The Long Goodbye Blu-ray Review
4K Restoration
Score: 85
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
The new 4K master of 'The Long Goodbye' offers enhanced visuals and bonus features, yet the persistent black crush issues necessitate further technical refinements.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 83
The Long Goodbye's Blu-ray presentation, sourced from a new 4K master, enhances fidelity with organic grain and vivid detail but suffers from black crush affecting indoor/night scenes, potentially due to 8-bit conversion issues. Despite minor flaws, it surpasses prior releases in clarity and stability.
Audio: 83
The Blu-ray of 'The Long Goodbye' offers an impressive audio presentation through its DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, delivering clear dialogue and a faithful mix with John Williams' jazzy score, while maintaining the film's original organic soundscape with minimal distortion—likely the best it will sound on home video.
Extra: 96
This Blu-ray of "The Long Goodbye" offers a comprehensive exploration into the film's creation and influence, featuring insightful documentaries on Robert Altman's vision, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond's 'flashing' technique, cultural and literary analyses, as well as newly recorded commentary by Tim Lucas, enhancing its cinematic legacy.
Movie: 76
Robert Altman's 'The Long Goodbye' transforms Chandler's iconic novel into a satirical neo-noir set in 1970s Los Angeles, with Elliott Gould's eclectic portrayal of Philip Marlowe navigating a moody atmosphere enhanced by Vilmos Zsigmond's unique cinematography and John Williams' dynamic soundtrack. The Blu-ray release by Kino Lorber includes insightful archival extras and commentary.
Video: 83
"The Long Goodbye" Blu-ray release, courtesy of Kino Lorber, showcases a remarkable 1080p transfer, crafted from a freshly minted 4K master. Retaining the film's original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, this version provides a notable visual refresh, rendering the film with a depth that exceeds previous MGM-mastered releases. However, it's not without its complications. The video is marred by significant black crush in certain scenes, particularly night and indoor shots, as well as some daylight footage. This issue compromises detail, resulting in areas that appear uncharacteristically dark and lacking subtlety. This might be symptomatic of a conversion discrepancy potentially arising from a switch between 10-bit and 8-bit processes.
Despite these setbacks, the presentation excels in other aspects. Grain is preserved in its natural state, contributing to an authentic filmic texture. Colors are rendered faithfully, and any previous dirt, scratches, or artifacts are practically eliminated. These factors collectively make it one of the finest home video versions available to date for "The Long Goodbye".
While the issues with black contrast may impact certain viewing experiences, they don't overshadow the otherwise exceptional image quality portrayed across large screens, indicating a significantly evolved viewing experience. Thus, this release stands as a valuable contribution to home theater collections, offering enhanced stability, fluidity, and overall aesthetic appeal. Note that this is a Region-A locked Blu-ray, requiring appropriate hardware to access content seamlessly.
Audio: 83
The Blu-ray release of "The Long Goodbye" features an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, delivering a robust audio experience true to its original mono soundtrack. Accompanied by optional English SDH subtitles positioned within the image frame, the dialogue is consistently strong and clear. The overall sound mix, alongside John Williams’ evocative, jazzy score, is represented with remarkable fidelity, capturing the film's audio landscape with minimal distortions. The mix skillfully balances dialogues against the backdrop of an immersive soundtrack, maintaining a rich and captivating auditory experience.
Despite the high fidelity, listeners should note the inherent organic sounds and ambient noises that are characteristic of the original soundtrack, occasionally presenting an uneven auditory texture. A meticulous review of critical scenes, such as the bar sequence, reveals an impressive reduction of previously detected hiss, denoting an improvement in audio clarity. However, slight buzzing during instances where the signature guitar theme surfaces—like the moment when Philip Marlowe receives the $5,000 bill—indicates minor artifacts in the audio presentation.
This release stands as a pinnacle in home video audio quality for "The Long Goodbye," preserving the authentic essence of its mono origins while enhancing key elements with nuanced clarity. The faithful sound reproduction and lack of significant distortion underscore its position as a definitive edition for fans and audiophiles alike.
Extras: 96
The Blu-ray of "The Long Goodbye" features an impressive array of extras that provide an in-depth exploration of the film's production and legacy. The highlight is the newly recorded audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas, offering comprehensive insights into the film's background, cast, crew, and literary source material. Archival features delve into filmmaker Robert Altman's distinctive approach and collaboration with renowned cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, who employed a unique 'flashing' technique to achieve the film's iconic look. Additional features explore the hard-boiled detective genre and the work of author Raymond Chandler, lending rich context to the adaptation. These elements make for an enriching viewing experience for enthusiasts of classic cinema and film studies alike.
Extras included in this disc:
- Rip Van Marlowe: Documentary with Altman and Gould on the film's creation.
- Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes The Long Goodbye: Discussion on cinematographic techniques.
- David Thompson on Robert Altman: Insight into Altman's career and legacy.
- Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler: Analysis of Chandler's influence.
- Maxim Jakubowski on Hard-Boiled Fiction: Dissection of noir literature.
- American Cinematographer Article: Examination of Zsigmond's visual techniques.
- Trailers From Hell: An episode featuring Josh Olson.
- Commentary: Audio commentary by critic Tim Lucas.
- Promotional Materials: Collection of trailers, TV and radio spots.
- Cover: Reversible cover with vintage artwork.
