7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
An American lawyer is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Scott Shepherd (II), Amy Ryan, Sebastian KochHistory | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies teems with history and finds its center not in the procedures of courtroom and Cold War maneuvering but rather the personal drama that develops from the political and legal intrigue in its first half and the classically clandestine, cloak-and-dagger back room dealings in its second. Spielberg crafts a tale, based on a true story sourced from one of the most pivotal moments of the Cold War, that doesn't merely recount the story but rather lives it, defines it, breathes meaningful dramatic and personal life into it. Audiences don't simply see the story unfold, they come to more deeply understand the finer points of both the rule of law and the human element that influences its implementation more so than what it is written on the books and the delicacies of negotiation that extend beyond formalities that evolve into a chess match in which lives, not national pride, are in play. Foregoing any real action in favor of drama grounded in global intrigue intermixed with personal sacrifice and conviction, Bridge of Spies dazzles as an absorbing tale of modern history, one man's broader and more intimate place in its development alike, and an example of its director's unmatched skill in precision filmmaking and storytelling.
Disliked.
Bridge of Spies dazzles on Blu-ray. Disney's 1080p transfer captures the broadest overtones and most intimate details of Director Steven Spielberg's and Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński's picture with remarkable reproduction. Sourced from film, the transfer presents a light grain overlay that's attractively even and accentuating of the movie's finer details while leaving intact a gorgeous cinematic texturing. Every inch of the frame springs to life with complex details revealed with expert precision. Heavier period clothes are a clear standout -- winter coats, finely assembled neckties -- but so too are environmental support details around both New York and Berlin where stone, brick, and concrete present with astounding texture and impeccable complexity. Faces reveal every nuance with ease. Colors are full and finely detailed, a little warm in New York and very cold -- favoring a severe blue and gray scheme -- in Germany. The period's pastel appliances and accents stand apart as amongst the movie's most impressive colors. Black levels are richly deep and pure, critical and shaping many of the movie's more shadowy corners and its climactic sequence in particular. Flesh tones are naturally healthy. The image sees a few mildly soft backgrounds but is otherwise razor-sharp. No serious compression anomalies interfere with a breathtaking transfer, one that's probably about as good as 1080p Blu-ray can produce.
Bridge of Spies holds no secrets thanks to the clarity and exacting placement of its DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Rather than big movie oomph, the track favors a realistic surrounding symphony of support sounds that help define the entire world in which the movie takes place. City exteriors spring to life with foot traffic, squealing train and car brakes, honking horns, and other lifelike details. Offices burst with sonic flavor: chatter, ringing telephones, and clanking typewriters. Every sound is meticulously detailed and precisely placed around the stage to full, completely enveloping and complimentary effect. Even minor, barely audible details like a buzzing fluorescent light help to legitimately pull the listening audience into the film's locations. Driving rain fully saturates the stage in chapter five for one of the most consistently steady bits of ambient detailing in the movie. Music delivery is wide, and precise, yielding lifelike clarity throughout the range. Dialogue is featured prominently in the center with no problems pertaining to clarity or superiority over surrounding elements.
Bridge of Spies contains four featurettes. A DVD copy and a digital copy code are included with purchase.
Bridge of Spies is a magnificent historically based film that merges superior craftsmanship with a classic styling and tells a story of broad legal and global political machinations with a personal tale of determination, sacrifice, and integrity at the center. It's also a wondrously complex film that's easy to absorb on a first viewing -- taking in the basic story lines and themes -- but that leaves audiences pondering its much deeper social, political, historical, personal, and metaphorical layers that not only enhance the story but the audience's appreciation for both the true history behind the film and the delicate craftsmanship that went into making it. This is cinema not at its most bursting-at-the-seams robust but rather its most grounded, fascinating, engaging, and impeccably constructed. Disney's Blu-ray release delivers startling 1080p video, expert lossless sound, and several supplements. Bridge of Spies earns my highest recommendation.
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