Love Story Blu-ray Review
Remastered | Paramount Presents #15
Score: 76
from 7 reviewers
Review Date:
Love Story's re-release on Blu-ray showcases a stunning 1080p transfer from a 4K scan, an improved 5.1 lossless audio, and noteworthy new extras, though it misses the 4K UHD mark.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 90
Paramount’s new 4K remaster of 'Love Story' offers a stunning 1080p Blu-ray transfer with jaw-dropping clarity, vivid colors, and deep black levels. The fine grain structure and razor-sharp details surpass the previous edition, making this the best the film has ever looked, even better than its original theatrical prints.
Audio: 71
Featuring a remastered 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and Dolby Digital Mono, the Blu-ray of 'Love Story' boasts clear, crisp dialogue and a robust, front-oriented soundstage, with Francis Lai's score beautifully rendered despite minor harshness in early scenes and limitations in the surround dynamics.
Extra: 59
Love Story's Paramount Presents Blu-ray release combines superior audio/visual quality, a collectible slipcover, and a new insightful featurette by Leonard Maltin, while retaining classic extras such as Arthur Hiller's engaging commentary, a TCM Introduction, a retrospective featurette, and the original theatrical trailer.
Movie: 75
The 50th anniversary Blu-ray release of 'Love Story' breathes new life into this classic romance with a stunning 4K transfer and remastered audio. The film's realistic portrayal of love transcending class divides and its poignant, tear-jerking narrative remains compelling, though some find its dialogue dated and melodramatic.
Video: 90
The Blu-ray release for "Love Story," sourced from a new 4K remaster, offers an exceptional video presentation that far exceeds its previous editions. This transfer boasts stunning clarity and depth, maintaining the film's natural grain structure while revealing intricate details across every frame. The 1970s aesthetic is preserved through a faithful representation of the original film negative, with sharp facial nuances and detailed textures. Colors are bold and vivid, presenting a grounded palette that expertly balances contrast and black levels. Skin tones are slightly pale but consistent and true to the era's film stock, enhancing the authenticity of the viewing experience.
Technical aspects are impeccably managed. The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encoding yields rich blacks and stable whites, even with challenging snowy scenes. There is no visible processing, allowing the film-like video to project depth and realism effortlessly. The updated transfer from the original negative ensures that grain remains fine and consistent, contributing to a wonderfully organic feel. Close-ups are particularly striking, showcasing fine details with razor-sharp precision. Colors, while not overly saturated, are natural and pleasing to the eye. The overall presentation is remarkably clean, free from any dirt, scratches, or compression artifacts.
Presented in a 1:85:1 aspect ratio, the transfer's excellent contrast and clarity enhance depth and detail levels throughout the film. The meticulous 4K scan has eradicated all age-related defects without compromising the film's inherent warmth and texture. The color palette, while modest, punctuates with vividness where necessary, anchoring the image with rich blacks. Facial textures and environmental details reflect the film’s iconic cinematography with a fidelity that not only surpasses previous home editions but sets a new standard for Blu-ray transfers of classic films from the 1970s era.
Audio: 71
The newly remastered audio presentation of "Love Story" on Blu-Ray includes a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and a 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono track, each restored with notable improvements over previous releases. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix primarily focuses on the front soundstage, delivering crisp and clear dialogue after an initially harsh beginning, smoothing out approximately 20 minutes into the film. Although the original audio design doesn't demand an extensively immersive sound experience, the added surround elements and occasional low-frequency effects—such as subtle thumps or Francis Lai's score—are effectively rendered, enhancing the overall atmospheric depth.
Dialogue remains well-centered and intelligible throughout the film, with minor instances of strain in isolated scenes. The surround channels are used sparingly, contributing primarily to ambient cues and select musical moments, allowing Lai's Oscar-winning score to resonate with pleasing fidelity and balanced dynamics. Although the overall sonic experience wouldn't push a high-end audio system to its limits, the restoration successfully surpasses previous versions by reducing harshness and adding a fuller sound quality.
The Dolby Digital Mono track, while not lossless, achieves a commendable bitrate that narrows the gap between lossy and lossless audio. It provides a faithful representation of the original sound design, with clear dialogue that occasionally feels off-center compared to the precise imaging of the 5.1 track. Both audio options deliver clean, distortion-free playback with effective use of the limited soundstage inherent in the film’s original elements. This release represents a significant upgrade in audio presentation, ensuring that "Love Story" sounds better on home video than ever before.
Extras: 59
The Blu-ray release of "Love Story" as part of the Paramount Presents series boasts a notable upgrade in both audio and visual quality compared to previous editions. This collector's edition retains beloved extras from the 2012 Blu-ray and adds valuable new content, ensuring it appeals to both new viewers and longtime fans. The standout addition is Leonard Maltin's insightful "Filmmaker Focus," which offers a detailed dissection of the film's enduring appeal and historical context. Furthermore, the release includes a thoughtful introduction by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, enhancing the viewer's understanding of the film's legacy. Overall, these elements collectively enrich the viewing experience by providing deeper insights into one of cinema’s timeless romances.
