In this comedic thriller, a trio of crooks relentlessly pursue a young American, played by Audrey Hepburn in gorgeous Givenchy, through Paris in an attempt to recover the fortune her dead husband stole from them. The only person she can trust is Cary Grant’s suave, mysterious stranger. Director Stanley Donen goes deliciously dark for Charade, a glittering emblem of 1960s style and macabre wit.

For thoughts on Charade, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Charade with an exceptional 2160p SDR transfer in 1.85:1 sourced from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative that allows the film to look better than ever. The film was previously released over 15 years ago on Blu-Ray in 2010 with an older scan of the Interpositive by Criterion, which is included in this release for the sake of comparison. While the older transfer was well regarded at the time, technology has progressed so much that it simply cannot hold a transfer to what we have now. This fresh release is our new favorite presentation of the film.

While some may grumble over the lack of HDR for this particular title, the film still looks spectacular from a color standpoint. The previous release was much duller compared to this rather vibrant affair. The various locales that our characters pop up in allow the transfer to have fun with a range of backgrounds to explore. This presentation is more concerned with accuracy, and each hue unlocks a brilliance it was lacking previously. There is also some improvement in the handling of the contrast. The film controls the black levels exceptionally well, as it almost never succumbs to crush or noise. Highlights are put to the test in some of the environments, especially the snow at the beginning, but you never spot any blooming as whites radiate confidently.

This transfer preserves the natural film grain, always resolving consistently and allowing a world of fine detail to come through in the swinging ‘60s production design. Distinct facets of the background and clothing reveal more ridges and character than the previous presentation. We thankfully did not spot any grain reduction, as you get a fine sheen that resolves evenly without breaking up into swarmy noise. This encode never shows signs of weakness, and the restoration has eliminated all instances of print damage such as nicks or scratches. The Criterion Collection has earned top marks for this one.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a considerately remastered LPCM 1.0 mono track with optional English SDH subtitles. Since this is a globetrotting adventure, you do have the hallmarks of the genre such as the occasional shootout, fisticuffs, and more that transport you to this narrative. Even with all of this at play, there do not seem to be any significant instances of age-related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. The dialogue comes through clearly without being plowed over by competing elements. Environmental sounds are favorably rendered alongside everything else for a consistently pleasant experience. The classic Henry Mancini score sounds great without any shortcomings. Criterion has given this film the perfectly preserved audio presentation it deserves.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Charade includes a booklet featuring an essay by film journalist Bruce Eder entitled “The Spy in Givenchy,” which gives rich insight into the film. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone provide an archival commentary track from 1999 in which the pair guide you through the creation of the film including the music from Henry Mancini, the title treatment, the location shooting, details about the performers, how they accomplished certain shots, thematic undercurrents, and more.

Trailer (3:16)

Final Thoughts

Charade is a jaunty, effortlessly cool adventure starring two of the most transfixing performers ever to grace the silver screen. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way to satisfy the necessary story beats, but the real joy of this feature comes from seeing these two banter while navigating everything that is thrown at them. Stanley Donen brings a lot of personality to this concoction through his playful direction and creativity in the craftsmanship. This is a perfect gateway to get burgeoning film fans into classic cinema. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a terrific A/V presentation and a small assortment of archival special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is the best release yet. Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Charade is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.