Why isn't The Wind that Shakes the Barley available on Blu-ray?

May 21, 2023 1:31 AM

Maybe the format was still too new in 2007 when it did get a DVD release, but I'm surprised/disappointed that the Criterion Collection or another boutique restorer/distributor hasn't subsequently picked up a Palme d'Or winner from a celebrated director. I imagine it has to be some kind of rights issue and would appreciate any confirmation of this.
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

This copy is available on eBay at the moment, looks like it got an international release, but perhaps not a US distributor.
posted by enfa at 6:13 AM on May 21

The description on eBay for enfa's link states Note:This product is an ultra-clear Blu-ray disc, which is commonly used to indicate the product is a bootleg BD-R, not an actual production disc.

I think OP is right that there has not been an actual Blu-ray release of WIND but I can't offer insight into why.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 9:37 AM on May 21 [1 favorite]

Amazon Prime and iTunes both offer 1080p releases for sale or rent, so I don't think it's a rights issue. I expect that it's one of those cases where once they decided there was enough demand for a better-than-DVD-quality digital dub, the Internet had got good enough that pressing discs was just not worth the trouble.

There are also multiple 1080p dubs readily available via BitTorrent if you'd rather not rely on a streaming service.
posted by flabdablet at 1:51 PM on May 21 [2 favorites]