World of Wong Kar Wai | Criterion's Controversial Remasters vs. Original Blu-ray Releases

A comprehensive comparison of all seven films in Criterion's 2021 World of Wong Kar Wai box set, remastered with a new 4k scan under the guidance of the director himself.
I noticed a while back how challenging it was to find decent analysis and documentation of exactly what had changed in these remasters, so I took it upon myself to try to collect as much of it as possible in one place. Obviously, there will be things I missed or over generalized, but I hope this can serve as a resource for anyone considering picking up the box set or just curious about these interesting and contentious remasters.
Wong Kar-wai's statement on the remasters: www.criterion.com/current/posts/7325-world-of-wong-kar-wai-director-s-note
Places to follow me:
patreon: www.patreon.com/WatchingtheAerial
twitter: watchingaerial
letterboxd: letterboxd.com/watchingaerial/
How Hitchcock Turned a Town Into His Film Set: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6nQaayQar9_rMk
Searching For Fallen Angel's Lost Lens: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2PHopJtrNpjetk
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:20 As Tears Go By (1988)
02:36 Days of Being Wild (1990)
05:13 Chungking Express (1994)
07:13 Fallen Angels (1995)
10:31 Happy Together (1997)
13:01 In The Mood For Love (2000)
14:44 2046 (2004)

[@bimmovieproductions6352]

The greatest crime for me is the credits in chungking express, they really doesn't fit the grimy, dirty and homemade style of the rest of the film, the original was basic, but it worked well.

[@Gma7788]

If you can remember it, you weren't there. Most of you whingers weren't born back in the day

[@usersname2597]

In Happy Together, the corrections are taking away the charm of Doyle's cinematography. The blur and overexposure has become characteristic of the movie. I dislike the colour corrections and the sharpening because the unrealistic colours are what make this movie iconic. What they did to the dance scene and the waterfall scene is criminal.

[@AleksandarBloom]

That footage shown in the video is not the original 1997 Happy Together but first remaster.

[@theLeaFOscillot]

I have a kino DVD from the early 2000s that has bad image quality but the colors are much closer to the new restoration than the previous blu-ray versions. I suspect the old Blu-ray might be more tampered with and the new one might actually be closer to how the movie looked when it premiered.

[@mayukh9536]

Looks like they tried to make these more naturalistic which imo kinda reduces the dreamlike nature of his films. _2046_ was the only one I felt looked good, the rest were unnecessary tbh. Also, shout-out to OP for ending the video with one of my favourite pieces of music. Lim Giong is truly a genius.

[@josephpalos2207]

Okay but what they did to Fallen Angels is unforgivable

[@filmstartshere]

I don't know what's worse, Fallen Angels or In the Mood for Love.

[@x6621]

@@filmstartshere Fallen Angels. In my opinion, I like the new green colours for In the Mood for Love and Days of Being Wild (and some scenes in Happy Together), but all the others I think look atrocious (what they did to Fallen Angels was a travesty).

[@mkazmi]

@@x6621 The only thing changes i didnt like about fallen angels were the aspect ratio and black and white scenes, but other than that..i love the changes

[@alienanxiety]

They're his films and his choices. He doesn't need your forgiveness.

[@thedukeoffunk]

I don’t mind them existing, just upset they didn’t include both versions of each in the box set. The Blade Runner release is the way to do it.

[@pricklypear300]

As a 90s kid so many of his movies and the blueish, dream-like urban forest remain in my subconsciousness, so vividly, to the point it has created false memories of being in Hong Kong or places similar to it during the 90s, when I have never really been there during that time I remember I was there. I really do respect the director's wishes to bring back the images he saw himself, but I am still in love what he accidentally created❤

[@HydraSpectre1138]

The original versions of all the films except for As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, and 2046 are on The Criterion Channel. I really wish Criterion just made a 21-disc set with each film having three discs: Disc 1 with the 4K remasters at the highest bitrate possible and in 4K UHD, Disc 2 having the 4K remasters in 1080p Blu-ray at the highest bitrate possible, and Disc 3 having the original cuts of the films with bonus features.

[@datahoarder3878]

So basically, the film quality is (unsurprisingly) much better, but the color timing is...questionable. Interesting. The director himself makes it clear that these are the versions he wanted, although I can't help but consider whether or not this is a case similar to what you pointed out in the Matrix/Bad Remasters video. Is this remaster "genuine" in honoring the original vision of the director, or did he arbitrarily choose the new versions because they look better to him? Is this a case where the "mistake" version actually fits better, and the director is just wrong (like the original green color timing in The Matrix)? Because, in my opinion, the flatter and less blue version of As Tears Go By looks worse, but the new color timing of Days Of Being Wild looks significantly better and more stylish. What an odd and curious set of remasters from Criterion. It seems like they're catching a lot more flak lately for honoring the (sometimes questionable) decisions of directors, such as with the director being able to dictate the cover art of Defending Your Life, or the also-strange remasters of Memories Of Murder and Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Solid video as always, WatchingtheAerial. I look forward to the next one.

