Description

Performance (Blu-ray Disc)

Criterion Collection | 1970 | 105 min | Not Rated | February 25, 2025

Genres: Drama | Surrealism | Music | ️‍♂️ Crime

Disc Specs

• Blu-ray Disc (BD-50)
• Video: MPEG-4 AVC | 1080p
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Original)
• Audio: English LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Region: Blu-ray Region A (Locked)

1080p Video Quality

4.0/5

✅ 1080p presentation sourced from the new 4K restoration
✅ Approved by producer Sandy Lieberson

• Outstanding clarity and grain retention for 1080p, benefitting from the same meticulous restoration as the 4K disc
• Details like facial pores, textures in Turner’s mansion, and period-specific wardrobe are well-resolved
• Color saturation is strong, though HDR is absent here (no Dolby Vision or HDR10 on Blu-ray), resulting in slightly flatter highlights
• Warm tones appear more balanced here compared to the 4K’s colder/tealed Dolby Vision grading, especially in indoor scenes
• Slight compression softness in very dark scenes, but nothing egregious

➤ If the 4K’s HDR grading felt too steely or cold for you, this Blu-ray is warmer and more consistent—arguably the more “natural” presentation.

Audio Quality

5.0/5

English LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)

• Clean and vibrant for a mono track
• Dialog, though occasionally obscured by thick accents and British slang, is well-supported by subtitle accuracy
• Background noise is non-existent; Criterion’s audio restoration is transparent and faithful
• Mick Jagger’s vocals are smooth and period-authentic ️

➤ Pure and era-appropriate—no remix, no manipulation, just clean mono sound as originally intended. ✅

Special Features

5.0/5

All bonus content is on the Blu-ray disc (not the 4K disc):

• ️ Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1998, 71 min)
  Fascinating archival documentary exploring Cammell’s life, vision, and collaboration with Nic Roeg, featuring interviews with Jagger, Fox, Kenneth Anger, and others.
• Influence and Controversy: Making “Performance” (2007, 25 min)
  Archival reflections from producer Sandy Lieberson, Anita Pallenberg, and critics exploring the film’s turbulent production and delayed release.
• The True Story of David Litvinoff (2024, 21 min)
  Brand-new program with biographer Keiron Pim delving into the life of the film’s mysterious technical advisor and cultural fixer.
• ️ Performance on “Performance” (2024, 35 min)
  Newly unearthed, unused interview footage with James Fox, Mick Jagger, Anita Pallenberg, and more. Raw and revealing.
• ️ The Two Cockneys of Harry Flowers (5 min)
  A side-by-side look at the UK vs. U.S. dubbed dialog tracks for Johnny Shannon’s character—first time this comparison has been made available.
• Memo From Turner (5 min)
  Archival studio footage of Mick Jagger recording music for the film.
• Theatrical Trailer (3 min)

Booklet – Includes essays by Ryan Gilbey and Peter Wollen, with full technical credits and images sourced from BFI reference prints and original Technicolor materials.

Overall Score

4.0/5 – The Warmer, Grainier Alt-Take ️✅

Performance on Blu-ray offers a richly satisfying version of the film for viewers who prefer natural film textures over HDR gloss.
While the 4K disc might wow with depth and clarity, this Blu-ray hits a sweet spot between restoration sharpness and vintage warmth.

Highly recommended for fans of ’60s-’70s British counterculture, Roeg’s visual trickery, and Jagger’s screen presence.