Aquarela Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Aquarela Blu-ray Movie Review

"In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 8, 2023

Water, like religion and ideology, has the power to move millions of people. Since the very birth of human civilization, people have moved to settle close to it. People move when there is too little of it. People move when there is too much of it. People journey down it. People write, sing and dance about it. People fight over it. And all people, everywhere and every day, need it.

Aquarela is one of the most unique nature documentaries in recent memory. No narration. No context. No introduction or farewell. No guide, no tour, no grounding. Only water. Ice. Mist and steam, waterfalls and fog, and more ice. Director Victor Kossakovsky's meditation on one of the most coveted and underappreciated resources on the planet is more than a documentary, it's a slowburn, then visceral, then again slowburn experience. Haunting and hypnotic, it draws you in, lulls you into a false sense of security, then delivers the crushing reality of how easily water could kill any one of us, all of us really, and take the whole of civilization right along with it. Aquarela isn't a global warming cautionary tale, and yet it is. It isn't an educational resource, and yet, somehow, it's that too. It certainly isn't a gripping, compelling journey into the heart of the ocean and the far-flung seas at either pole, and yet it's as gripping and compelling a journey into the natural world as any. It's strange, all at once disquieting and disarming, and you won't regret watching it. Is it a great film? I think it would have to have more to say to rise to that standard, but as an art piece, a reflection on nature, or a startlingly visual exploration of man vs. nature, it's sure to elicit a strong sense of awe and wonder.

A cinematic journey through the transformative beauty and power of water that provides a challenging wake-up call for humankind that we are no match for the sheer force and capricious will of earth’s most precious element. From the precarious frozen waters of Russia’s Lake Baikal to Miami in the throes of Hurricane Irma to Venezuela’s mighty Angel Falls, water’s many personalities are captured in startling cinematic clarity. Russian filmmaker Viktor Kossakovsky ('Belovy/The Belovs', 'Russia from My Window', '¡Vivan las Antipodas!') captures the rawest force of nature in startling reality with few trappings. Only the surge of the sea, the thunder of ice and the pulsing music of Finnish composer and musician Eicca Toppinen keep us company.

A car drives across the ice, then suddenly, as the passengers scramble, begins to sink into the water below. Ice crumbles from glaciers as enormous icebergs set out to sea. Water surges from land to sea, bursting through barriers and finding its way into the ocean beyond. A waterfall pours life into a jungle that thrives on its life-giving supply. These are just a few of the images awaiting those who venture into Aquarela's vision of water's majesty. There's no narrator and no on-screen text, nor are there any factoids courtesy of the next Attenborough. This isn't BBC Planet Earth. Toppinen's aggressive violins and music set a dangerous tone and the imagery matches its rises and falls, beat for beat, strum for strum. And if there's a point to it all, it's simply beauty, fear, and the feeling of being oh so small on a planet full of such enormous and powerful forces we can barely comprehend. If all of this sounds too esoteric and nebulous to you, it's probably best to avoid Aquarela. But if you're intrigued, this is a commanding, moving and poignant film that will leave you alone with your thoughts as the terrifying chaos of nature erupts, collapses and roars before your eyes.

A few notes on the filmmaker:

Victor Kossakovsky is an innovative documentary filmmaker whose films have been honored with more than 100 awards in national and international film festivals. His distinctive filmography spans many different subjects but always explores the interplay of reality and poetic moments. He began his career in motion pictures at the Leningrad studio of Documentaries as assistant cameraman, assistant director and editor in 1978. He studied screenwriting and directing at Moscow HCSF from 1986-88. In 1989, he directed his first feature ('Losev'); in 1992 his most famous documentary ('The Belovs'), which won the VPRO Joris Ivens Award and the Audience Award at IDFA, along with dozens of other awards at international festivals the world over. In 2011, Kossakovsky's 'Vivan las Antipodas' was selected as the opening film at the Venice Film Festival. In many of his films, as with 'Aquarela', Kossakovsky has served as director, editor, cinematographer and writer. He continues to serve as a teacher and mentor to aspiring filmmakers and documentarians globally.

Aquarela Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

You wouldn't be out of line to take a look at Sony's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer and mistake it for a 4K presentation. Aquarela is stunning, to say the least. While color is often limited to deep, oceanic blues, the soft hues of the sky, and the pastel, teal and navy tones that comprise ice shadowing, the film's palette is electrifying and alive. Contrast is perfect. Yep, used that word, and could use it in almost every sentence of this paragraph. Detail is astonishing for a 1080p presentation circa 2018-19, with oh so crisp edge definition, surprisingly visible and flawlessly resolved fine textures and, in the darkest of scenes and portions of the image, excellent delineation. Add to that a complete lack of banding (even in the many, many blue gradients that I worried would give the encode fits), macroblocking and non-source noise and you have a transfer begging to be awarded a perfect video score. And I'm here to answer that pleading with a resounding "yes" and the highest score.

Aquarela Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

It's not just the video presentation!? Sony's already tip-top Blu-ray release of Aquarela features an equally remarkable, theater-rumbling Dolby Atmos audio mix (complete with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core for those without Atmos access). Those anticipating serene music and peaceful compositions should adjust their expectations significantly. Finnish composer and violinist Eicca Toppinen hails from Helsinki cello-metal band Apocalyptica, which is every bit the classical-composition-meets-black-metal enigma you might imagine from the name. His music translates masterfully to the imagery of the film, and Sony's Atmos track makes the most of every crescendo, flurry of furious strings, and growl of man vs. nature rage Toppinen conjures in his score. Moreover, the music convincingly echoes throughout the soundfield, all at once sounding as if it's being played on a stage featuring the world's finest acoustics and in the midst of the crashing waves, cascading ice fields and crashing glaciers. And what of the sounds of nature's fury? Incredibly realistic and believable, crackling and crunching from all directions, bolstered by tremendous LFE support that lends breathtaking force to the power on display. Aquarela's Atmos mix is as perfect as its video presentation. I was not prepared for how good this release would look and sound.

Aquarela Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of Aquarela doesn't include any special features.

Aquarela Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Aquarela must be seen and heard to be understood, and Sony delivers all that and more with a flawless video presentation and jaw-dropping Dolby Atmos track. The Blu-ray release of Victor Kossakovsky's truly unique and stunning documentary may not offer any special features but the film is more than enough on its own. Highly recommended for those seeking something different, something powerful and something wholly cinematic from their next nature documentary.