfinished film by a master director and many film buffs have never had the opportunity to see it. The image quality is very good - only minute traces of dirt and scratches. The sub-titles are, unfortunately, non-removable although they are well done and clear. There is a host of interesting Extras including a commentary and discarded scenes. I would suspect that any true fans of Jean Renoir MUST obtain this DVD. The sound is wonderful and clear and a big part of this presentation. Big thanks to BFI for bringing this to DVD in such fine quality.

       Gary W. Tooze