[@petitnicollas]

What changed in the remaster of Memories of Murder?

[@untested3344]

@@petitnicollas they darkened the image

[@v-trigger6137]

​@@petitnicollasthey basically darkned and green coated filtered every scene. it's not bad (some scenes actually improved), but it's just looks drastically different from the original version.

[@ColombianThunder]

​@@v-trigger6137I quite love the new green color grade for memories of murder, but I do wish they didn't also darken the image that takes place in "present day." I feels too tonally different. Other than that, I like the change.

[@ryansmith9626]

The new 'In The Mood For Love' is odd. I don't hate it, but am happy to still have the original blu-ray, but I think partly the new color grade adds to the fact the film is told in memory from the past. Still, I wish each disc had included, even as bonuses, the original versions.

[@bryanzzz748]

I just think the new color grade kinda takes some of the charm away from the original color. I actually like that it doesn’t always “look” like this story is taking place in the past, almost as if saying these type of love connections could happen at any time in human history. It really looks like I’m looking at a completely different movie with the new shading :/

[@somewordsandstuffiguess]

where did you get original blu ray from?

[@ed1rko17]

It's much easier to see what WKW was going for with these new remasters if you watch them on a properly calibrated TV. In these comparisons I see online, ITMFL looks so green, but when watching it on my TV, it doesn't look green at all, the colours look proper and far less garish.

[@DantheDuke_]

Maybe the best comparison video I've seen. Awesome job editing!

[@Agos226]

Now In the Mood for Love is just so…. green. When I first saw the film I was struck by the beautiful warm red tones that permeated the whole film and now that’s kind of ruined

[@chamber20projects]

Yeah it sucks because the Blu-ray was due for an update with new encoding. But We've got to keep the old one forever because who knows if that color grade will ever get a remaster.

[@FishingforFisher]

Though I'm not a fan of some of the changes, at the end of the day the set does make it easier for new people to get introduced to the incredible films of WKW. And I'm all for that.

[@RadaSmada]

imagine they just made the set with the original movies tho :(

[@O-revisor]

What do you mean its easier for new watchers to enjoy? I dont mean disrespect, I'm just curious

[@Hkamerica273]

This is label as ‘world’ of wong but yet missing 3 of his movies

[@Andromeister27]

Thank god I still have the original Criterions, this new set is horrendously presented with the worst format to watch these movies.

[@FishingforFisher]

@@O-revisor I mean, prior to this box set, it was relatively difficult to watch WKW movies in high quality. For example the original Criterion Blu-Ray for Chungking Express, and Kino Lorber Blu-Ray for Fallen Angels, had long been out of print, and were commanding high prices on the used market, prior to the box set release. By having them all as one set, newcomers can discover them for the first time quite easily.

[@domclegg1225]

11:50 is a terrible change

[@Andromeister27]

Agreed, completely butchered the tone of the scene with the color grading... uGH

[@HibiscusFlowerFC]

When watching In The Mood for love in the new remaster and green color grade filter. Buy the same sunglasses that Wong Kar Wai wears and watch the films in those..... Maybe will improve the experience 😅😎

[@KirbyCrossing]

those new chungking express end credits cannot be real

[@x6621]

They look so bad 💀💀💀 they literally look like something made in powerpoint

[@OwlComedy]

I’m thinking the same thing here

[@kekoasylva5544]

I honestly love both versions of the happy together remaster. Ones more colorful and ones more gritty

[@arreza253]

In the mood for love, I dont like the framing of 13:24. The placement of Tony's hand poses a more dramatic effect rather than the new reframing where the hand is nowhere to be seen. I prefered the original color grading of In the Mood For Love, simply because it fit so well in the atmosphere. The reds are a character in itself. I think the greens were too much.

[@DynastyUK]

Agreed, that hand is important! I see why he went with the green because it compliments the Red however like you say it was a character of it's own, it doesn't need complimenting and blending in, it needs to stand out.

[@bencanfield]

What's with the obsession of green tinted color grading?

[@bencanfield]

Excellent comparisons, by the way

[@petitnicollas]

I've watched some of these new restorations and they were not as bad as people thought just by comparing the individual shots, I still don't like the color change in some movies tho.

[@imDonDiestro]

Didn’t even know it was possible to change something from standard to anamorphic in post.

[@sebcubille]

im actually fine with all the changes (yes, even fallen angels, his best movie imo) EXCEPT for the matrix filter on in the mood for love

[@tuberculosis7873]

Same here. I was actually pissed off by the subtitle/music changes in chungking express (“love you for 10000 years” was changed to “undying love”) and the credits change. I also hate how they changed the final scene in fallen angels to black and white, but I guess it’s not a big deal.

[@enthnd03]

@@tuberculosis7873 yeah, I heard about that line change in Chungking (haven't seen it) but 10000 years sounds better since it creates an image rather than a very vague line such as "undying"

[@JC-tu6hc]

Yeah that's really unfortunate.