Movie: 76
"The Long Goodbye," directed by Robert Altman and adapted from Raymond Chandler's novel, provides a satirical neo-noir experience with a distinctive approach to the classic detective genre. Elliott Gould stars as Philip Marlowe, delivering an unconventional portrayal of Chandler’s iconic private eye. This rendition presents Marlowe as laid-back and somewhat out of sync with his surroundings, yet instinctively sharp in navigating the convoluted and twisting narrative that unfolds in 1970s Los Angeles. Altman's direction molds the film into a blend of homage and critique, retaining crucial elements from Chandler's original work while infusing it with his trademark style and improvisational flair.
A standout feature of the film is Vilmos Zsigmond's cinematography, which employs the technique of "flashing" the film stock to craft a smoky, atmospheric visual palette amplifying the noir vibe. The score composed by John Williams adds another layer of intricacy with its recurring theme interpreted in varied musical styles, notably by the Dave Grusin Trio. Altman's casting decisions bring additional depth to the story with intriguing performances from actors playing against type, such as Sterling Hayden as the troubled novelist Roger Wade and Mark Rydell as the erratic gangster Marty Augustine.
The Blu-ray release by Kino Lorber enriches the experience with a wealth of supplementary material, including interviews with key contributors like Elliot Gould and Vilmos Zsigmond, new commentary tracks, and a variety of archival footage and promotional content. This edition is essential for both casual viewers and Altman enthusiasts, offering insights into the film's production and contextualizing its place within both Altman’s oeuvre and the broader cinematic landscape. The preservation of "The Long Goodbye" in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry further underscores its enduring impact and evolving appreciation over time.
Total: 85
The Blu-ray release of "The Long Goodbye" showcases a significant enhancement over the previous iterations, owing primarily to the new 4K master. This upgrade offers noticeably improved picture quality, making it an attractive proposition for both new viewers and existing owners of the earlier releases. The transfer captures the distinct visual style of Robert Altman with remarkable clarity, even though some issues related to black crush persist. This minor flaw prevents the new master from being entirely definitive but does not significantly detract from the film’s overall presentation.
In addition to the enhanced visual experience, this release is complemented by an impressive array of special features, which are either newly included or carried over from previous editions. These supplements enrich the overall viewing experience, offering deeper insights into the film’s production and Robert Altman’s narrative techniques. Despite its mixed initial reception, "The Long Goodbye" is celebrated as a compelling example of Altman’s unique approach to filmmaking, making this release a must-have for collectors and cinephiles alike.
Should you upgrade if you already have Kino Lorber's original release of "The Long Goodbye"? Yes, the new 4K master that was prepared for this release is more attractive, plus there are additional bonus features on it. However, some adjustments need to be made to avoid the recurring black crush on Kino Lorber's exclusive new masters. If addressed, these masters will serve as definitive releases for important and cult older films. RECOMMENDED.
Blu-ray.com review by Dr. Svet AtanasovRead review here
Video: 80
I do not know what the origin of the problem is, and I do not wish to speculate, but I am beginning to wonder if someone is grading on a 10-bit monitor and seeing a different color gamut and then somewhere...
Audio: 80
You should keep in mind that the original soundtrack incorporates plenty of organic sounds and noises, so some unevenness exists....
Extras: 100
Maxim Jakubowski on Hard-Boiled Fiction - in this archival program, crime writer, critic and editor Maxim Jakubowski discusses the characteristics of the hard-boiled detective genre in literature and cinema....
Movie: 80
More importantly, Chandler's very unique style also creates and sustains a sense of intimacy between the reader and the private eye which could be awfully difficult to recreate with images, perhaps even...
Total: 80
I think that some adjustments need to be made so that the black crush that keeps appearing on Kino Lorber's exclusive new 2K and 4K masters is avoided....
Home Theater Forum review by t1g3r5fanRead review here
Video: 100
Film grain is organic, with fine details, color palette and shadows given a faithful representation; the transfer does open with the original United Artists/Transamerica logo, seen for the first time on...
Audio: 100
Dialogue is both strong and clear, with the sound mix and John Williams’ jazzy score also given a faithful representation; there’s minimal cases of distortion, crackling, popping or hissing present....
Extras: 100
The Long Goodbye (14:24) – Also brought over from the previous MGM DVD and Kino Blu-ray, Zsigmond talks about working on the movie, including using variable flashing in post-production....
Movie: 80
Second, he brings his gift of multi-layered sound and knack for improvisation and in the process creates an atmosphere that’s both realistic as well as a bit atypical for the neo-noir genre; the work of...
Total: 90
While it divided critics and got a lukewarm reception at the box office during its first release, The Long Goodbye has survived over the years as one of the more persuasive cases of Robert Altman’s distinctive...
Director: Robert Altman
Actors: Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden
PlotPrivate detective Philip Marlowe is awoken in the middle of the night by his friend Terry Lennox, who needs a lift to Tijuana. Marlowe obliges without questioning and returns home only to get entangled in a police investigation: Lennox's wife has been murdered, and Terry is the prime suspect. As Marlowe brushes off the police's efforts to pin him down as an accomplice, he learns that Lennox committed suicide. Disbelieving this turn of events, Marlowe starts his own investigation into the truth behind Terry’s actions and his wife's murder.
While probing deeper, Marlowe gets involved with a novelist named Roger Wade, whose wife enlists Marlowe's help in dealing with Roger's erratic behavior. The detective’s journey takes him through a web of connections involving the Wades, Terry Lennox, and Eileen, Roger’s enigmatic wife. Marlowe’s unconventional methods and sharp wit lead him through a labyrinth of deceit, betrayal, and vulnerability. As he peels back the layers of secrecy, each revelation brings him closer to understanding the dark complexities surrounding his friend's mysterious death and the intertwined fate of those he's encountered.
Writers: Leigh Brackett, Raymond Chandler
Release Date: 08 Mar 1973
Runtime: 112 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English, Spanish