For a Few Dollars More 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Kino foregoes any HDR in bringing For a Few Dollars More to 4K. That's of little concern. Resolution jumps from the screen, revealing lush, precise definition. Facial texture excels in close, adding to the intensity suggested by the camerawork. Lush environments likewise show excellent clarity behind a well resolved grain structure. Other than a few questionable rough spots (the train passenger in the beginning looks smothered by noise reduction), the rest generally excels in bringing For a Few Dollars More into the modern era.

However, around 1:20:00, there's a notable drop in sharpness. This wavers in and out for the rest of the runtime, appearing as if pulled from a different, lesser source material. Chunkier grain, reduced definition, and soggier fidelity intrude for these final reels, with only occasional returns to the prior greatness.

Generous color reproduction gives flesh tones a warm, heavily tanned kick appropriate to these open air settings. Clothing brings in a need for strengthened, hefty primaries. Dusty plains play their part, suitably earth toned.

Shadows hit total black as needed, at times crushing. That's a detriment and HDR possibly lifts detail from those corners, but there remains depth in the image. Sunlight sits over the daylight hours, healthy and rich, creating perfect conditions for dimensionality.

Audio

Either mono or 5.1 DTS-HD provides the sound, but differences are few. Thin, flat effects and worn dubbed dialog sound their age (and budget). There's no weight or depth, purely grindhouse-esque in quality. Surrounds and stereos barely factor in during the surround mix, gunshots echoing in the fronts, and so does the score, although it's hardly noticeable.