[@hellovagim]

@@tuberculosis7873 they better keeps the final final scene in color to show the rising blue sky.

[@v-trigger6137]

I one hate it, is Fallen Angels ending restaurant scene, like what was even the point to make that b&w?. the original has such a beautiful color. tho for me the most horrible one is definitely As Tear Go By, they just stripped every inch of blue colored it had from the original Lol

[@petitnicollas]

Really cool comparison, good job

[@SpelingBeeChampion]

If they had released the unaltered versions as extras it would be fine having these alternate versions. As it stands this release is a cinematic crime.

[@suspirialove]

You can watch both versions on the Criterion Channel

[@blownupfishnchips9071]

I sure hope Wong does not become another George Lucas. Spielberg almost turned into one.

[@josefd1997]

@@blownupfishnchips9071 Kar Wai has changed stuff in almost every single release of his films… Ashes of Time in particular. He has been George Lucas for decades.

[@blownupfishnchips9071]

@@josefd1997 I was very much aware that Ashes of Time had a reduced cut when I made the comment above. For Chungking Express I actually am watching the more favored version, which is the 2008 transfer in 1.66. That is the 102 minute version too. Fair point though.

[@CastleBlackWatches]

Thanks for this! I didn’t know Criterion came out with this! Just bought the set!

[@JustChadC]

Wong Kar Wai's note on these changes via the link in the description: "Director’s Note During the process of restoring many of the pictures that you are about to watch, we were caught in a dilemma between restoring them to the form in which the audience remembered them and to how I had originally envisioned them. There was so much that we could change, and I decided to take the second path, as it would represent my most vivid vision of these films. For that reason, the following changes were made." Updated Commentor's Note: Seems there was a fire that burned much of the monologue scene in Happy Together in the original film canister, which is why it appears different.

[@DynastyUK]

I don't believe for a minute this is how he "envisioned" them. If he wanted green over everything he would have put a filter on or played with the processing. and if he wanted a movie to look true to life he wouldn't have put filters on either. Seems like whatever decisions he made originally are not what he wanted. Honestly I think it's what he envisions "now" after becoming desensitised to his own works. He like the changes because they are different and new to him. Like a kid with a new LUT pack.

[@JustChadC]

@@DynastyUKHm, maybe. I think it's still possible. He may have originally wanted to do what he stated but now feels he can do a better job of it with what he feels is "better tech." You see that recent video essay on how Gore Verbinski (?) made "The Ring' using all those green filters? Maybe it's the same.

[@DarkAngelEU]

@@DynastyUK I feel the same way. He's saying "this" is better, because "this" is what movies look like nowadays. His movies are partly unique because they are gritty, they aren't afraid of neon nor TL lighting. It has that specific atmosphere that LED lighting doesn't have, and now he's caving to the industry to make it look as bland as everything else running in theatres nowadays.

[@Kd0t470]

@@DynastyUK Bro cry harder u saying "I don't believe for a minute this is how he "envisioned" them" is pure childish and downright stupid. Thats his choices now and that what he said he wants. Cope harder little man

[@pzogel]

I'm among those greatly disliking the WWKW remasters. The green tint grading, lack of contrast, and desaturation present in many scenes sabotage much of what made these movies such a visual feast. Many scenes now look muddy to where it can be hard to even tell what is going on, compared to the more vibrant, detailed, and sometimes even sharper non-remasters. In addition to that, the cropping and stretching of Fallen Angels in particular pains me, as it ruins the perception of all the wide-angle shots. The remastered look may match WKW's preferences, but I think this is another case where the vision of the director isn't necessarily the best one in an objective sense. If aynthing, the remastering would have benefitted from Christopher Doyle's input, but from what I've seen, Doyle's long moved on. Excellent video as always, great work.

[@eomoro1199]

The green tints were actually in the theatrical 35mm prints. They were removed by DVD companies who Wong and Boyle never directly oversaw. Boyle has always complained about this. I understand it since we fell in love with the blu rays but those versions were the revisionists for Days of and ITMFL, not Wong. Its one of those cases that highlights the issues Asian directors at the time were facing. Their films were being color corrected without their approval. So when Wong did this set, he edited from the original prints, which meant he didn't really edit the color like we think he did. At the end of the day its their movie...

[@219SilverChoc]

@@eomoro1199 What's the source of that, I get that for early Blu-Ray and DVD releases that they may not have cared for complete accuracy, but Criterion did the previous release of ITMFL. Not saying their perfect, but this is the first time I've heard the loss of green being an issue across the films, not just Days of Being Wild.

[@rrey_ok5315]

DO MORE WONG KAR WAI CONTENT!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!✨💞

[@samsonspin3256]

7:00 I actually love this change. Adding dreams here I think added to the relatable feeling of being in deep thought and finishing a coffee.

[@reynaldolunajr.6909]

Like they took a piss on Doyle's beautiful work.

