The trailblazing Joan Micklin Silver—one of only a handful of women to direct a film for a major Hollywood studio in the 1970s—digs fearlessly into the psychology of a thorny relationship in this anti–romantic comedy, based on Ann Beattie’s best-selling novel, about lovelorn civil servant Charles (John Heard) and his married-but-separated coworker Laura (Mary Beth Hurt). Months after their affair has ended, Charles is haunted by memories as he desperately attempts to rekindle a love that perhaps never was. Switching deftly between past and present, Micklin Silver guides this piercing deconstruction of male wish-fulfillment fantasy beyond standard movie-romance tropes into something more complicated and cuttingly truthful.
For in-depth thoughts on Chilly Scenes Of Winter, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
For addition thoughts on Chilly Scenes Of Winter and an overview of the new Criterion Collection release, please check out our follow-up discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Chilly Scenes Of Winter has been granted a 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative via the Criterion Collection for this stunning new Blu-Ray disc. The new master was referenced against a previous master made from a 35mm interpositive that was approved by cinematographer Bobby Byrne. The film was previously released on Blu-Ray in 2017 courtesy of Twilight Time from an older master. We do not have that disc to make direct comparisons, but we can say this new transfer represents the movie unquestionably well.
The lovely film grain that is retained here is natural and consistent from beginning to end while allowing fine details to radiate out. Subtle details and textures render with great clarity, especially in the winter clothing and elements of the production design. Exploring Charles’ house or the A-frame Laura shares with her husband with this new transfer almost makes it feel like a whole new film. Facial features are particularly detailed with fine lines and pores detectable alongside natural skin tones. Colors are vibrant without being unnatural for the cold environment. The transfer affords a few opportunities for them to pop off the screen with some intermittently bold color choices in the clothing. Black levels are deep and inky without any noticeable blocking or compression artifacts. This is by far the best the film has looked on home entertainment. The Criterion Collection has knocked it out of the park with this release.
Audio Quality
The Criterion Collection brings us this new Blu-Ray with a remastered LPCM 1.0 track that offers a very strong audio experience. Dialogue holds up practically perfectly, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the music or other effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely including the chatter within the office and the noises from vehicles. The soundtrack of the film comes through with an unwavering fidelity that represents the material at its best. The track does not present with any glaring instances of age related wear and tear. The Criterion Collection have delivered an audio experience that is beyond reproach. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
The Criterion Blu-Ray of Chilly Scenes Of Winter includes a foldable booklet featuring the new essay “Nowhere Fast” by author Shonni Enelow in which she discusses the themes and importance of the film. This work provides a great amount of context and insight into the film that is so worthwhile. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Joan Micklin Silver On Chilly Scenes Of Winter: A 15-minute piece from 2005 in which filmmaker Michael Pressman interviews Silver who discusses how growing up in Nebraska led to her love of stage and cinema, the biggest inspirations on her cinematic language, how she got involved with this dream project, how the lack of care from the executives at United Artists led to a rushed cut of the film, getting to recut the film to what she wanted, the reactions she had to the film, the author cameo, the place of women filmmakers at the time and more.
- Joan Micklin Silver – Encounters With The New York Director: A 46-minute documentary by Katja Raganelli from 1983 in which Silver discusses her early childhood and beginning in Hollywood before more formally tracing her career from Hester Street through Chilly Scenes of Winter. There are some additional insights from husband and frequent producer Ray Silver, actor Carol Kane and more.
- Producing Chilly Scenes Of Winter: A great new 28-minute piece filmed in December 2022 with producers Griffin Dunne, Mark Metcalf, and Amy Robinson in which they discuss their early efforts producing, collaborating with Joan Micklin Silver, the film business in the ‘70s, working in the shadow of Heaven’s Gate, the presence of Gloria Grahame in the film, how the film changed their career and much more that is so illuminating.
- Original Ending: The nine-minute original ending is provided here which completely changes the emotional impact of the film. It is still nice to have the option to view what we could have been stuck with.
- Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Chilly Scenes Of Winter is another impressive work from the incredible Joan Micklin Silver. This is a narrative which easily could have been formulaic nonsense, but Silver understood the nuances of the characters and portrayed them with a depth of humanity and realism needed to leave a mark. These characters are not perfect, but they are not meant to be. This is not the simple rom-com that Hollywood wanted to package this as; it is so much more substantial than the executives could ever process. The performances are spot-on and the tricky tonal balance is executed gracefully by the filmmaker. The new Blu-Ray from The Criterion Collection offers up stunning A/V quality and many interesting special features. This film is so deserving of a larger platform to be discovered and appreciated, and this release is a great gateway for newcomers. Highly Recommended
The Criterion Collection edition of Chilly Scenes Of Winter will be available to purchase on March 28, 2023 on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.