Mustang Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Mustang Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 18, 2016

Selected to represent France in the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the Academy Awards, Deniz Gamze Ergüven's film Mustang (2015) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon Artificial. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; video interview with Deniz Gamze Ergüven; and the short film "A Drop of Water". In Turkish, with imposed English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The girls

For complete analysis of the film, please see Jeff Kauffman's review here.

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Deniz Gamze Ergüven's Mustang arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon Artificial Eye.

The release appears to have been sourced from the same master which Cohen Media worked with when they prepared their release of Mustang for the U.S. market. I own it and having done some direct comparisons between the two I have to say that I do not see any meaningful discrepancies between the two to point out in our review. Indeed, in terms of detail and depth the two releases look virtually identical. There are no obvious differences between the brusqueness and contrast settings either. The primary colors and the nuances appear identical as well. You can compare screencapture #2 and screencapture #1 from our review of the U.S. release. Image stability is outstanding. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-rayt release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Turkish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Turkish LPCM 2.0. English subtitles are provided for the main feature, but they cannot be turned off via the main menu or with the remote control.

The film features a fully digital soundtrack. Unsurprisingly, depth, clarity, and dynamic control are outstanding. Balance is also terrific. Warren Ellis' light and moody score gently enhances the desired atmosphere but actually leaves a lasting impression. The dialog is exceptionally crisp, clean, and always easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Mustang. In Turkish, with imposed English subtitles and English text. (2 min).

• A Drop of Water (2006) - presented here is Deniz Gamze Ergüven's short film A Drop of Water about a young woman who decides to reclaim her freedom. In French and Turkish, with imposed English subtitles. (19 min).

• Director's Fortnight Interview with Deniz Gamze Ergüven - in this video interview, director Deniz Gamze Ergüven explains what inspired her to shoot Mustang and discusses some of the film's main themes. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (7 min).

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Deniz Gamze Ergüven's Mustang is a beautiful yet deeply disturbing film that I think will be quite the eye-opener for many western viewers. It reminded me of Reha Erdem's equally impressive Times and Winds which delivered a similar message ten years ago. If you have not seen Mustang yet, I urge you to consider adding it to your collections now as it is one of the year's best films. Curzon Artificial Eye's release is sourced from the same master which Cohen Media accessed when it prepared its release for the U.S. market. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.