[@Gma7788]

You're the person who's in charge of all the colours on screen. When are you going to realise IT'S YOUR JOB not theirs. You're responsible for the red colour. You're responsible for the yellow as well. You DON'T just press play and sit down and watch. No, you've got many hours of work to do before you can watch the movie. You've got to adjust all the colours. Nobody else is going to come to your house to do this job for you. No. You're responsible for this job. They DIDN'T ADJUST THE COLOURS AT THE MANUFACTURING FACTORY. They left this difficult job to YOU. You're NOT ALLOWED to complain about home cinema image colours any more. The colours are YOUR responsibility. This job is YOUR JOB. You're in charge of that job. When you play the movie 🎬 it HASN'T BEEN TUNED yet. Nobody's tuned in the movie. That's YOUR JOB. YOU SPEND 5 HOURS TUNING IN THE COLOURS OF THE MOVIE. THE MOVIE HASN'T BEEN TUNED out of the factory. Your job IS to put an amplification value onto each colour. Your TV doesn't 📺 know what to display the colours at. You have to tell your TV 📺 how loud you want each of the colours, etc... WAKE UP!

[@zackkrenn5985]

I think most of these are huge improvements except for the dancing shot in Happy Together because that moment is supposed to feel out of time in some way. A moment when they’re both so happy to be with each other. I think the final waterfall moment is much better darker because he mentions he was so regretful he was seeing it alone. The only other one I don’t like is In the Mood for Love. Strange choice, but I have that original release so I can’t complain too much.

[@mellojello43]

I love how I find this after I've bought the collection for a few months now 😍

[@user-uu4tn7dk5h]

The Italian adaptation of Chunking Express included the song 'dreams' by Faye Wong at exactly the same time as it now appears in the new version. I remember being surprised to discover that in the original version that scene had only the sounds of the city as a background. I wonder if Wong Kar Wai was inspired by that "intuition" of the Italian adapters, or if there were earlier versions of that scene with "dreams" in the background.

[@enthnd03]

As a person who hasn't really seen any of his films (about to buy this set) I will say that I don't particularly appreciate the massive overhaul of Fallen Angels, the original has a very good quality to it that needed refinement, but I feel the changes distort too much. I would have preferred they kept both versions of the film. Aside from that, I think the majority of the restorations look great.

[@pedropablopicasso]

Great video!

[@Blackoutproject]

Oh my god god! Happy new year? Yes it is!

[@Blackoutproject]

Days of being wild looks so weird, when I watched the new version I was sure it was very off. I won’t be ditching my old Blu-ray any time soon then. But to be honest, I like Chungking’s new look, I had a copy I considered the best quality but looks very flat, couldn’t tell you where it’s from, perhaps an old tv rip. I’m confused why the aspect ratios were changed though, really baffling.

[@valerio51987]

I wouldn't modify any movie so heavily. Instead, I would put effort into preserving the originals as they are, which are the movies people loved and keep loving today.

[@ed1rko17]

In WKW's view though, he is trying to preserve the way he originally wanted the movies to be seen. Doyle has spoken about how so many of the qualities of their films that people think are stylistic choices were actually just mistakes lol. They were flawed films, and WKW is trying to restore them to the way he wanted them to be seen. At the same time, I get that people have a relationship with the version of the film they saw when they fell in love with it. That's how I feel with Chungking Express. My love for that movie is wrapped up in the cooler color grade that felt much more garish and home made, although when comparing the old and new restoration, it's pretty apparent to me that the new one technically is much better. It would be nice to just have both, but I guess if you are attached to the older versions, you probably already own them. The problem is that if something happens to them, they'll be difficult to replace.

[@valerio51987]

@@ed1rko17 I agree with you. But I also think that sometimes mistakes are a lucky chance. It's fascinating how they can give a movie (or something else) a chance to enrich its nature, making it more organic or adding to it an invisible ingredient that for some inexplicable reason brings people from all over the world to empathize with it. So my question is: does it makes sense to change it when you see that the movie couldn't work better than this? I mean, a director's goal is to touch the audience's inner chords. So, if the movie already does this in a great way, what's the point of modifying the look of the movie if the look of the movie already touches the inner chords? I don't understand the unsatisfaction of the director here.

[@ed1rko17]

@@valerio51987 Well think of it this way: The older version that you love, is the version that you love because that's how you've always envisioned it. For WKW, these new restorations are how he always envisioned it. When you are making creative choices, your only compass is your own intuition, and your own taste. Especially considering it was WKW's intuition and taste that gave us these films that we love. So when he's working on these restorations, all he can do is make the choices he thinks make for the best versions of these films. If he starts making choices in an attempt to just give the older fans of these movies the experience they had, and not going based on what he thinks is best for the look of the film, then he will definitely make poor choices that will also piss people off. I understand the complaints and agree with some of them, but we should understand that from WKW's point of view, what is he supposed to do? Make the choices that he doesn't think are best? Of course not.

