7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A grief-stricken man and woman retreat to their cabin deep in the woods after the accidental death of their infant son, only to find terror and violence at the hands of nature and, ultimately, each other.
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Storm Acheche SahlstrømDrama | 100% |
Horror | 44% |
Psychological thriller | 32% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080/50i
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Italian, Danish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Danish director Lars von Trier's controversial film "Antichrist" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. Amongst the special features on the disc is an audio commentary in English with director Lars von Trier and Professor Murray Smith from University of Kent; an interview with Willem Dafoe; an informative conversation with French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg; footage from the Cannes Film Festival; and much more. With optional Danish and Italian subtitles. Region-B "locked". Please be advised that the film contains disturbing footage that is not appropriate for minors!
The beginning
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and ranted a 1080i50 transfer, Lars Von Trier's Antichrist arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.
I had a very difficult time taking the screen captures that you are seeing in this review. For some strange reason, there was a lot of "combing" that was visible on some of them, which I don't recall seeing on the screen captures that I took to include with our review of the French release, courtesy of M6.
I don't see a notable gap in quality between the Artificial Eye and M6 discs (though the M6 one is BD50 while the Artificial Eye one is BD25). The Artificial Eye disc appears to have retained the exact same qualities we noted in our review for the M6 disc - the cold color-scheme, the "dreamy" look, the unusual contrast fluctuations. Again, edge-enhancement and macrobloking are not an issue of concern. I did not notice any annoying specs, debris, scratches, stains, or cuts to report in this review. The disc's main menu can be set in Danish or English.
(Note: This Blu-ray disc is encoded in 1080i50, a standard not supported by the overwhelming majority of Blu-ray players and TV sets in the U.S. Therefore, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting 1080i50 to 1080i60, or a native Region-B player and a TV set capable of displaying 1080i50 data, in order to access the disc's content in the U.S.).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. Artificial Eye have provided optional Danish and Italian, but not English, subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
Again, I did not encounter any issues with the audio treatment. The dialog is crisp, clear and easy to follow. The surround activity on the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is limited, but there are some rather neat ambient effects. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hiss to report in this review.
Behind the Test - a look at the pre-production work. In Danish, with optional English subtitles. (7 min).
The Evil of Woman - researcher Heidi Laura and director Lars von Trier talk about the mythological and theological context of the film. In English, with optional Italian subtitles. (8 min).
The Visual Style of Antichrist - director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle talks about the level of naturalism in Antichrist, the specific type of look desired by director Lars von Trier, how some of the most controversial scenes were shot, etc. In English, with optional Italian subtitles. (16 min).
Eden - production designer Karl "Kalli" Juliusson, producer Meta Louise Foldager and director Lars von Trier talk about the specific locations used in the film. In English and Danish, with optional Italian subtitles. (6 min).
The Three Beggars - animal handler Ota Bares talks about the animals used in the film. In English, with optional Italian subtitles. (9 min).
Confessions about Anxiety - director Lars von Trier talks about the controversial message of his film. In English, with optional Italian subtitles. (5 min).
The Make-Up Effects and Probs of Antichrist - a look at the special effects. In English, with optional Italian subtitles. (9 min).
The Sound and Music of Antichrist - sound designer Kristian Eidnes Andersen talks about the unique sounds used throughout the film. In Danish, with optional Italian and English subtitles. (13 min).
Chaos reigns at the Cannes Film Festival 2009 - raw footage from the Cannes Film Festival. There are a few quick comments from director Lars von Trier (in English), Charlotte Gainsbourg (in French) and Willem Dafoe (in English). In English, with optional Italian subtitles. (7 min).
Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In English. (2 min).
Interview with Charlotte Gainsbourg - an interview with the French actress conducted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. She talks about many of the challenging scenes in the film as well as the controversy surrounding it. In English, with optional Italian subtitles. (7 min).
Interview with Williem Dafoe - Willem Dafoe talks about his work with Lars von Trier, the challenges the script for Antichrist presented to him, his interaction with Charlotte Gainsbourg, some of the explicit scenes from the film, etc. In English, with optional English subtitles. (9 min).
Commentary - an audio commentary with Professor Murray Smith from University of Kent in the United Kingdom, and directors Lars von Trier. This is a very informative, well conducted, and perhaps also a bit controversial conversation that deconstructs the story of Antichrist, its unorthodox message, etc. In English.
Artificial Eye's Blu-ray release is practically identical to M6's release. With the exception of Charlotte etc., all of the supplemental features from the French disc also appear on this disc. So, if you have the proper equipment to playback 1080i50-encoded discs, this one could be slightly cheaper to import to the U.S. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Director's Cut
2013
Director's Cut
2013
Desire
2011
2011
1965
The Full Uncensored Version
2018
1996
2011
2014
1988
Limited Edition
1977
Limited Edition
2011
2008
2017
2011
2018
2019
Director's Cut
2019
2010
1947