Beanpole Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Beanpole Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-see gem by acclaimed filmmaker Kantemir Balagov.

Beanpole is a remarkable cinematic achievement from acclaimed filmmaker Kantemir Balagov (Tesnota). The feature-film was a 2019 un certain regard selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Selected as the Russian entry for the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film in 2019, the production is a beautiful post WWII exploration of the journeys of the human heart and the depths of the soul.

Iya Sergueeva (Viktoria Miroshnichenko) helps treat wounded soldiers who were traumatized by WWII and are struggling with PTSD. Iya is known as “Beanpole” due to her slender, tall figure. She helps the soldiers with a compassionate heart and helping hand. Iya also helps to look after her young son, her sweet-heart, Pashka (Timofey Glazkov). A former anti-aircraft gunner herself, Iya reunites with the eccentric Masha (Vasilisa Perelygina), and the two women form an unexpected connection – as the storyline of Beanpole unfolds. Can Iya and Masha find true happiness?

Viktoria Miroshnichenko is downright remarkable as Iya. Miroshnichenko provides the film with a depth that is compelling and thought-provoking. The performance is nuanced and layered. Vasilisa Perelygina is effective as her co-star (adding more emotional resonance to the filmmaking). Even the actor playing Iya's young son, Timofey Glazkov, is surprisingly effective in the role (given his young age). A strong ensemble effort.

A mesmerizing cinematic experience.

The production benefits from exceptional cinematography by Kseniya Sereda (Chernobyl: Abyss, Bez kozhi). The cinematographic style is beautiful and complex. The film uses a lot of vivid colors and tones (providing a stylized appearance that is compelling). The aesthetic works well for the story.

The production design by Sergey Ivanov also adds an element of authenticity to the filmmaking while the costumes by Olga Smirnova are perfect for each respective character in the story. The production team commendably helped to enhance the filmmaking at each turn of the filmmaking.

One of the more subtle elements of the film is the music score composed by Evgueni Galperine (Corpus Christie, The Undoing). The score always takes a back-seat to the performances. The soundtrack is effective but so is the use of silence in the filmmaking (with the film enhancing performances with quiet backdrops). The score is subtle but effective.

Kantemir Balagov (Closeness, Molodoy eschyo) created his breakout hit with Beanpole (at 28 years old). The filmmaking is exceptional and the screenplay penned by Balagov alongside co-screenwriter Aleksandr Terekhov (Mathilde, The Coronation) is full of depth and nuance. The filmmaking focuses squarely on the characters and their respective journeys post WWII. With remarkable editing by Igor Litoninskiy (9^th Company, Dark Planet), Beanpole stuns with a strong filmmaking style and ambiance that is impossible to ignore. A must-see gem.

Beanpole Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Beanpole is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The presentation looks quite impressive throughout. The cinematographic style has plenty of green and yellow hues (and the aesthetic is well preserved by the high quality encode). The encode never suffers from any egregious compression anomalies. A visually stunning film, the top-notch presentation by Kino capably preserves the cinematographic style.

Beanpole Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The audio quality on the release is exceptional. Dialogue is consistently crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music score is well presented as well. The surround sound track is somewhat minimalistic but has occasional ambiance which was appreciable. Beanpole is presented with English subtitles, which were free from any egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

Beanpole Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Interview with Director Kantemir Balagov (HD, 10:20) is a compelling interview. The director delves in to the filmmaking and provides some nice insights.

Beanpole Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:02)

Tesnota Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:20)

Beanpole Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Beanpole is a compelling work of art. Featuring an exceptional performance by Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Beanpole explores the journey of the characters in a compelling way. A quietly moving drama, Beanpole stuns. The Blu-ray from Kino Lorber features a strong video-audio presentation and an insightful interview with the director, Kantemir Balagov. Highly recommended.