[@valerio51987]

​@@ed1rko17 "The older version that you love, is the version that you love because that's how you've always envisioned it." I do not agree. Your statement would imply that a movie could have any possible look, and you would still like it the same way. If the movie looked different from the beginning, it would not have had the same type of impact. Mine it's not an attachment to what I've got to know already. I feel that somehow the newer versions look for a kind of look that is the "right look" from the commercial point of view. The old look was more warm and spontaneous. I would understand a modification in the post-production phase. But decades later? To me, this is more a commercial action than an artistic one. The author is another person now. He is not the same as he was at the time of the shooting. How can he even think that he can respect the point of view of his own self 20 years ago? If WKW "corrects" it now, this is not WKW that corrects it, but another person, another WKW. From the poetic point of view this is a harmful action. Everyone is free to do whatever he judges right, of course. For me this modification is not beneficial.

[@ed1rko17]

@@valerio51987 That's fair, but a few points to consider: It's impossible to know if the movie had that look at first, if it would have a lesser impact because firstly, you wouldn't have any other experience to compare it to, and also we have inherent biases. It's next to impossible to look at the two colour grades impartially because the way a film looked when you first saw it will have a stronger emotional response for you. It just will. It's always best to not try to be unbiased, but to recognize that we are all biased as human beings given our past experiences. Secondly, the whole point of restorations is that you are reinterpreting the image information with the new tools available. Even if you go back to the original negative, the negative isn't colour timed, so you have to do it again and try your best to get the image to look the way you want, but now you have a wider gamut of options to optimize the image. Often, older blurays and DVDs were messed up and not done properly. For example, Christopher Doyle supervised the old Chungking Express, not WKW. That's not to say Doyle messed it up, it's just that Doyle and WKW are different people. The good thing though, is that Criterion still has the alternate versions on the Criterion Channel. I don't know why Chungking Express is still OOP, it doesn't make sense to me, but I wouldn't be surprised in the future if they do individual releases of these films and hopefully have both cuts available. I'm hoping that's the case personally, is that they are just waiting to give those films individual re-releases, at least Chunking Express and Fallen Angels. I believe the old ITMFL is still available.

[@219SilverChoc]

Happy New Year! I remember all the controversy surrounding the release and tbh, I agree with it. While some of the older releases where clearly not the best versions, the fact that some of the upgrades are two steps forward, one step back at best. Often having more detailed highlights and dark areas is a good thing on recent transfers, but they just made shots look flatter here. With milky blacks and dull highlights with little to no detail gained, and it completely changes the look of Happy Together. I haven't got around to watching WKW's work but Il probably avoid these versions. As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild are better looking for the most part but the others are pretty bad imo, especially the extreme aspect ratio change in Fallen Angels.

[@Paul-sl9zm]

How could you not have watched Wong Kar Wai's work? He's a legend and all his movies are masterpieces. Especially, "Chungking Express" and "In The Mood For Love" are both very famous. Please watch them soon.

[@oscarsantamaria7178]

in the mood for love was massacred

[@catgirlmutant]

what have they done to in the mood for love :/

[@robozot]

This is a fascinating comparison. I spend a lot of time in DI, and knowing what options have become available over the years, I understand why WKW did this. The old transfers on the 90s films are very crude. You might like it, but technically you can see how rough they are - contrast is harsh, skin tones are poorly separated, highlights are blown out... In the remasters, he is probably doing a modern DI on those old films for the first time, and can finally go into detail shot by shot on a high res scan. My sense is that broadly, he’s doing two things; either pushing a period look that he couldn’t quite achieve with just film stock and lighting (the saturated greens and soft blacks of Hong Kong in the 1960s); or, in the contemporary films, going for more color separation, stronger skin tones, and a darker exposure, whilst also softening the blacks. I think this is probably in keeping with the original vision, which was always geared toward projection. When you project film everything is softer. Density is about 20% less than on any modern video transfer - blacks are softer, colors are softer, everything is softer! I personally think that all the work done in DI for these remasters is very high level, and having projected them all at home over the last year, I had the same feeling as I had when I first saw them in cinemas back then: the films are ravishing, and the emotions are powerful still.

[@JanPospisilArt]

Personally I just miss that 90s specific blue. It gets turned to green or teal in so many "remasters" of 90s films. :(

[@zulfikarfilandra]

very informative. thank you.

[@jose.miguelwong7306]

It seems like most changes were made for the sake of just changing something: like black and white to tint, and tinted to black and white. why any one would mess with the perfect film colours of in the mood for love is beyond my comprehension.

[@Paul-sl9zm]

In The Mood For Love is maybe the most beautiful movie ever, just so gorgeous. Putting that green filter on it.....why???? 😢

[@TPToE]

Does anyone know if Chris Doyle has ventured an opinion on these "reworkings"?

[@1panomotion847]

Is it a soft low contrast filter overlay they put on the new ones

[@brickfilmtime4736]

I think what they did to Fallen Angels was pretty neat, sure I do think the original brought out some more colours that are needed to really keep the movie from feeling too eerie, but I’ll surely sacrifice some of that to see the stretched out image and B&W sequences. I also enjoy restoring the original aspect ratio of 2046, not that it really means much, I also think the color timing was greatly improved in the sci-fi sequences. Chungking and ITMFL look terrible though, truly would never want to see those films through that puke like tint ever. Great video!

