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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, The
    Genre:Classic

    Reviewed In Issue 26 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon, Marc Michel, Ellen Farner, Mireille Perrey & Harald Wolff

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 2
    Sound Rating: 2.5
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
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    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Criterion Collection
    (Catalog Number): CC1480L
    (MPAA Rating): Not Rated
    (Retail Price): $49.95
    (Running Time In Minutes): 88
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): No
    (Theatrical Release): 1964
    (LD Release Date): 6/9/97
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):

    Credits Information
    (Director): Jacqeus Demy
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    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.66:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.60:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo A
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital):
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
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    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    (French) The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg enchants and amazes with its bittersweet love story told entirely in song. Geneviève Emery (Catherine Deneuve) and Guy Foucher (Nino Castelnuovo) are two young lovers who are separated when he must go to war in Algeria. The naive Geneviève, pregnant with his child, lets the distance between them drive her into a deep depression. As she waits for Guy’s return, Roland Cassard (Marc Michel), a diamond merchant who rescued their nearly bankrupt umbrella shop, asks for Geneviève’s hand in marriage to the delight of her mother. Originally released in 1964, this 1992 version includes a Dolby Stereo remix.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    Matted at 1.60:1, the problematic picture exhibits vivid, oversaturated and unnatural looking colors with deep interior blacks, while exteriors present weak and grainy bluish-blacks. Fleshtones are generally natural, though sometimes exhibiting a greenish hue. Slight grain is apparent with minor artifacts.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The soundtrack sounds completely staged with no spatial integration. The music and vocals often sound shrill and irritating.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
    (Aggressive System Surround):
    (Intense 25Hz Bass):
    (Deep Bass Challenging):
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield):
    (Aggressive Split Surround):
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    (Directionalized Dialogue):
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    Collector Edition: