Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 20, 2016

“Arabian Nights” is not something to be approach casually. Director Miguel Gomes takes on an incredibly ambitious project with this extended vision of Portugal woes (broken down into three chapters: “The Restless One,” “The Desolate One,” “The Enchanted One”), demanding over six hours of screen time to work out his vision for storytelling and symbolism. It’s a huge undertaking, reserved for those who appreciate cinematic artistry, world culture, and have the patience to deal with a filmmaker who indulges himself in full, often for little payoff.

“Arabian Nights” is quick to distance itself from the famous collection of folk tales, merely taking inspiration from the original work to feed a widescreen study of Portugal during 2013/14, which experienced crippling financial pressures overseen by clueless politicians, who allowed the country to sink deeper into doom. Gomes leads with his heart in “Arabian Nights,” blending documentary material with drama, sampling surrealism, comedy, and agony throughout.

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Arabian Nights" brings out the best of the picture's visual heft, working with terrific colors that identify costuming and culture, while greenery remains precise and skintones natural. Detail is sharp and inviting, allowing viewers to survey wide shots of character activity and study facial and fabric textures, adding depth to the feature's mix of fantasy and realism. Delineation is comfortable. Interestingly, for a newly shot effort, the source does show signs of wear and tear, with speckling common, surging in intensity from time to time.

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix presents an engaging listening experience that favors dialogue exchanges, keeping performances crisp and meaningful. Separation is also interesting, layering voices during the documentary portions of the first feature through front channels. Scoring is deep and sharp, providing excellent instrumentation. Atmospherics are evocative throughout, capturing rural and industrial areas with compelling details.

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (24 pages) contains a production diary, an essay by Dennis Lim, and an "Arabian Nights" index.

• Interview (40:02, HD) features director Miguel Gomes, recorded at the 2015 New York Film Festival.

• "Redemption" (27:25, HD) is a 2013 short film from Gomes.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:14, HD) is included.

Arabian Nights Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's a tall mountain of movie to climb, and it periodically feels endless, but the rewards of "Arabian Nights" are numerous, including outstanding technical achievements that bring out the beauty of the land. Performances are solid as well, communicating moods and meaning, helping Gomes to purge his frustrations and support his imagination. It's not consistent work, in desperate need of editorial consideration, but six hours of "Arabian Nights" leaves its intended mark, generating an understanding of Portugal as it stands today, worried about its future and the welfare of its people.