The bright reds, yellows, and golds in the emperor's chambers stand out radiantly against the darker backgrounds which are streaked by streams of sunlight penetrating openings in the wall. Smoke from burning incense rises up and dances in streams of sunshine. The delicate, elaborate headdresses and costumes look stunning in this light, as does the gold and pearl ornamentation. The dreary setting of the prison is awash in grays, blues, and dulled tones. The inmates wear simple gray uniforms, as do the guards.
Lighting is sparse.
The entire setting is cold, and barren. The sun never shines here. Bouncing back between these two locations is shocking, and drives home the point that the emperor has fallen so hard and so far over the course of his unlucky life. Fleshtones look very good and natural throughout the presentation, and the print used by Artisan was in top grade condition, having no distracting nics, scars, or scratches. As I said, the transfer is FAR from unwatchable, but it's difficult not to be disappointed in the company's decision to go the cheap route, and provide us with a non-anamorphic image.