[@PPCAPOGAMING]

What's the advantage of a stretched out image? Didn't they just crop the top and bottom borders?

[@brickfilmtime4736]

@@PPCAPOGAMING advantage? There is no advantage. It’s a personal preference towards how I like to view the film. I think the aspect ratio gave a wider scope that the original didn’t achieve in my eyes, even if they do slightly crop the picture.

[@fealca1622]

@@brickfilmtime4736 I agree, it made it stand out to me and feel more unique. I understand if others don't really care for it, but I personally prefer it. That being said, the originals should also be preserved.

[@ed1rko17]

@@PPCAPOGAMING No, they added the distortion you get from shooting anamorphic in post, when it was actually shot standard spherical. Back in the day, it wasn't possible to do that, but now it is. It is more than just cropping the image. I think it has it's pros and cons. It does add a bit more atmosphere and scale to the movie by adding the anamorphic distortion. The characters that are actually so close together look so far apart, which is what they were going for. The drawback for me, is that in a couple of sequences, the movement in the image is too intense because they already shot the movie on extremely wide lenses, so stretching it out even further pushed it a bit too far, which to be fair, was a concern that WKW himself had with doing this. For me, this issue only popped up a few times, so it's not that big of a deal, and I feel like most people won't notice, especially if it's your first time seeing the film.

[@IsauroGM]

Thanks for this!

[@lurpi5631]

On Mubi wich version is available?. As an argentinian, sadly, i do not like it all the WKW version of Happy Togther

[@Hkamerica273]

Andy lau , Jacky cheung and Leon lai was in a wong kar wai movie ? this is a dream.

[@samsmith3343]

I'd been so curious about seeing these changes in motion, thank you for your hard work. WKW's letter addressing these changes was very eloquent and I can respect his vision as the artist- though I can't say I agree with most of what is going on here! I'm of the opinion that once the art has been released into the world it should be viewed by the artist as a thing out of reach. Trying to rewrite any part of its history, even the parts you viewed as a mistake- feels a bit dishonest to me. Though ultimately, art owes nothing to its audience- I do hope WKW can learn to find peace with any feelings of dissatisfaction he may have with future projects

[@ed1rko17]

It's interesting to see people's such strong reactions to these new remasters. The information that composes every image you see of every version of a film is interpreted. Each time you remaster a movie, you are reinterpreting that information to get the image as close to your vision as you can, even if that's your original vision. While WKW was remastering these images, he was just doing the same thing he was doing originally, taking the raw image data and interpreting it in the way that he sees enhances the film. So pretty much all of these changes are part of the process of remastering films, especially when considering that when he made these films, he had much less resources available to enhance the images and get them the way he wanted them. Now that he has access to them, is he just supposed to not make the film the way he wants it? The only criticism that I somewhat agree with is the Fallen Angels one. I like the new version of it, but I feel like the aspect ratio change is drastic enough that it justifies having the original as a companion.

[@ivanmatveyev13]

Are you trying to make a point?

[@ed1rko17]

@@ivanmatveyev13 I succeeded in making a point, considering at least 28 people had no issue understanding what I said. You just have a reading comprehension issue, that's your problem. Enjoy being smug though, it adds way more value than actually discussing the substance of the craft with sincerity.

[@ivanmatveyev13]

@@ed1rko17 you have manipulated people with dishonest arguments, in order to sell a bad product and now you are talking about sincerity? For real? At this point i wouldnt be surprised if you actually were an employe of the publisher.

[@ed1rko17]

@@ivanmatveyev13 Are you autistic?

[@mikeg8768]

What is the best release of Fallen Angels? Is it the DVD, Blu Ray or the New 4k Blu Ray? I recently watched Fallen Angels on HBO Max as it is a 4k remaster but unfortunately it is edited, the ending scene in the restaurant is in black and white.

[@x6621]

The best one is the 2008 remaster (Blu Ray) - they took out some of the grain of the 1995 release but they kept all of the original colours of the 1995 release.

[@imDonDiestro]

I think the reframing in “in the mood for love” is more so a post stabilization crop.

[@nbshftr]

infuriating how many bad choices are lumped in with the good ones

[@vxscarr]

where can i watch this collection of movies?

[@edchong2877]

Knowing WKW's penchant for tinkering, is this the final versions we will see of these movies? He's still only 63.

[@landonOD66]

I think this video has revealed the mastermind behind the green tint in The Matrix!!

[@bobiscool1018]

Okay, I'm just looking for the name of the track at 0:20, would really really appreciate if anyone is able to share that info! Alternatively , if it doesn't have a name and is just an OST track, if anyone knows where the album can be found, again would really appreciate some pointers.

