‘The Last Time I Saw Paris’ Blu-Ray Review – Elizabeth Taylor Breaks Your Heart In Transfixing Melodrama

Academy Award winners Elizabeth Taylor and Donna Reed star with Van Johnson in this sweeping romance loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited”, a story of love and dreams found and lost in The City of Lights–The Last Time I Saw Paris.

When reporter Charles Wills (Johnson) travels to Paris to cover the Allies’ victory in World War II, he falls in love with and marries the stunningly beautiful Helen Ellswirth (Taylor). The young newlyweds choose to stay in Paris, where Charles tries to make his way as a writer. But years of struggle, rejection and poverty take their toll on the Wills’ marriage, and the two drift into affairs with others as their love and dreams fade. Now, after years of disillusion and tragedy, Charles returns to Paris. But can he rediscover the passion and dreams that once came so easily?

For thoughts on The Last Time I Saw Paris, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/46jRHslivTE?t=69]

Video Quality

Warner Archive presents The Last Time I Saw Paris with a miraculous new 1080p master transfer sourced from a 4K scan of each of the three Technicolor Negatives, each cleaned separately and recombined with precision alignment. Warner Archive always makes an impression with their Technicolor transfers, but this transfer is especially a beauty. The transfer unlocks a reservoir of detail and clarity that will make you swoon thanks to the natural film grain that remains intact. The film appears to be  entirely free of dirt and damage, achieving the level of perfection you expect from the company. The film features some lush colors within the costumes and set design that radiate off the screen. Black levels are very deep with unmoored stability throughout. There does not appear to be any unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. Warner Archive is the best in the business. 

Audio Quality

Warner Archive has provided a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that has been restored, and the results are wonderful. Dialogue is the focus of this film, and it largely comes through crisp and clear with only brief instances where the source seems a bit less stable. There is very little in the way of pure kinetic moments, but what little pops up never appears less than completely stable. The score brings a deeper level of emotion to the material, and it comes through with remarkable fidelity. Warner Archive has provided a great audio presentation that does not exhibit any overwhelming instances of age-related wear-and-tear. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.

Special Features

• Touche Pussycat: A seven-minute Tom & Jerry animated short is provided here in which we veer into some “Mousketeer” territory with swordplay and gallant actions. 

• Original Theatrical Trailer: The nearly four-minute trailer is provided here. 

Final Thoughts

The Last Time I Saw Paris is a heartbreaking yet rewarding melodrama which keeps you transfixed throughout its plentiful runtime. The standout element of this feature is the performances, especially the versatile Elizabeth Taylor. What appears to be a one-note character at the beginning evolves quite believably over the course of the picture, and she is supported by an ensemble that are likewise giving their best. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a top tier A/V presentation and a brief selection of special features. If you are a fan of any of the talent involved or romantic melodrama in general, you will appreciate this release. Recommended 

The Last Time I Saw Paris 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: Warner Archive 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.