Casablanca [sus varias ediciones]

[gonzalo MX]

Blu-ray review
Movie 5.0
Video 5.0
Audio 4.5
Extras 5.0
Overall 5.0

Casablanca Blu-ray Review
"Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake." Play it twice, cinephiles, for Warner's new AV presentation...
Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, March 20, 2012

Casablanca Blu-ray, Video Quality
I expect nothing short of high definition perfection when dealing with new theatrical releases. But catalog titles? So much can go wrong, so much can be misunderstood about the process, and so much can be taken for granted that anything can (and sometimes does) go wrong. Whatever criticisms videophiles occasionally launch at Warner, though, let one thing be known: the studio that helped sire the modern film industry knows how to treat a catalog classic. Casablanca joins a growing list of remarkable catalog releases thanks to a fresh 4K scan, a meticulous frame by frame restoration, and a stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that orbits perfection. You don't even have to be a film preservationist to appreciate everything the film's dazzling new presentation offers. Faithful to whatever few faults there are and revealing in every sense of the word, it left me quite speechless. Oh, there's some inherited softness here, a bit of negligible print damage there, but all of it traces back to the film's original source elements (which look about as pristine as they come). Detail is excellent (insofar as Arthur Edeson's early '40s black and white photography allows) and grain, refined and unobtrusive as it is, rarely falters. Moreover, edge definition is crisp and clean (without any significant halos or ringing to report), shadow delineation is sound, and finer textures, when apparent, deliver.

Contrast is dialed in more beautifully than ever before too, with rich black levels, striking whites, vastly improved midrange tones, absorbing shadows and more natural gradation. Yes, the film's grain field drifts off course every so often, and yes, a few shots are a bit worse for the wear (chief among them portions of Isla's iconic departure), but there's simply nothing to suggest any of these exceptions could look any better than they do here. The presentation even strolls past its 2008 Blu-ray counterpart, which earned accolades and high marks when it arrived four years ago (even though, in hindsight, it's now clearly the inferior transfer). Suffice it to say, Warner's restoration and new encode are nothing short of extraordinary. Those who answer Casablanca second call to high definition arms will be glad they did.

Casablanca Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation
If you've never seen Casablanca, make Warner's 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Giftset the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Between its all-new 4K scan and restoration, fantastic video transfer, fully capable DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix, and bevy of extras (many of which are new to this release), the studio has gone above and beyond with an ultimate edition that makes the 2008 Ultimate Edition look inadequate. Price is really the only roadblock to consider. If that isn't an issue, add the latest release of Casablanca to your cart post haste.