16mm Film

[Ryan H]

I was wondering if anyone knew of the film stock used in the film Le Samourai (1967)? The film has washed out colours with a cyan tint, a predominant look of a lot of late 60s and 70s thrillers and cop films. If anyone knows the stock used in this particular film, or any stock that yields a similar look for 16mm, please let me know. Thanks.

[Charles MacDonald]

The film has washed out colours with a cyan tint, a predominant look of a lot of late 60s and 70s thrillers and cop films.

 

Are you sure that you are not just seeing a faded print, Print stock sin that era were not all that stable. Mind you most of them fade to Pink.

[Jonathan Zielske]

Are you sure that you are not just seeing a faded print, Print stock sin that era were not all that stable. Mind you most of them fade to Pink.

 

it was part of Melville's distinctive visual style. i am uncertain as to how one might recreate that dull, washed-out but still contrasty look without color timing in the processing stage or the telecine stage. i can't imagine that his films weren't graded to look the way that they do.

 

here is a good representation of the look, as well as a botched transfer by criterion: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdcompare2/cerclerouge/cerclerouge3.html

Edited March 15, 2011 by Jon Zielske