ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray Region FREE 4K UHD (July 2026): Criterion have released Martin Ritt's Hud to Blu-ray and 4K UHD. We compared the 2003 Paramount DVD, the 2019 German Paramount Blu-ray and the 2025 Imprint Blu-ray HERE. Criterion’s 4K UHD edition of Martin Ritt’s Hud is a welcome high-end treatment of this stark revisionist Western. The two-disc set features a new 4K digital restoration on the UHD disc (presented in Dolby Vision HDR) and a Blu-ray with the film plus supplements. It honors the film’s austere black-and-white cinematography by James Wong Howe while delivering strong contextual extras. Criterion's treatment advances handily over the other releases that had ratio issues (vertically stretched faces) and waxy soft visuals. The new restoration crops a shade from the right edge but proportions appear more accurate, detail rises and contrast is more pure. It's not much of a contest - and we finally get this masterpieces in a terrific HD presentation.

While we are in possession of the 4K UHD disc, we cannot resolve the encode yet, and therefore, cannot obtain screen captures. We hope to add to this review at some point in the future. So, the below captures are from Criterion's 2026 1080P Blu-ray transfer and they are, pretty much, the exact same as their UK counterpart (see comments.)

The 2026 Criterion Blu-ray and 4K UHD's new 4K digital restoration from the original camera negative looks outstanding. the 4K UHD utilizes Dolby Vision HDR. James Wong Howe’s high-contrast, high-key lighting and vast Panavision (2.35:1) compositions benefit enormously from the higher resolution and dynamic range. The blinding Texas skies appear pure white without crushing detail in the ground or shadows, while deep blacks deliver rich, layered contrast that defines the desolate landscapes and silhouettes figures against the horizon. Fine film grain is minimal but natural and resolved, preserving the textured, documentary-like realism of the Panhandle locations-dust, sweat, weathered wood, and fabric all gain tactile presence. Skin tones (especially Newman’s charismatic swagger and Douglas’s weathered face) look nuanced, and night scenes retain excellent shadow detail without noise. Compared to the two prior Blu-rays, enjoy sharper detail, better depth in widescreen frames, and a more filmic expression that enhances the psychological isolation central to the story. Brilliant. Minor source limitations (occasional softness in certain opticals) remain faithful to the original, but overall this is a reference-level presentation for this 1960s black-and-white scope film. There is highly pleasing depth that was absent on all previous digital releases. This HD presentation is a triumph.

NOTE: We have added 72 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

The set includes an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray and 4K UHD disc, presented faithfully in linear PCM. Dialogue is clear and intelligible with natural timbre, while ambient sounds-wind across the plains, cattle lowing during the quarantine sequences, barroom clamor, and footsteps-carry realistic weight and spatial presence within the mono field. Elmer Bernstein’s (7 Women, The Liberation of L.B. Jones, The Tin Star, The Shootist The Great Escape, See No Evil, Sudden Fear, From the Terrace, The Hallelujah Trail, The Grifters, Robot Monster, Devil in a Blue Dress, Saturn 3, Birdman of Alcatraz, Love With the Proper Stranger, The Bride at Remagen, The Comancheros, The World of Henry Orient, Kings of the Sun, To Kill a Mockingbird, Summer and Smoke,) sparse, guitar-driven score emerges with poignant intimacy and excellent tonal balance; the minimalism feels even more impactful without artificial expansion. There are no hiss, pops, or distortions of note. The lossless mono honors the film’s intimate, grounded aesthetic perfectly. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are precise. The Criterion Blu-ray is Region 'A'-locked. Criterion's 4K UHD is, like all from this format, Region FREE.

Criterion assembles a strong, focused supplement package that illuminates the production and legacy without excess. Standouts include: audio excerpts from a 1974 American Film Institute seminar with director Martin Ritt (near 3/4 hour) - offering direct insights from the filmmaker. There is a new interview with actor Sally Field (conducted by Isaac Butler, over 1/2 hour) - reflecting on Ritt’s directing style (she worked with him on Norma Rae and Murphy’s Romance.) A fascinating new 20-minute interview with cinematographer Roger Deakins - analyzing James Wong Howe’s techniques and influence is a supplement highlight. Lastly is an episode of Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton and Paul Newman (over 40-minutes) - a deeper dive into Newman’s iconic performance. The package also features a booklet with an essay by film scholar Gabriel Miller and a 1963 American Cinematographer interview with Howe, plus a wonderful new cover by Eric Skillman.