[@WatchingtheAerial]

For future reference, I always list the music and clips I use in the credits at the end. That one's a track from the As Tears Go By OST. I believe I used the audio track directly under the opening scene for the vid, but but somebody put at least part of it into a video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJ3WYYinqL2pm6s

[@iconiclit8945]

My thoughts: - As Tears Go By: better image quality for sure, more image as well which is always good, color grading in some scene vary from being an improvement to being too green - Days of Being Wild: Although the old transfer looks more natural, the new transfer being more faithful to the original theatrical colors is always a good thing so I don't mind - Chungking Express: wish they didn't tinker with the soundtrack and credits but otherwise the new transfer beats the old one by A LOT in terms of color and clarity - Fallen Angels: oof, this one is tough because the aspect ratio gives it a cool look along with the reduced exposure, but the old transfer looked perfectly fine imo, especially with the colors so kinda disappointed - Happy Together: shame about the audio change but other than that, the new color grade is better imo, also apparently more faithful to the theatrical color grading - In the Mood For Love: no - 2046: Better overall, nice of them to restore the movie back to its original aspect ratio

[@ANDRE1mang]

Bought the package. Have not finished all the films yet tho. Enjoying all of the films!!

[@MrCactuss99]

Amazing thank you!

[@prachurjyarajkhowa259]

What's the soundtrack played in Happy Together section? Please someone answer.

[@arxsyn]

Jungle Drums. There is a vocal version by Anita Mui, they're both beautiful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHbNnWqBjZt6pdk

[@karuthaduraimurugan8335]

Gun - Michael galasso

[@aobane841]

I have the original Kino DVD of Fallen Angels, and I quite love it. The grain is beautiful. The colors are gritty and jump out. When people get older, they tend to get more conservative. It’s best sometimes to not mess with it. Whatever. His films, his vision.

[@v-trigger6137]

luckily i had watched As Tears Go By's original version. coz now i can't imagine it without that beautiful blue filtered color palette

[@bruhjeffery6894]

I'm gonna be honest I really don't mind what they did to Fallen Angels. While I still prefer the original version, I don't mind the new version at all. Happy Together is my only issue with the box set. Other than that I like everything else they did. But I respect everyone's opinion and I truly see what they're coming from. If Wong Kar Wai intended for Fallen Angels to look like that, then it's fine with me.

[@divagarans5846]

It's actually strange because I always thought FA was a film made to fit into the cinemascope format, and it does get what it needs. But ITMFL and Happy Together's restorations aren't interesting to me. The reds and yellows being given a green tint feels like someone sucked the soul out of these films.

[@kingoftherevolution4855]

you say 2046 had the frame extended on the top and bottom compared to the older release, but what I'm seeing in all these shots is that it chopped off the left and right edges. or, I think the visualization at 14:53 is misleading. but how does the old one have more video than the so called "original"

[@Paul-sl9zm]

I'm keeping all my original Wong Kar Wai DVDs, yes I said "DVDs" the picture quality is still good and they look beautiful and are now "the definitive versions" without this new green filter. I will adore and treasure them, always.

[@Andromeister27]

👍👍 Yes, the DVDs still preserve the original color,grading, aspect ratio to some degree than the new set.

[@lachlanw8127]

Its a shame because at the end on the day, we will be stuck with these new versions for the foreseeable future, and when your someone like me who wants them in their original version on blu-ray I would be setting myself back hundreds of dollars to do so. Especially the 2008 Chungking Express blu-ray. While I love criterion, I don't see why they couldn't have provided both versions in the set.

[@mellifont96]

No idea as to why not include both buy my buddy who uses the high seas says that there are barely any wong kar wai available at all. Buying the box set makes a lot of sense for that reason alone.

[@ukkki13]

Why they thought that the one thing that is missing from (otherwise a perfect film) In the Mood for Love is the color Yellow

[@lajosadam6400]

What’s the song playing during the “Happy Together” section?

[@domclegg1225]

Gun - Michael galasso

[@reve7081]

im sorry but what the fuck did they do to In The Mood For Love that green filter just does not fit with the whole mood and concept of the film, i mean just from the poster we can know that the main color is red so how did they think it was a good idea.

[@Megamonization]

Everyone complaining about Fallen Angels while he completely changed the style of Happy Together and even removed dialogue. Happy Together is not the same movie anymore. The Tony Leung characters has completely different motivations with the backstory removed. Happy Together and In the mood for love are the only two I have a problem with actually.

[@joshualee9540]

Honestly, I didn't mind most of these, though I thought Happy Together had some very questionable remastering choices. Then I got to the In the Mood for Love segment and my jaw dropped, all these remasters were ass lmaoooooooo.

[@SplinterInYourEye]

A sincere question, how do we know that the 2009 version wasn't a poorly done master? Which one is more authentic to the theatrical experience?

[@karuthaduraimurugan8335]

What is the soundtrack played in fallen angels section?

[@archie6498]

I'm also looking for this!

[@yeva.h]

What's the soundtrack played in Happy Together section?

