Acclaimed filmmaker René Clément (Forbidden Games, The Day and the Hour, Rider on the Rain) brings you the explosive, courage-filled story of the Allied Resistance and the Paris Liberation of 1944. As the Nazi jackboot marches through Europe, the freedom fighters of Paris mount a brave resistance. An insane and desperate Hitler sends a top general to determine if the Nazis can hold the city. If not, Paris will be burned. With a powerful script by Gore Vidal (Suddenly, Last Summer) and Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation); and a rousing score by legendary composer Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago), this epic film boasts an international cast of screen legends, including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, George Chakris, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Gert Fröbe, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Orson Welles. Is Paris Burning? is a staggering portrait of heroism and brotherhood, and one of the most riveting stories to come out of World War II.

For thoughts on Is Paris Burning?, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Kino Classics presents Is Paris Burning? with a really terrific Blu-Ray in 2.35:1 from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative conducted by Paramount in association with American Zoetrope and Francis Ford Coppola which looks pretty magnificent. The transfer maintains the lovely natural film grain of the presentation with no real instances of it seeming overly thick or noisy. Instances of print damage such as nicks and lines are not an issue, as there has been significant cleanup with robust clarity and detail. The gorgeous black-and-white photography maintains a firm contrast that is unbelievable when it comes to shadow detail. Black levels hold up very well with nothing in the way of crush. The presentation is a knockout by all metrics. Kino Classics has served up something special.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a number of different tracks including the English track in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo and DTS-HD 5.1 surround, and the French track in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono, all of which serves this film quite well considering that no one track contains all of the performers speaking in their native languages. None of the tracks showcase any substantial age related wear and tear such as drop outs, hissing or popping. The fidelity of the terrific Maurice Jarre score and the way it complements the narrative is wonderful. Nothing ever overshadows the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and environmental noises work in harmony with all competing elements. The sound effects and score appear to be authentic to the intent of the creative team. You could not ask for better from Kino Classics. There are optional English subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historians Daniel Kremer and Howard S. Berger provide a very lively and informative commentary track in which they discuss the historical background of the feature, how this fits into the career of the performers, the work of director René Clément, the tone and scope of the narrative, the score and much more.

Trailers: There are trailers provided for The Day and the Hour, The Train and The Great Escape.

Final Thoughts

Is Paris Burning? is a sprawling WWII drama which captures the grand scope of the conflict from nearly every angle in unsparing detail. The film is momentous in length, but it does not waste these precious moments as each character builds upon the layers of the altercations. The ensemble features superstars from multiple countries, and everyone has a time to shine. Director René Clément captures this story with care and attention to composition that leaves you unable to shake it. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a grand A/V presentation and a good commentary track. Fans of war pictures will find this one to be engrossing. Recommended

Is Paris Burning? is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.