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A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon a YouTube video with the eye-catching title, “That Dreaded Orange Tint!”, discussing the 4K release of “Trainspotting”. It brought to light something I had no idea about until then: every home release of “Trainspotting” up to that point had featured an orange tint that wasn’t present in the original 1996 theatrical version. The new 4K release, however, introduced a completely revamped color grading, personally approved by director Danny Boyle. But when I saw the updated look, I found it surprisingly off-putting. The infamous orange tint was gone, but in its place was a cold blue-green hue that felt jarring—reminiscent of what they did with the 4K remaster of “Terminator 2”. If you’re curious, check out the video for a closer look.
Since this is ultimately a matter of personal taste, everyone is entitled to prefer whichever version of “Trainspotting” resonates with them. However, considering the orange tint has been synonymous with the film for over 25 years, and the majority of people have experienced “Trainspotting” through home releases—while only a smaller group vividly remembers the original theatrical color grading—doesn’t that make the orange-tinted version the de facto standard? It’s an intriguing debate, but one I won’t delve into further for now because the 4K review video makes a small error: Universal actually released a remastered version of “Trainspotting” in 2021 with yet another approach to color grading. As fate would have it, I happen to own both the 2011 and 2021 Blu-ray editions of the film, so I decided to put together my own little side-by-side comparison.
As you can see from the screenshots below—which you can navigate with your mouse or finger—the 2021 remastered version takes a different approach by simply removing the orange tint and opting for a more natural color palette, rather than shifting toward blue or green tones. The brightness also appears to have been slightly increased, and some shots have been subtly adjusted, either zoomed out or repositioned, to reveal more details in the frame. For example, in the iconic scene of the baby crawling on the ceiling, the focus has shifted more toward the baby, drawing attention away from Renton lying in bed. The picture is now noticeably brighter, making it much easier to see and follow what’s happening on screen.
Which version you prefer is entirely up to you, but in my opinion, the 2021 remastered Blu-ray offers better color grading than the director-approved 4K remaster. I’d love to hear your thoughts—let me know what you think in the comments!
Screenshots
