Beginning Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Beginning Blu-ray Movie Review

Beginning is a compelling and thought-provoking drama. Produced by Ilan Amouyal (Silo, Mischievous), Rati Oneli (Theo, Invisible Spaces), Paul Rozenberg (Burning Ghost, Too Much Happiness), and David Zerat (Rust in Peace, Big House), Beginning is a quietly compelling character-study. The film has an outstanding lead performance by star Ia Sukhitashvili.

The small town of a Jehovah’s Witness community finds terror and unexpected horror when the group are attacked at Church. With a fire set ablaze in their Church and everyone struggling to get free from flames, the stakes are high. A local extremist organization is determined to cause damage to these Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Yana (Ia Sukhitashvili), a local woman, finds conflict as a wife to one of the leaders in the town. Interrogated by a detective, Yana soon finds that her interrogator wants to rape her – and that she isn’t safe. Brutally attacked by the detective, Yana is the victim of sexual assault and must struggle with the horror of her attack. Can Yana confront the man and find justice? A devastating tale of the evils of mankind, the tale offers a glimpse into darkness.

Ia Sukhitashvili delivers an exceptional performance. Sukhitashvili imbues her performance with a sense of dramatic urgency and depth that elevates the filmmaking and brings out the best of the production. The performance is quietly compelling – a great showcase for the subtle nuances of the actress and of her range. The role required a lot out of the actress (especially during the brutal rape scene) and she gives the performance a sense of dedication that is impressive. Sukhitashvili understands her role: providing the film with all the depth and dramatic weight the film requires.

The production design by Guram Navrozashvili (Life Seems to Be Beautiful, Father) is compelling and evocative. The opening sequence – in which a Jehovah’s Witness church is set on fire – showcases a wonderfully strong production design. Though subtle and often understated, the design efforts by Navrozashvili make a great impression.

The costumes by Katevan Kalandadze (The President, Dede) are noteworthy and well-done. Though the costumes don’t stand out as much as they enhance the filmmaking and its raw sense of drama, these costumes provide a sense of realism to the production. In showcasing the ordinary, the costumes of Kalandadze impress.

Edited by Matthieu Taponier (Son of Saul, Sunset), Beginning is a well-paced film. The editing is one of the best strengths of the film. Taponier assembled a great cut of the film and the editing style is quite appreciable. The editing style works exceptionally well for the drama.

The cinematography by Arseni Khachaturan (Bones and All, Aviva) is exquisite and beautiful to behold. Beginning is a beautifully lensed work of art. The cinematography showcases the outdoor landscapes and the quiet revelations of the production design with stunning visual splendor. A superb effort by Khachaturan.

The score composed by Nicolas Jaar (Ema, Dheepan) is quietly haunting. The score might not stand out as much as some of the other production elements but the music still plays a vital role during some of the sequences. The music enhances the narrative and the filmmaking is all the better as a result.

Written by Dea Kulumbegashvili and Rati Oneli (City of the Sun, Theo), Beginning is an intelligent and compelling character-study. The film explores the world of the central protagonist, Yana. The tale is haunting and powerful.

Directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili (Léthé, Invisible Spaces), Beginning is a wonderful showcase for the talents of the filmmaker. Her filmmaking style is exquisite and haunting. One of the best scenes in the film unfolds with Yana simply laying across the grass outside – staring up in to the sky. The artistic style evokes a lot of emotion and is highly evocative. The filmmaking recalls the likes of Michael Haneke and Abbas Kiarostami.

Beginning Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Beginning is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.32:1 full frame. The presentation on the release is superb. Detail, depth, and clarity are outstanding. The encoding capably showcases the exceptional cinematography and there are no major issues to report. A beautiful looking release from Kino.

Beginning Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Georgian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with English subtitles). The audio presentation is exceptional sounding. Clarity is astonishing and the track sounds crystal clear with a great sense of depth and detail. The score is well reproduced on the release.

Though Beginning has a sometime sparse sounding audio design, when the audio is utilized, it sounds remarkable and the lossless audio enhances the experience. An optional DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo audio track is also provided on the release. An excellent effort by Kino Lorber.

Beginning Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Q&A with Dea Kulumbegashvili and Luca Guadagnino (HD, 36:44)

Beginning Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Beginning is a thought-provoking and compelling character-study exploring the life of a woman and her role in her community. With an exceptional and understated performance by Ia Sukhitashvili, Beginning is a great showcase for the actress and a well-directed effort by Dea Kulumbegashvili (Léthé). Her film is remarkably well-directed and the artistry on display is apparent from the first to last frame. The release also includes a Q&A featuring Beginning director Dea Kulumbegashvili and Luca Guadagnino (Suspiria, Call Me by Your Name). The Blu-ray release provides an excellent video and audio presentation. Highly recommended.