[@yyy5715]

Michael Galasso - Blue

[@yeva.h]

@@yyy5715 thank you

[@josb9836]

Honestly, most of the changes are improvements. Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express and In The Mood for Love are absolutely better in their original form, Fallen Angels I would say is also better in its original form although I would say its a more even fight, there are parts I like and I don't think its a strict down grade, just different. I need more time with all of them, but I would say the new Happy Together is better, except for the dance scene, but its the most important part, the original look there is the movie lol so I'm torn.

[@Paul-sl9zm]

How the heck is "in the mood for love" better with that green instagram filter? The original release is one of the most beautiful and colorful films in history. Now it's all GREEN!!! 🤢 You serious need contact lenses .

[@dzub7840]

Honestly, the blue tint in the ending for Fallen Angels hits more than in B&W. Also, the partial recolorings are just not it.

[@user-iy4di8kq5z]

wait... r u saying that i never watched the original ones... omg..

[@stonesfan285]

Did Criterion make these changes or were they driven by the director? I personally like the way they look except for "In The Mood For Love" which I feel is too green-biased, whereas my original Criterion Blu-ray looks better. I know with "Memories Of Murder," there were similar criticisms. Took dark, and too green-biased. But they were not Criterion's choices, they were made by the director and cinematographer for the 4K restoration.

[@WatchingtheAerial]

These changes were all driven and approved by Wong Kar-Wai, either making them visually closer to what he originally intended or more consistent across the collection.

[@jakeunderwood9]

FWIW, I'm happy he changed titles/endings so it easy for us to know which one is which.

[@domclegg1225]

i think fallen angels is an improvement because I felt that that was WKW's original vision, but the edits to chunking express and itmfl seem very strange to me

[@x6621]

While it was WKW’s original vision, the film stock used was not designed to be shot like that so it just makes the film look ridiculously stretched that takes away the artistic value found in the film.

[@Hkamerica273]

@@x6621it doesn’t matter to me as long as it is the director original version. That’s his movie. Not your so idk why complaining. Wkw hate the original version of his release

[@eseproduction6396]

Wong Kar Why?

[@SeanCC]

Really not liking how they're taking the "blue" out of new transfers that would have been in prints seen in theaters because of color temperature of the film versus lights used and/or gels. If it's a film you know well the effect can be really off-putting (ie. Terminator 2 revisionist re-colors). And they need to be careful with opening up shadows and making classic films with deep, inky shadows look like a common comedy or drama shot on a RED SuperBeastLargeFormatNightScope.

[@michaelkennedy4571]

Interesting to see Fallen Angels be the one most criticised because I think the new version looks so much better. Also saying what criterion did is "unforgivable" or whatever makes no sense considering it's director approved lol

[@Progger11]

Looks great to me.

[@Ordellrobbi3]

How do I get the original version

[@domclegg1225]

some of them you get seperately on blu ray/dvd. otherwise probably downloading them from certain sites

[@paulchen7628]

I feel like it’s definitely more palatable to the modern audience but they should of kept in the glowy film look imo

[@ganjazz]

I don't mind most of the changes, I just hate the black bar in Fallen Angels and the way they made the restaurant scene black and white. I also prefer the original Happy Together. It's like the original used cheap lomo camera and replaced it with digital fujifilm. And I'm a lomo fan. And lastly, 2014 Korean bluray of 2046 is so much better than Criterion.

[@hkmv1]

Didn't really agree with the approach they went with In The Mood For Love. Somehow I felt it is graded to how people perceive a WKW should be instead of what it really is by itself. The movie by itself is beautiful already. That, and maybe some of the opening/ending credits.

[@juanmelo__]

Qué rico video, a pesar de todo.

[@baynig415]

I hate how everything has to be so dark. It’s terrible

[@stuntmonkey00]

It's so sad that WKW wanted it this way.

[@o.w1929]

I feel conflicted. In some cases it feels like a crime, for instance the blue overtones give real personality and style so removed it feels wrong. In some cases the improvement in quality is quite refreshing. Overall i feel like its down to the judgement and execution of each shot, like what elements of colour you choose to keep. However the lowering of exposure in fallen angles is down right silly

[@user-fr3qt9wu1u]

Everything is improved (in a way I can see WKW's intention, it's actually not as simple as in general adjusting the tone, I can see that it depends on the scene. For example, Happy Together the waterfall scene from bright day to cloudy day; Fallen Angel's ratio adjustment gives a feel of more cyberpunk), except In the Mood of Love, maybe it's a masterpiece itself already, the color is really kinda off and unacceptable

[@matangox]

What did they do to Fallen Angels!? Criterion? No way! At the "partially colorized" part it made me think this is a joke. Not to even mention the face cinemascope.

[@Jeremy_-_]

I think wong just hates doyle at this point.

[@glossbaby2893]

they literally just made everything look like 2046

[@msd5808]

They took the life out of it

[@pinna3691]

maybe it's just bc it's how i originally watched them but i vastly prefer the world of wkw versions, especially knowing the differences are his own creative choices