Trust the creators with film restorations
Over the past few years film restorations have exploded in popularity, driven by demand from reparatory theaters and UHD Blu-ray collectors. Boutique labels like Criterion, Arrow, and Shout Factory have upgraded once shoddy releases into pristine 4K transfers. The projects span a wide range of decades and genres, from Barry Lyndon to RoboCop, High and Low to Se7en, Hard Boiled to A History of Violence.
But restorations often generate controversy. Critics argue the restorations go too far, distracting from a movie’s original artistry and aesthetics, and in some cases edging into remake territory. For example, the 2021 restoration of Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love shifted the color palette towards greens, muting the the reds and whites of earlier releases. Many complained the colder color palette dulled the movie’s lauded costuming and cinematography. Similarly, David Fincher’s updates to Se7en used digital touchups to replace actors heads, change backgrounds, and reframe shots. Online debates broke out on whether Fincher’s edits ultimately helped or distracted from the final picture.
The restoration debate is ultimately about ownership. Should restorations honor the creator’s intent or the audience’s original memory? And how far can you restore a movie before it becomes a different work altogether?
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