6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America.
Director: Lee HirschDocumentary | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (B untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Any time someone comes around that's the least bit different, they make sure to put them down.
Is there anyone who hasn't been the victim of bullying to some degree? Has anyone ever not been pushed and shoved in the
hallway, called derogatory names, punched in the arm, had their lunch money taken by force, been threatened with death, or fallen victim to any
other
number of bullying tactics that are employed not because the victim's asking for them, but because people are just flat-out hateful? Where
does this behavior come from? Is it learned on the streets? Do bullying victims take their own frustrations out on others and perpetuate the cycle?
Is bullying a product of
the
collapse of the classic home? The influence on the street? The images on television? The lyrics in music? The echoes in the school building
hallway? Or is bullying just an innate part of youthful nature? And is justifiable retaliation a form of "bullying" in and of itself? Is the victim kicking
the aggressor
between the legs a bad thing? Was this child justified in fighting back?
Director Lee Hirsch's (himself a victim of bullying)
Bully doesn't really answer these questions, because they are, frankly, questions with arguably no answer or, on the other end of the
argument, a product of "all of the above"
and then some. The truth is the world is a pretty lousy place, that mankind is inherently flawed, and that bullying is probably here to stay, one way
or another (shoot, even the logical, "evolved," and emotionless Vulcan children in Star Trek bullied a young Spock. That's fiction, yes, but the point is
that probably no degree of "utopia" will ever completely solve the problem). But Bully aims to bring to
light the serious problem that is bullying, to make it a subject on which parents, children, and school officials may openly communicate, to elevate it
above the status of "taboo" and, just maybe, show the true, dire, behind-the-scenes consequences of bullying and open up the deep personal effect
it
has on individuals, families, and communities to the entire world.
The face of bullying.
Bully features a fair HD video presentation. Much of the image is satisfactorily sharp and clear, revealing good, clean, accurate lines and details on faces, cinderblock walls in the schools, classroom decorations, and the textures of bus seat coverings. Colors are fairly vibrant and natural, from various clothes to yellow buses. Black levels are fine, and flesh tones natural. The image does wash out a bit in very bright outdoor scenes. The source also occasionally reveals some aliasing, a few jagged edges, and some false colors throughout. Regardless of the transfer's strengths and weaknesses, this isn't the sort of film one watches for Blu-ray eye candy. It looks just fine given the content and filmmaking styles. The problem areas aren't egregious and they do not interfere with the narrative flow.
Bully features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's designed to convey basic information and dialogue, not dazzle listeners. Still, there's good spacing to the track and fine clarity to music. Light surround elements are present in a handful of scenes. Children play in the back, a good reverberation in a gymnasium helps set that stage, and the rattling and rumbling of a moving bus helps to define that particular environment. Dialogue is clear and presented evenly and consistently from the center channel speaker. That's pretty much all there is to this one; it handles its basic elements well enough and will get listeners through the film with no difficulty.
Bully contains a large assortment of relatively short extras. A DVD copy of the film is also included.
Bully is more of a "see what's happening" sort of movie meant to bring greater attention to and focus on bullying. Its stories are sad and its solutions are few, but its victims are very much likable people; it's too bad their peers cannot see that. No matter how many tears, how many bruises, how many suicides, bullying seems like a fact of life that isn't about to go away any time soon. The film never really champions the oldest solution in the book -- good old-fashioned "eye for an eye" retaliation -- which might not find much favor in the world as it is right now, but chances are that Australian kid from the YouTube video linked above doesn't have much of a problem with bullying anymore. That said, there's also a place for dialogue and for promoting anti-bullying campaigns, but it's disappointing to see Alex's parents "politicked," as they say, by the assistant principal, to see the silent shrugs of "nothing can be done" that quietly linger throughout the film. This is an important topic that's addressed in a captivating film. It's too bad the film is more the fire alarm and less the water hose. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Bully features adequate video and audio along with a long list of extra content. Recommended.
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