This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of a classic, for the first time on Blu-ray. The talents of acclaimed director Vincente Minnelli (Meet Me in St. Louis, An American In Paris) and legend Barbra Streisand combine to bring this Broadway production to the screen in grand fashion. Streisand is Daisy Gamble, a kooky chain-smoker desperate to kick the habit. She finds the perfect cure in the form of Dr. Marc Chabot (Yves Montand), a psychiatrist who uses hypnosis. However, when Daisy goes into a trance, she can regress into past lives and different personalities including “Melinda,” a 19th-century English coquette. And before you can say amour, Dr. Marc has fallen in love with the enthralling, elusive Melinda… while Daisy, in turn, finds herself falling head-over-heels for the handsome hypnotist! Bob Newhart and Jack Nicholson add to the tune-filled fun in this romantic romp.
For thoughts on On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer that is likely a step up in quality from DVD, but the master appears to be very dated and in desperate need of a proper restoration. Without a fresh master, the transfer struggles quite a bit when it comes to softness as fine detail ebbs and flows depending on a multitude of factors including the environment and lighting. One of the biggest obstacles this transfer faces is the myriad of optical effects sprinkled throughout the movie which always brings the visual quality a step down during any transition. The transfer does its best in this regard, but great care has to be taken during a restoration to make these moments less unsightly.
There are nice stretches of clarity when it comes to the production design and costumes which liven up the frame, but much of the picture appears to be less defined than you would wish. The transfer does not appear to have been scrubbed of its filmic quality, but some grain leans more towards noise. Black levels show room for improvement when it comes to depth and detail, but crush is kept at bay. There is a pretty consistent layer of specks and scratches present in the transfer. We are pleased to have this one in HD, but it would have been nice to take the next step of remastering it. Maybe one (clear) day.
Audio Quality
Paramount Home Entertainment brings us this Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix and a lossy restored Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track that both hold up better than the video portion of things. There is still some age-related wear to the audio track, but largely this delivers fine fidelity. Dialogue holds up very nicely, coming though clearly, although some may need the included English SDH subtitles to help with some of the thicker accents at play. By and large, exchanges emanate without being overwhelmed by the music or sound effects.
The movie is a musical, so it is important for the tunes to pack a punch, and they are by far the best part of the audio experience as they saturate the room. The low end is not engaged like an action movie, but it complements the soundscape as necessary. The surround speakers are given a conservative presence with this mix, yet they do make things sound a bit more full. We wish the restored mono track could have also been given the lossless treatment, but both tracks do a good enough job of bringing this to life.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever is a good showcase for Barbra Streisand and her numerous talents, but it cannot be considered one of her most essential efforts. The same can be said for director Vincente Minnelli, who has directed some of the most dazzling musical moments we have seen. This particular musical comedy lacks a bit of the sizzle that the best efforts exude, but it still provides a fairly entertaining viewing experience. The limitations seem to lie with the adaptation of the source material, which never quite materializes as the grand unconventional love story it purports to be. Paramount Home Entertainment has finally released this one on Blu-Ray with a slightly lacking A/V presentation and no special features at all. This is an effort mostly for the hardcore fans of Streisand or musical comedies.
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment 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.