'71 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

'71 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 2, 2015

Winner of Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Berlin International Film Festival and Best Director Award at the British Independent Film Awards, Yann Demange's "71" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and new video interviews with the director, actor Jack O'Connell, and writer Gregory Burke. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The hunted

Belfast, 1971. A small group of British soldiers is sent deep into the heart of the city to assist the civilian police. During a tense standoff, two soldiers are isolated. Shortly after, the first is killed while the second, Gary (Jack O'Connell, Unbroken), is abandoned and forced to run for his life.

The Falls Road area where the soldier is abandoned is like a battlefield -- Protestants and Catholics constantly clash and everyone is a potential target. There are "safe zones", where one of the two sides is dominant, but bombs frequently explode and outspoken leaders are routinely executed. Most roads are barricaded.

In this chaotic and extremely dangerous world -- the place is completely detached from the real world and the local authorities are no longer relevant there -- Gary begins looking for a way out. Meanwhile, armed IRA members vow not to let him slip away and begin searching the area.

Virtually the entire film takes place during a single night and follows closely Gary’s struggle to stay alive. It moves quickly and it is very intense, at times looking a lot like a documentary feature using recently discovered archival footage from The Troubles. (Some viewers will likely compare it to Stephen Hopkins’ Judgment Night, but this film is a lot rougher around the edges and as a result it offers a very different experience).

A lot of the material is very sensitive, but thankfully the film does not side with anyone. It brings the viewer right to the middle of the madness and simply shows how delusional men on both sides of the barricades are. Some are so blinded by their own brand of narrow, ideological hatred that they are willing to kill even their own people. There are also those that are not loyal to anyone and are constantly backstabbing the naïve ones.

The film also makes it clear that during The Troubles age was never a factor. When Gary enters an area controlled by the loyalists, a young boy (Corey McKinley) decides to help him and leads him through the barricades to a supposedly safer part of the city. It very quickly becomes obvious, however, that the boy is a seasoned soldier with plenty of important friends.

The finale is bleak and very unsettling, but not overdramatized. It makes the viewer realize that for a while Belfast was truly a place where life was awfully cheap.

The film was directed by Yann Demange, a Frenchman who grew up in England. It was his first feature film, but his directing credits also include various TV projects (TV’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl - Series One, Dead Set). The camera movement and various stylistic choices are outstanding, infusing the film with a grittiness that feels very appropriate.

The cast is terrific. Excluding a short sequence at the very end where he meets again the only person that matters in his life, O'Connell is very convincing as the rookie soldier. Richard Dormer is great as the former army doctor Eamon. Sean Harris also leaves a lasting impression as the very intense Captain Sandy Browning.

'71 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, Yann Demange's '71 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The overwhelming majority of the film takes place at night, but clarity and depth are excellent. In fact, a number of the more atmospheric sequences boast some incredibly nuanced visuals (see screencapture #2). Contrast levels occasionally fluctuate, but this isn't surprising because the camera movement is quite erratic and light appears in different variations (you can compare screencaptures #3, 5, and 6). The color scheme is dominated by a solid brown/dark yellow tint, but there is a wide variety of nuanced colors. There are no transition issues and overall image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no serious encoding anomalies to report in this review. To sum it all up, this is a fantastic technical presentation of '71 that makes it very easy to appreciate director Demange's unique style and vision. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

'71 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) and English LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit). Also included is a descriptive audio track (LPCM 2.0). For the record, StudioCanal have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The film has an impressive sound design. While the surround movement cannot compete with that of recent big-budget action productions, separation is outstanding and as a result even seemingly casual sequences can make an impression. Fidelity is excellent. The dialog is crisp and stable, but some viewers will likely use the optional subtitles as the accents could be quite thick at times. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in this review.

'71 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for '71. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Jack O'Connell - in this video interview, actor Jack O'Connell explains why he decided to join the cast of '71, and discusses Yann Demange's working methods, his character, etc. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Interview with Yann Demange - in this video interview, director Yann Demange discusses his transition from TV to film, some of the specific differences between shooting for TV and directing a feature film, Gregory Burke's screenplay, etc. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Interview with Gregory Burke - in this video interview, writer Gregory Burke explains why he chose to set the film in 1971, and discusses The Troubles, the film's chaotic atmosphere, etc. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

'71 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Yann Demange's '71 is an incredibly intense thriller that offers a glimpse at a place that no longer exists -- a chaotic and very dangerous Belfast during the peak of The Troubles. Though very different, this film is every bit as effective as Jim Sheridan's In the Name of the Father, Steve McQueen's Hunger, and James Marsh's Shadow Dancer. If the subject appeals to you, do not hesitate to add it to your collection. StudioCanal's technical presentation of '71 is excellent. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.