OVERALL: Draw

The R1 Gold Edition Box Set, not only does it include the 2-Disc Set, but the TV film "RKO 281" plus some nice collectibles. The OOP R3 Korean release is almost the same as the Gold Box Set it just doesn't include the nice packaging and the collectibles.

Please note that the bonus film "RKO 281" is available seperately on other regions. If this film is not of interest to you, then the Warner R1 or R4 SEs are good choices as is the Universal R2 UK SE. The Warner and Universal releases have unique features. It may also pay to check the French release as it has a doco plus a featurette not on any other release.

The choice is yours as to what is more important.

OTHER RELEASES:
Swedish -release by Atlantic Film, allegedly this has subtitles in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish (not Finnish). This one uses a faulty transfer without PAL speedup. The documentary "The Battle over Citizen Kane" is mentioned to be an extra feature.

Finnish -release by Pan Vision, allegedly this uses the Universal restoration. Runtime 115 min.
Specs TBC.

GENERAL NOTES:
It seems, that the R1 SE (Warner Bros) has "too clean" transfer, for wiping away some of the natural film grain along with the scratches. R2 UK SE (Universal) is digitally restored from a newly unearthed 35 mm fine grain interpositive (from the British Film Institute), and it shows original film grain, but suffers slightly in the sharpness department.

More info: This is what Mr. Lowry (responsible for the digital restoration of the R1 SE) said: '(Cleaning a film poses it's own problems. Mr. Lowry's otherwise wondrous DVD of Citizen Kane [for which no negative exists, it was destroyed in a fire decades ago] has been criticized for being too clean, for wiping away the natural film grain along with the scratches, for looking more like video than film.) "I'd agree with that. We were just getting our feet wet in the business when we did 'Kane'. It was our third or fourth film. We've done 70 films now. Even that's not enough to raise the bar for the entire industry. You have to remember, this is still a very new art."' (Source: Article from the New York Times "When Bad DVD's (sic) Happen to Great Films").

For a comparison of the image qualities between the Warner SEs and the Universal SE, click the logo below:

CUTS:

• R0 Scandinavia- Atlantic Film / Future Film - No cuts (119:18 PAL).
• R0 Collector's Edition South Korea- Lee’s Vision - No cuts.
• R1 Gold Edition Box Set America- Warner Home Video - No cuts (119:20 NTSC).
• R1 Two Disc Special Edition America- Warner Home Video - No cuts (119:20 NTSC).
• R2 France- Warner Home Video - No cuts (114:29 PAL).
• R2 Collector's Edition France- Buena Vista Home Entertainment - No cuts.
• R2 Germany- Arthaus - No cuts (114:32 PAL).
• R2 United Kingdom- Universal Pictures - No Cuts.
• R2 Single Disc - Remastered United Kingdom- Universal Pictures - No Cuts (114:16 PAL).
• R2 Special Edition United Kingdom- Universal Pictures - No cuts (114:16 PAL).
• R3 South Korea- Lee’s Vision - No cuts.
• R4 Two Disc Special Edition Australia- Warner Home Video - No cuts (119:20 NTSC).

Do you own a release not listed? Then please visit our forums and let us know!

Comparison added by David on 12/10/01
Comparison last updated by James-Masaki_Ryan on 21/12/21

UPDATE LOG:

04/03/19: Capsaholic.
05/03/19: Updated article link.
21/12/21: Added France Warner.