Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

A Master Builder Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 26, 2015

Jonathan Demme's "A Master Builder" (2013) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new filmed conversation with Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, and Jonathan Demme, moderated by film critic David Edelstein; new filmed conversation with actors Lisa Joyce and Julie Hagerty; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring Michael Sragow's essay "Ibsen in Nyack" and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The architect

The main protagonist (Wallace Shawn, Melinda and Melinda) in A Master Builder has spent the overwhelming majority of his life in a bubble -- a bubble in which he is always right, always gets what he wants and expects people around him to routinely remind him what a brilliant thinker he is. His name is Halvard and he is a wealthy architect.

When the film opens up, however, Halvard looks very weak and defeated. He is in a big bed with plenty of medical equipment next to it suggesting that he is seriously ill. His tired face also reveals that he has been in a lot of pain. Nurses are seen monitoring the equipment and quietly taking notes.

Another architect, Knut (André Gregory, My Dinner with André), visits Halvard and temporarily makes him forget about his condition. Knut begs Halvard to give his son, Ragnar (Jeff Biehl), who works for him as an assistant, a chance to move up the ladder. He feels that if Ragnar finally becomes an architect he will not only make Halvard proud, but help his business grow even more. Visibly annoyed, however, Halvard quickly makes it clear to his colleague that he likes the way things are -- with Ragnar at his feet and his fiancee, Kaya (Emily McDonnell), also working for him as a bookkeeper, right next to him.

Shortly after Knut’s request, Halvard is visited by Hilde (Lisa Joyce, The Messenger), a young and stunningly beautiful young woman with whom he once had an affair -- or maybe not. Halvard doesn’t remember clearly when they met, but Hilde’s detailed descriptions of their encounters eventually convince him that they must have been lovers. Halvard and Hilde then spend long hours talking about life and their history together and seriously annoy his wife, Aline (Julie Hagerty, Confessions of a Shopaholic).

The film is based on Henrik Ibsen’s classic play “Bygmester Solness” (Master Builder Solness) and is directed by Jonathan Demme. It reunites Shawn and Gregory -- who were also the driving forces behind arguably the best screen adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Vanya on 42nd Street -- whose much talked-about stage production of the play was apparently developed over a period of 14 years.

The material is very difficult -- it is easy to tell that a great deal of time was needed to get a rhythm for it that feels right -- but the film brilliantly highlights the key points from Ibsen’s play. The symbolism isn’t lost either; it is carefully inserted in the film in a way that repeatedly forces one to analyze various segments differently.

While the film’s construction and visual style are both bold and effective, the acting could be quite frustrating. There are too many exchanges that are so over the top that at times it feels like one is viewing a rehearsal in which the actors are experimenting and trying to determine how far they could go without collapsing the narrative. In these exchanges, the feelings and emotions on display are utterly unconvincing.

One could also successfully argue that Shawn is probably not the right actor to play the vicious architect. And not because the role has taken him out of his comfort zone, but because it is awfully difficult to imagine him as the grand manipulator that can so easily conquer women’s hearts and minds and then wreak havoc in their lives.

Demme and cinematographer (Declan Quinn, Leaving Las Vegas, Monsoon Wedding) shot A Master Builder with an Arri Alexa in 2K and a Sony XDCAM PMW-EX3 camera in 1920x1080 format. It is worth noting that the film also has a shifting ratio.

A Master Builder Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 (and 1.78:1), encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jonathan Demme's A Master Builder arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"The film was shot with an Arri Alexa in 2K ARRIRAW format and a Sony XDCAM PMW-EX3 camera in 1920x1080 format, and the production was completed in a fully digital workflow. The DPX files were color-corrected in 1920x1080 resolution on a DaVinci Resolve. The film features a fully digital soundtrack. The 5.1 surround audio for this release was mastered at 24-bit from the original digital audio master files using Pro Tools HD.

Transfer supervisors: Dclan Quinn, Lee Kline.
Colorist: Roman Henkewycz/Harbor Picture Company, New York."

Depth and clarity are outstanding, with the various close-ups looking particularly impressive (see screencaptures #2 and 4). The outdoor footage also looks strikingly vibrant and crisp (see screencapture #13). Some minor contrast fluctuations are present, but they are part of the film's original visual design. There is a wide range of stable and natural colors, with the 2.39:1 framed footage typically looking very lush. Overall image stability is outstanding. Lastly, there are no encoding anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is an excellent technical presentation of A Master Builder that is guaranteed to please its fans as well as folks that are going to experience the film for the fist time on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

A Master Builder Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, during the 2.39:1 footage they appear inside the image frame.

The film does not have a prominent music score. Rather predictably, dynamic activity is fairly modest. However, clarity, depth, and separation are excellent. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions, or other purely technical anomalies to report in this review.

A Master Builder Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for A Master Builder. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• The Ibsen Project - in this new filmed conversation, moderated by film critic David Edelstein, Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, and Jonathan Demme discuss the rather unusual history of A Master Builder, as well as some of the differences and similarities in their approaches to the film and Henrik Ibsen's classic play. The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in March 2015. In English, not subtitled. (34 min, 1080p).

• Hilde and Aline - in this piece, actors Lisa Joyce (Hilde) and Julie Hagerty (Aline) discuss their contributions to A Master Builder. The piece was produced exclusively for Criterion in February 2015. In English, not subtitled. (34 min, 1080p).

• Over Time - in this filmed conversation, writer Fran Lebowitz talks to Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn about their long professional relationship. The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in March 2015. In English, not subtitled. (53 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Michael Sragow's essay "Ibsen in Nyack". (The author is the West Coast editor of Film Comment).

A Master Builder Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I think that A Master Builder will appeal primarily to longtime admirers of Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory's work. Its construction and visual style are both bold and effective, but there is a good dose of artificiality in it that could be slightly off-putting. In addition to the individual release, A Master Builder is also available as part of Criterion's André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films Blu-ray box set. RECOMMENDED.