4K Ultra HD – Edition FR – The Smoker Cat – 102 min – 27 January 2022
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 4K
• Standard HDR: CSD
• Ratio: 1.66
Soundtrack
• French DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers as well as the viewing equipment specified and used by each tester of the MaG team, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence the rating. Moreover, the images in the article are not representative of the edition tested.
WORK – Flics against criminals
Mathias Palouzi, cop in charge of the territorial brigades, put himself in the lead to arrest the king of the underworld of Belleville: Roger Massina. To achieve its goal, an informant is indispensable. When the informant was found murdered, Palouzi only sought another "balance". Dédé Laffont, a small pimp, appears as the ideal substitute: he has a dispute with Massina and wants revenge.
Caesar of the best film in 1983, poliziettesco (the Italian polar bis) to the French which enjoys a quasi-documentary realism (cf. the atmosphere of Belleville and Pigalle), a particularly high casting (Nathalie Baye, Philippe Léotard, Richard Berry) and memorable action scenes (such as the final ambush) remains a great classic of the genre where emotions, finally the heart of the Balanceare catalysts of the acts of the protagonists (psychologically searched). It just hits!
IMAGE – Neither white nor black
Apart from a much too saturated introduction where it is so dark that background decors disappear, this SDR UHD transfer restored by VDM from the original negative allows to appreciate Bernard Zitzermann's naturalistic photography at its fair value... And so much if one « hair » and a vertical line have been forgotten!
The silver grain reveals itself fully (even if it may happen to tingle in the dark), the stability of the frame is exemplary, the piqué displays without fear of reprisals (except for rare flexions), the colorimetric palette illuminates the image of an unprecedented vibrance (the lipstick of Nicole, the dress of the members of the « BT ») and the blacks benefit from a strengthening that suits them.
Without HDR, the difference in the presence of Blu-ray is played on the side of compression and definition for details that gain in sharpness (especially decors).
SON – The need for information
A result of a new restoration, this very good soundtrack proposed in DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono (mixing 5.1 of the DVD has not been recovered) imposes as a balanced mixing that does not lack either a safe (the dynamics is there) or clarity (no parasitic breath).
CONCLUSION – What happened to the code of honor?
Indispensable to all neopolar fans (especially since this one, often copied, marked its time), this edition (limited to 1000 copies) signed by the most precious French publisher (The Smoker Cat) has a sublime three-folded digipack, in which a Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD are stored loaded with supplements (interviews, archive images, short films, etc.) and technically sound.
Whether you're crooks or cops, you won't have any excuses for not getting this priceless collection as quickly as possible!
Artistic note
8
Video quality
8
Audio quality
8
0
Everyone is talking about this film right now and saying good. Your text confirms this. Well, I'll try to see him quickly to make him a chronicle on DSR ^_^
You do well, an important work of the French neopolar. 😉