Berlin Calling Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Berlin Calling Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 19, 2011

Screened at the Locarno International Film Festival, Hannes Stohr's "Berlin Calling" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors AV Visionen. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; two teasers; making of featurette; music video; and storyboards. In German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Traveling

There are some interesting similarities between Michael Dowse’s It’s All Gone Pete Tong and Hannes Stohr’s Berlin Calling. Both films offer a glimpse into a culture and community many people had a difficult time understanding. Though using different approaches, both films also show how quickly drugs were able to irreversibly damage the lives of those who were most active in the community. Both films have cracking soundtracks.

The former is a lighter, easier to digest film. For the most part it satirizes everything bad that ultimately destroyed the community - from the big record labels that commercialized it to the drug pushers who poisoned it. It is a hilarious but at the same time enormously sad film. The latter is anything but hilarious. It is not a dark, condemning film either. It simply gets a lot of things right with a notably relaxed attitude.

Here’s the plot of Berlin Calling: DJ Ickarus (Paul Kalkbrenner) is in a relationship with Mathilde (Rita Lengyel, Mask Under Mask), but the only thing he cares about is his music. The two are constantly on the move and under a lot of pressure, which is why they routinely take various drugs to relax. They have little money left, but Icka is convinced that once his record label samples his new album the hard times would be over.

The more time Icka spends working on his album, however, the stronger his fix becomes. Mathilde tries to warn him that the drugs are starting to change his personality, and even his music, but he ignores her. Eventually, a pusher gives him a pill that fries his brain and he ends up in a psychiatric clinic. Having finally realized that she is just another stranger in Icka’s world, Mathilde walks away.

In the clinic, Dr. Petra Paul (Corinna Harfouch, Downfall) warns Icka that he is literally living on the edge, and that another pill will surely end his life, but he laughs and heads straight back to the pusher. Later on, he trashes the office of his record label.

When his brain finally registers that Mathilde has left him, Icka returns to the clinic and undergoes detoxification. While recovering, he also completes his album - a beautiful, reflective, positive and genuinely inspirational collection of electronic tunes.

Berlin Calling is not amongst the most original films about Berlin’s underground techno scene, but it is amongst the most honest ones I have seen (another is the docu Feiern - Don’t Forget to Go Home). It effectively captures its seductive glitz and glamor, but it also reveals its dark and destructive side, populated by pushers, prostitutes and junkies.

Icka is played by veteran German DJ Paul Kalkbrenner, who also battled alcohol abuse and drug addiction earlier in his career. Though he has never appeared in a feature-length film before, his schizophrenic outbursts in Berlin Calling are remarkably realistic.

Together with friend and former partner Sascha Funke from BPitch Control (a famous German techno label), Kalkbrenner also composed the soundtrack for Berlin Calling, a fantastic collection of trance-ambient, chillout, and deep house tunes. Check out the uplifting Sky and Sand, which was a massive hit in Europe a couple of years ago.

Note: In 2008, Berlin Calling premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival. A year later, the film was also screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Berlin Calling Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hannes Stohr's Berlin Calling arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors AV Visionen.

This is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity pleasing, even during the darker club scenes, and contrast levels adequate. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern, though there are a couple of scenes where it is creeping in. A few minor noise corrections have been applied, most likely to re-balance some of the intentional color and contrast manipulations. Nevertheless, the image has a pleasing organic look. Finally, there are no serious stability issues. I also did not see any large damage marks, cuts, or stains to report in this review. All in all, this is fine presentation of an excellent film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Berlin Calling Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, AV Visionen have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The music has a very important role in Berlin Calling, and the German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track certainly treats it right -- the bass is lush, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high-frequencies not overdone. There is an excellent range of nuanced dynamics as well (listen to the opening track). The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. The English translation is excellent.

Berlin Calling Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are encoded in PAL. Therefore, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set/monitor capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

• Making of - a very informative featurette containing footage from the making of Berlin Calling, as well as comments from various cast and crew members. In German, with optional English subtitles. (31 min).

• Teaser 1 - music only, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Teaser 2 - in German, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Trailer - in German, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Sky & Sand - the official music video. (4 min).

• Storyboards - a collection of storyboards. In German, not subtitled. (7 min).

Berlin Calling Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I enjoyed Berlin Calling a lot. It is an honest film about a culture and community the mainstream media never liked. The film has one of the best soundtracks I have heard in a very long time. Simply superb. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of German distributors AV Visionen, looks good and sounds terrific. It is also Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.