Joseph Losey's "The Servant" Blu-ray - Dirk Bogarde @Criterion (Patreon)

Joseph Losey's "The Servant" Blu-ray - Dirk Bogarde @Criterion

US: https://amzn.to/3ls8Nyp

CAN: https://amzn.to/3Nwibwc

OUR COMPARISON:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film10/blu-ray_review_157/the_servant_4K_UHD.htm

Studio Canal 4K UHD BONUS CAPTURES are located here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/joseph-loseys-4k-58209460

The prolific, ever provocative Joseph Losey, blacklisted from Hollywood and living in England, delivered a coolly modernist shock to the system of that nation’s cinema with this mesmerizing dissection of class, sexuality, and power. A dissolute scion of the upper crust (James Fox) finds the seemingly perfect manservant (a diabolical Dirk Bogarde, during his transition from matinee idol to art-house icon) to oversee his new London town house. But not all is as it seems, as traditional social hierarchies are gradually, disturbingly destabilized. Lustrously disorienting cinematography and a masterful script by playwright Harold Pinter merge in The Servant, a tour de force of mounting psychosexual menace.

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ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (June 2023): Criterion have transferred Joseph Losey's 1963 film The Servant to Blu-ray described as a "New 4K digital restoration." The image is a bit brighter than the Studio Canal, although the 4K UHD has the edge simply due to the 2160P resolution. The Criterion 1080P contrast looked well balanced on my system but the Studio Canal grain texture is more fine and showcases occasional depth. For those that have not adopted the 4K, they will be extremely pleased with the Criterion Blu-ray presentation. I didn't notice much difference in the audio unless the Criterion linear PCM is a shade tinnier. The Criterion Blu-ray is Region "a'-locked and has optional English (SDH) subtitles.

For extras Criterion offer a new 1/2 interview with critic Imogen Sara Smith who sheds light on Joseph Losey's signature style and thematic obsessions, present throughout the more than thirty features the prolific director made over the course of his decades-long career. They also include a rare 1/2 audio interview by critic Michel Ciment with excerpts of a 1976 interview with Joseph Losey, with Harold Pinter on the making of The Servant that was part of the research for his seminal book on the director, Conversations with Losey. There is also a 23-minute 1996 interview with screenwriter Pinter conducted at London's National Film Theatre in 1996 by his official biographer, Michael Billington (entitled Harold Pinter) - featuring the Nobel laureate discussing his collaborations with director Joseph Losey and how his work for the screen differs from his work for the stage. Lastly are a trailer and, also found on the Studio Canal, the same interviews with The Servant's four lead actors - Dirk Bogarde, James Fox, Sarah Miles, and Wendy Craig - reflecting on their experiences working on the film. The interview with Bogarde is from the 1992 documentary Dirk Bogarde: By Myself, while the rest were shot in the UK in 2013. James Fox was interviewed by his son-in-law, the actor and comedian Richard Ayoade. The package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by author Colm Tóibín.

So a fine Blu-ray presentation from Criterion and some valuable new extras that may warrant a double-dip for strong fans of Losey and The Servant. New adopters may be content with the extensive Studio Canal 4K UHD Collector's edition.