7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
El Chuncho's bandits rob arms from a train, intending to sell the weapons to Elias' revolutionaries. They are helped by one of the passengers, Bill Tate, and allow him to join them, unware he is an assassin working for the Mexican government.
Starring: Gian Maria Volontè, Klaus Kinski, Martine Beswick, Lou Castel, Jaime FernándezForeign | 100% |
Western | 64% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
IT also 48kHz, 24-bit
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Damiano Damiani's "A Bullet for the General" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features offered with this release include original trailers; short interview with director Damiano Damiani; poster and still gallery; and an excellent documentary film about the life and legacy of actor Gian Maria Volonte. In Italian or English, with optional English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles for the different versions of the film. Region-Free.
Somewhere in Mexico
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Damiano Damiani's A Bullet for the General arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground.
The scanner noise that is visible on many of these releases of Italian cult and classic films is again present. This time there are also traces of light noise reduction, which has partially minimized its harshness. Detail and clarity are not seriously compromised, but the effects of the noise reduction are often very easy to spot. On the other hand, contrast levels are stable. Color reproduction is also convincing, though during select scenes the noise reduction again has a tendency to affect color balance. There are no traces of traditional edge-enhancement. Lastly, the high-definition transfer is also slightly windowboxed, but I did not notice any side effects to report in this review. There are no serious stability issues either. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, for the Italian version, and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, for the U.S. version of the film. For the record, Blue Underground have provided optional yellow English subtitles for the Italian version, and optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles for the U.S. version of the film. When turned on, the subtitles appear inside the image frame.
I viewed the Italian version of the film with the English audio track, which is preferable. Some of the English dubbing is quite hilarious, but it adds a certain charm to the film. Depth and clarity are good. The lossless track's overall dynamic amplitude, however, is rather limited. Where it needs to shine, Luis Bacalov's excellent soundtrack certainly impresses. For the record, there are no audio distortions or dropouts to report in this review.
Blu-ray
Damiano Damiani's A Bullet for the General is a very unique political western with a great cast. I really enjoyed it. It would be terrific if Blue Underground could also bring to the U.S. some of the Italian director's '60s and '70s films, as the overwhelming majority of them have never seen domestic releases. I want to specifically point out that Blue Underground have also included as a bonus an outstanding documentary film about the life and legacy of the great Gian Maria Volonte. RECOMMENDED.
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