Extras included in this disc:
Director's Commentary: Arthur Hiller provides engaging anecdotes and analysis. TCM Introduction by Ben Mankiewicz: Brief film critique covering casting and script evolution. Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on Love Story: Maltin discusses the film's staying power and historical context. Love Story: A Classic Remembered: Retrospective featurette with Arthur Hiller. Theatrical Trailer: Original promotional trailer for the movie.
Movie: 75
"Love Story," directed by Arthur Hiller, remains an emblematic romance film that has endured for over 50 years. The film follows Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) and Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), who fall in love despite coming from starkly different backgrounds—he, a wealthy Harvard law student, and she, a spirited Radcliffe music student from a working-class family. This film's initial release saved Paramount Studios from financial irrelevance and struck a chord with young Baby Boomers, ultimately leading to seven Academy Award nominations. The chemistry between O’Neal and MacGraw is palpable and endearing, capturing the romantic optimism and eventual tragedy in a way that resonated deeply with audiences of the 1970s.
A standout feature of "Love Story" is its straightforward narrative approach and concise characterization, particularly the heartfelt performances of its leads. O’Neal’s portrayal of Oliver captures the character’s emotional vulnerability and maturation, while MacGraw’s Jenny is lively and endearing. Together, their dynamic effectively conveys the highs and lows of youthful romance and the pain of inevitable loss. The supporting cast, especially Ray Milland as Oliver’s disapproving father, adds depth to the film’s exploration of familial tensions and personal sacrifice. Despite its occasional moments of melodrama, the film’s emotional honesty ensures its timeless appeal.
Technically, this latest Blu-ray release is impressive. It includes a new 1080p transfer sourced from a recent 4K restoration and remastered soundtracks in both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and original Dolby Digital mono. These enhancements provide a superior viewing experience compared to previous releases, ensuring that "Love Story" looks and sounds its best for contemporary audiences. This edition also includes a new introduction and retrospective featuring critic Leonard Maltin, offering valuable insights and context, making it a must-own for both longtime fans and newcomers interested in classic cinematic romances.
Total: 76
"Love Story," directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal, remains an enduring classic in the romantic drama genre. Paramount's latest Blu-ray re-release, part of the "Paramount Presents" series, does justice to this beloved film with an outstanding 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K scan. The visual quality is nothing short of stunning, presenting crystal-clear images that bring out the nuances in each scene, making it a substantial improvement over the previous 2012 release. Additionally, the Blu-ray offers a high-quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track, although some might miss the original mono track in a lossless format. The sound restoration exceeds expectations, delivering a rich auditory experience that complements the film's compelling narrative.
The re-release also includes several noteworthy supplemental features. Among them is an insightful introduction by Ben Mankiewicz, offering context and depth that enhance the viewing experience. Long-time fans and newcomers alike will appreciate the mixture of legacy bonus content along with a few new extras. However, there’s some lament over not providing a 4K UHD version, which could have amplified this edition's appeal. Yet, despite this minor shortcoming, the package remains satisfactory as it balances excellent audio-visual quality and valuable bonuses.
In conclusion, "Love Story" is an imperfect classic, but a classic nonetheless. It’s filled with solid acting and cameos from soon-to-be famous actors like Tommy Lee Jones. The new 4K remaster presented in 1080p on this Blu-ray is striking, making it a reference-quality addition to any collection. This re-release shines with upgraded video and audio, despite missing out on a 4K UHD version. It’s well worth checking out, whether for nostalgia or discovering this timeless tale anew. This is highly recommended and a must-own for film collectors.
AV Nirvana review by Michael ScottRead review here
Video: 100
There’s a few intentional soft shots with background clarity blurred out while the camera zooms in to someone in the foreground, but overall this is an amazing transfer....
Audio: 80
The score tends to be the focus of the year tracks (along with the LFE) as the film’s original sound design just doesn’t really call for a massively immersive mix....
Extras: 60
• Director's Commentary • Play with TCM Introduction by Ben Mankiewicz • Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on Love Story • Love Story: A Classic Remembered • Theatrical Trailer...
Movie: 80
That final moment when Jenny angrily berates Oliver for thinking he stole her dreams from her is one of the gut wrenching and sobering portions of the film, giving you a full idea of how totally she had...
Total: 80
The newly remastered audio is no slouch either, and while I really wish the 2.0 Mono original track was given the DTS-HD MA lossless treatment, the upgrade over the 2012 release in both video and audio...
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 100
It's light and consistent in density and pleasing to the eye, presenting the film with a wonderful feel for its natural state....
Audio: 80
The audio at the rink is rather ungainly in total but much of the rest of the film's soundtrack is quite pleasing, with refined music, precise dialogue, and well-rounded ambience the norm....
Extras: 50
Love Story's "Paramount Presents" release includes one new supplement as well as a TCM Introduction by Ben Mankiewicz (1080p, 3:28) in addition to the three returning extras that were included with the...
Movie: 80
When Oliver's stuffy parents reject the match, he sets out on his own, leaving a world of wealth, privilege, and easy access behind him, promising to build a life with Jennifer on love rather than convenience....
