Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Blinded by the Light Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 30, 2019

In a year that’s already celebrated the music of The Beatles through fantasy (in June’s “Yesterday”), it seems only natural to make way for Bruce Springsteen and his working class perspective for “Blinded by the Light,” a tale of fandom in the 1980s and something of a bio-pic for writer Sarfraz Manzoor, whose book, “Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll,” has inspired the screenplay. The film isn’t explicitly a jukebox musical working through Springsteen’s ample discography, but it certainly threatens to become one. Co-writer/director Gurinder Chadha (“Bend It Like Beckham”) is making a coming-of-age drama, but guitar spirit often takes command of the feature, which is even more of an audience-pleaser than “Yesterday,” even while working with far more sobering tunes. “Blinded by the Light” doesn’t know when to quit, but it’s loaded with charm and always attentive to heart, offering viewers the ride of life in motion, backed by the rock poetry of The Boss.

The year is 1987, and Javed (Viveik Kalra) is a young Pakistani man who’s been raised in a strict family, dealing with authority issues from his father, Malik (Kulvinder Ghir), who demands respect. Javed dreams of college, but he’s committed to a life of servitude, reluctantly working on a future as an accountant, living up to Malik’s expectations. When Javed meets a Sikh named Roops (Aaron Phagura), he’s introduced to the miracle of Bruce Springsteen, who writes about the common man and his struggles to make it through a life he doesn’t want. Responding to such truth, Javed becomes a Springsteen superfan, living his life for The Boss, with this passion driving his personal poetry, impressing his teacher, Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell). With Springsteen altering his DNA, Javed fights for his future, finding liberation a difficult sell for Malik, who pushes traditional Pakistani values and aspirations on his son, causing tremendous friction in the house.

While “Blinded by the Light” is a deeply personal story, it also represents a slice of history. It’s set in England during Thatcher’s reign, with the nation succumbing to the ravages of unemployment, creating a depression that’s reignited the National Front, a neo-Nazi organization that’s determined to drive perceived enemies, including Pakistanis, out. Jobs are drying up, hope is dissipating, and Javed is trapped in a domestic situation he no longer has the patience for, facing a life where he has zero control over his personal expression, even being groomed for an arranged marriage. It’s this collision of household disturbance and national alarm that drives the plot of “Blinded by the Light,” finding Javed positively lost, in need of direction.

Such confidence is offered through the music of Bruce Springsteen, with Roops gifting his friend a pair of cassettes for maximum Walkman salvation. The soundtrack is filled with songs from The Boss, with Chadha showing little hesitation when it comes to equating Springsteen’s songwriting with Javed’s awakening, periodically using printed lyrics to underline the connection generated between the artist and the meek soul about to explode. “Blinded by the Light” strives to be jubilant, inching toward corniness perhaps one too many times, but it’s a definite heart-on- sleeve production push, reaching peak euphoria with a mid-movie presentation of “Born to Run,” watching Javed and Roops commandeer a college radio station to play the forbidden track, sprinting out into the world singing the song at the top of their lungs. This joy inspires song and dance, with Chadha capturing the exorcism of complacency in the lead character, and also indulging some musical number itches with Springsteen’s beloved hit.

Blinded by the Light Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation protects the period mood of "Blinded by the Light," offering distinct primaries the enjoy the hues of the 1980s, while cultural additions also register with care, highlighting oranges and golds. Skintones are natural. Detail delivers sharp facial particulars, offering a pleasing sense of young and old appearances. Costuming comes through with texture. Delineation is acceptable, but some dense hair and outfits struggle with solidification.

Blinded by the Light Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 7.1 DolbyTrue sound mix isn't built for domination, largely remaining emotive with the characters, with dialogue exchanges clear and balanced, never losing stability during argumentative moments. Scoring is also enjoyable, with defined instrumentation supporting dramatic movements. The soundtrack is really the highlight here, offering crisp hits from Springsteen and his band, who provides deep, low-end bass and snappy percussion, along with crisp vocals. More synth-driven hits also score big. Atmospherics are communicative, securing group activity with protests and school bustle, and room tones are appreciable.

Blinded by the Light Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Memoir to Movie" (6:10, HD) opens with Gurinder Chadha's directorial mission for "Blinded by the Light," making a concentrated effort to understand the passions of Sarfraz Manzoor's story and its themes concerning the passions of youth and the vibrancy of culture. She also explains the adaptation process with Bruce Springsteen and his music. Casting is explored, highlighting the discovery of Viveik Kalra, and location shooting is detailed, with Chadha making a play for authenticity by taking the production to Luton, trying to remain as close to Manzoor's world as possible. Period ornamentation is surveyed, with the 1980s setting enthusiastically replicated, and a small celebration of Chadha's experience and vision is included.

• "The Most Crazy Thing" (6:55, HD) focuses on Manzoor's experience as a Bruce Springsteen superfan, with the musician a primary creative influence in his life, resulting in the attendance of over 150 concerts. Such fandom found its way into Manzoor's writing, which triggered talk of a book deal, and soon a movie adaptation. However, for "Blinded by the Light," Springsteen's approval was needed, putting pressure on the author and Chadha to get the material to The Boss, who ended up loving the idea. Chadha also talks of the picture's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it went over bigger than anyone could've imagined. Manzoor closes with a mention of his own father, who inspired his writing.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (9:48, HD) collect various character beats snipped from the feature.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this disc.

Blinded by the Light Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a lot on the film's plate, as "Blinded by the Light" deals with Javed's success as a writer, time with his first girlfriend (Nell Williams), and complications with his neighborhood buddy (Dean-Charles Chapman), who's a New Wave kid. The endeavor extends to nearly two hours in length, and the stretchmarks show, leaving the feature somewhat plodding as it deals with all supporting characters, including the central crisis of culture and age between Javed and his stern father. Chadha loves this community, and she's very careful to draw parallels between the crisis of far-right racism in the 1980s and the world we live in today, making it difficult for her to trim down a picture that needs it. While it runs out of gas, "Blinded by the Light" is clearly the work of an impassioned and aware helmer who's trying to do something positive with the material, offering sunshine to moviegoers who may need the boost these days. She gives Springsteen all the adulation, but the saga of Manzoor's enlightenment is the true inspiration, working to secure the grand arc of sonic and creative stimulation the writer experienced thanks to The Boss.