2020-09-27
Part of a series: Exploring the “Poirot” restoration
[This post contains tons of spoilers about this episode], but it won’t spoil other ones.
Season 1, episode 1…
The story’s about a cook, so let’s start in the kitchen.
The pre-restoration video’s on the left, restored version is on the right. The videos are high resolution, so you can see them much better when you make them fullscreen:
To me, the one on the left is a much better nondescript British kitchen. I couldn’t really say why other than that the one on the right looks too polished and bright. On the left I like the shadows on the wall behind them, and the things on the table look less staged.
How about getting more concrete? This next example feels more like I can put my finger on the differences. Poirot, Hastings, and Japp are chasing someone in in the dead of night as they try and escape by boat to Latin America. They stop, confused, when they see a sign:
Besides being moodier and capturing “dead of night” much better, the one on the left focusses our eye on the important text in the very short time it’s onscreen:
S.S. Nevonia
Southampton – Buenos Aires
(Later we pan across the whole poster in order to read “Sailings Discontinued Until Further Notice”)
On the other hand, the restored version really is much more detailed. Check out the cool poster on the right - it’s barely visible in the pre-restoration one. I’d love to have the mood of the left with a bit more detail that the restoration provides.
Also notice how the image has been stabilized. Someone out there will groan when I say this, but I actually do think there’s something nice about the not-perfectly-fixed camera, especially after we cut to it from a chase scene. Wouldn’t say it’s definitely better though.
Some other differences:
Faces
Faces in the restoration often seem washed out. Check out when she mouths “oh, yes” – pre-restoration, when she smiles it plays across her whole face: cheeks, eyes, forehead. In the restoration that’s mostly lost. I wonder if there’s some aspect of trying to minimize lines and creases in peoples’ faces?
In this clip it’s not so much about lack of detail but about tone – with all the bright lighting, I read the one on the left as Mystery Japp and the one on the right as Comedy Japp:
When I look at the thumbnail I almost prefer the one on the right, but when I’m watching the episode (or looking at this clip fullscreen), the one on the left works much better. On the left he feels part of the dark train back room we’re in.
Shadows
Shadows are a big part of the difference between the pre- and post-restoration “Poirot,” and even though none of the “silver bullet” examples are in the first episode, there are a few examples that stood out to me.
Especially when in fullscreen, the one on the right here gives me major soundstage (i.e. artificiality) vibes. Check out the chair in the center, and the shadows cast by people walking. The shadows on the left tie the scene together, like smudging with your thumb in a charcoal drawing. To me the scene on the left is more of a cohesive whole, while on the right it’s closer to just the sum of its parts: people and props in a scene. You could also say this, like Japp above, is another mystery/comedy split screen.
In this next clip, check out the hatband - on the left it blends from bright in the front to almost part of the furniture in the back. It feels 3D and real. Her face also feels part of the scene. On the right, see how her face (and hatband!) stay brightly lit even as the train goes dark under a tunnel. Her hat is a tiny example to me of when more detail isn’t necessarily better detail – sometimes each item popping out of the frame doesn’t work as well for the shot as everything blending well together. I would love to have the higher resolution of the one on the right while having the color palette of the one on the left.
Atmosphere
Ahh, the ever-subjective “atmosphere.” People will disagree on what atmosphere they prefer. Good! Here are a few of my takes:
The two characters meet in an out-of-the-way café late at night. The one on the left is a lot more believable for that (and a more mysterious mood), but again, to each their own.
A nighttime London stroll – the bright lights again take me out of the mood. The advantage of the shot on the right is Poirot’s outline is more clear, but I don’t think it’s needed to get the point across.
Let’s end on a “high note”: a place where the restoration shines. Maybe a bit too bright for my tastes, but the emerald wallpaper looks much nicer to me in the restored version, as does Poirot’s suit.
See you next week!
Next week: “Murder in the Mews”