Total: 80
The picture is true and unassuming, evenly paced and always playing with an honest integrity as it eschews genre convention in favor of a genuine slice-of-life look at two people in love as they are, not...
DoBlu review by Christopher ZabelRead review here
Video: 100
Receiving a lush, organic 1.85:1 presentation with completely authentic textural detail, Love Story reveals impressive definition....
Audio: 60
Both the original mono soundtrack and 5.1 surround audio have been decently remastered with a slightly fuller sound quality....
Extras: 60
The new edition easily bests the original BD release with far superior audio/video quality, a collectible slipcover, and a new featurette by Leonard Maltin....
Movie: 80
Eloquently capturing the zeitgeist of its times with a fresh voice on love and marriage, it’s easy seeing why Love Story became a box office sensation....
Total: 75
One of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and successful romantic movies ever, the captivating tale of love and tragedy avoids sentimentality for its timely appeal during the 1970s....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
Rich blacks anchor the image and whites remain stable throughout...quite a feat, considering all the snowy scenes....
Audio: 60
Dialogue reproduction is superb, delivering even the whispered conversations with exceptional intelligibility....
Extras: 60
In addition to the extras ported over from the 2012 Blu-ray (audio commentary by director Arthur Hiller, the Love Story: A Classic Remembered featurette, and the film's original theatrical trailer, reviews...
Movie: 60
You could argue the film was a salve for the wounds inflicted by the turbulent 1960s and ongoing Vietnam War, and that allowed beleaguered audiences to forgive Love Story's glaring faults, but let's face...
Total: 60
The remastered 1080p transfer definitely improves upon the 2012 Blu-ray, but the same audio track, only a couple of new (and not very interesting) extras, and some fancy packaging aren't enough to get...
Home Theater Forum review by t1g3r5fanRead review here
Video: 100
Film grain is faithfully presented with even skin tones and a faithful presentation of fine details and the color palette; there’s definitely a sharper presentation here compared to the previous Blu-ray...
Audio: 100
There’s minimal to no instances of problems like distortion, fluttering, crackling or hissing present, which means that this release represents the best the movie will ever sound on home video....
Extras: 70
Love Story: A Classic Remembered (14:51) – Also originally recorded for the 2000 DVD release, Hiller’s onscreen interview covers some of the same points mentioned in the commentary, albeit with clips and...
Movie: 80
Veteran actors Ray Milland and John Marley bring life to their respective characters of Oliver’s upper crust father and Jenny’s more modest and down to earth papa (Marley would also earn an Oscar nod as...
Total: 90
Paramount has bested their previous Blu-ray release with an absolutely stunning HD transfer as well as carrying over the legacy bonus features in addition to a couple new ones in their Paramount Presents...
AVSForum review by Ralph PottsRead review here
Video: 90
Audio: 80
There isn’t much in the way of discrete surround sound or extended dynamics however, there are a variety of instances where the entire soundstage is put to good use via Francis Lai’s beautiful music score...
Extras: 60
Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on Love Story Trailer TCM Introduction by Ben Mankiewicz Commentary by Director Arthur Hiller Love Story: A Classic Remembered Digital Code...
Movie: 80
But fate has other plans, and soon Oliver and Jenny face a crisis only the strongest of loves can endure....
Total: 78
Ralph Potts AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews Reference Review System: JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated with Calman color calibration software and Portrait Displays C6 HDR2000...
Why So Blu? review by Brandon PetersRead review here
Video: 90
Facial features and textures are easily discernible from any reasonable distance in the frame....
Audio: 70
Its good for what it does and represents the movie well, but the 5.1 never really makes its case for being here....
Extras: 60
Maltin gives a brief history on the film, the cinema going climate of the time, the direct and stars of the film and serves as a nice little introduction....
Movie: 70
But as a film, a lot of the time I feel like we had just worked our way past a certain issue only to have it sort of restart again with just everyone wearing different clothes in a different place....
Total: 70
One of the things I particularly loved about it is the Ben Mankiewicz introduction that was one of the bonus features....
Director: Arthur Hiller
Actors: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal, John Marley
PlotOliver Barrett IV, a wealthy Harvard student, falls deeply in love with Jennifer Cavalleri, a quick-witted, working-class Radcliffe student. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they share a profound and spirited relationship. Oliver's wealthy family disapproves of Jennifer, but Oliver defies them and marries her after graduating. The couple faces financial challenges as they move into a small apartment and begin their life together. Oliver attends law school while Jennifer works as a teacher to support them.
Their love remains strong even through the hardships they encounter. They dream of starting a family, but encounter an unexpected series of obstacles that complicate their plans. These challenges test the strength of their relationship and reveal the depth of their commitment to each other. The story focuses on how they cope with life's difficulties and remain devoted to one another despite the mounting pressures and unforeseen events that come their way. Unwavering dedication, resilience, and the power of love drive their journey.
Writers: Erich Segal
Release Date: 16 Dec 1970
Runtime: 100 min
Rating: PG
Country: United States
Language: English