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NOTE : The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - (July 2019) - The New Kino is advertised as "A 4K Restoration of the Original 128-Minute Director’s Cut!". It, indeed, runs 11-minutes longer than the 2011 Criterion BD release. There are a few version running from 1:55:00 - 2:10:00. This 1080P image is brighter than the Criterion and there is a slight shift in the 1.66:1 frame with the Kino, generally showing more information although this can slightly vary from sequence to sequence. I don't find it overly bright and looks excellent on my system. The grain is beautifully exported and I think I prefer this 4K restoration viewing to the older, and now out-of-print, Criterion Blu-ray . Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono track in original French language (16-bit.) Criterion advance with their linear PCM at 24-bit although few might notice the difference in the authentically flat track. Martial Solal (Melville's Two Men in Manhattan aka Deux hommes dans Manhattan, Godard's Breathless etc.) does the score - one of only 15 composition credits. It sounds very good although I always not the extensive pauses in the film more than the subtle music. There are optional English subtitles (see sample) and the Blu-ray disc is Region 'A'-locked. Kino include a full length audio commentary by Filmmaker and Historian Mike Siegel (some may recall from his 2005 film "Passion & Poetry: The Ballad of Sam Peckinpah") He has done quite a few commentaries but only a handful in English. He is German and has an accent, only very occasionally, struggling with English and it wasn't a distraction and he makes some decent points in regards to the production, Melville, and much more (it is over 2-hours) and he doesn't focus on production details. As in Le Doulos we get The Demon Within Him - a 1/2 hour interview with Volker Schlöndorff. It is the same supplement where he recounts the film and his participation noting details about Melville. Fans may enjoyed the hour-long Master Class Jean-Pierre Melville with Philippe Labro & Rémy Grumbach de-constructing many of the director's scenes. Also included is Jean-Pierre Melville's 1946 19-minute short 24 heures de la vie d'un clown – described as "A day in the life of Beby the clown. Filmed between shows at Circus Medrano, at home and in the streets of Paris, with his faithful partner and friend the clown Maïss." Lastly. is a theatrical trailer for Leon Morin, Priest and other Melville films. A less typical Melville film but brilliantly crafted and an interesting tale with toned down sexual impulses always prevalent between the priestly-garbed Belmondo and wholesome looking Emmanuelle Riva. Leon Morin, Priest is a fabulous viewing experience of love, survival, conflict... The longer running Kino Blu-ray with its 4K restoration and optional commentary gets our highest recommendation - even for those already owning the Criterion. *** ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - July 11': Criterion maintain the 1.66:1 aspect ratio in their 1080P transfer. It looks improved beside the out-of-print BFI SD release from 2004. There is more information in the frame, far more textured grain is readily present and detail and contrast are elevated to more film-like levels. The strong and damage free Criterion Blu-ray image is darker making the BFI look slightly brightness boosted. Criterion again opt for the faithful mono audio using a linear PCM track at 1152 Kbps. Not that there was any problem with the BFI but dialogue does seem more audible. Criterion have added optional English subtitles - exporting a different translation than the BFI but supporting the same intent. The Criterion is, as always, region 'A'-locked. Criterion extras are not as stacked as we have seen in the past and don't quite eclipse the BFI in the supplement area. We get a brief French television interview with director Jean-Pierre Melville and actor Jean-Paul Belmondo from 1961 for less than 5-minutes in HD, and the same selected-scene commentary in Chapters 1-2 (9:30), 6-7 (11:15), 17-20 (14:29) by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau (still love that voice) author of Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris, an original theatrical trailer for 3-minutes also in HD, plus 2 short deleted Scenes - together running les than 5-minutes. There is an enclosed booklet featuring an essay by critic and novelist Gary Indiana and excerpts from Melville on Melville. Supposedly the film was originally, but rarely longer version and parsed down at some stage to the cut we have on digital editions. This remains an excellent film and a Blu-ray we can strongly recommend! *** ON THE BFI DVD : The picture quality seems even better than Le Doulos . Shows a lot of good film grain and fairly tight anamorphic picture quality. I couldn't remove the English subtitles but suspect that it might have been my player - regardless they are clear and "Criterion-like". Exact same extras as in Le Doulos , but , of course, a different commentary and trailer. A very well done DVD by the BFI! out of Gary W. Tooze