7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
In 1967, Ernesto "Che" Guevara leads a small partisan army to fight an ill-fated revolutionary guerrilla war in Bolivia, South America.
Starring: Benicio del Toro, Carlos Bardem, Demián Bichir, Joaquim de Almeida, Pablo DuránDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 50% |
War | 27% |
History | 26% |
Biography | 21% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Yet to be released in North America, Steven Soderbergh's epic "Che" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc is a fantastic interview with the author of "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life", an interview with Benicio del Toro, and another interview with composer Alberto Iglesias. Region-B "locked".
In Bolivia
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (slightly modified from its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1),
encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Steven Soderbergh's Che:
Guerrilla arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
As expected, the second installment in director Soderbergh's epic looks just as impressive as the
first one. Contrast is terrific, clarity excellent and detail, especially during the panoramic vistas
showing the Bolivian jungles, incredible. The color-scheme is also very impressive. Greens, blues,
yellows, browns, blacks and whites are lush and well saturated (this is where it really shows that
a Red One Camera has been used). Furthermore, neither edge-enhancement nor macroblocking
are a serious issue of concern. For the record, when blown through a digital projector Che:
Guerrilla also looks incredibly stable. To sum it all up, Optimum Home Entertainment's
treatment of this film is indeed very strong, and I would be shocked if the rumored Criterion
release offers any substantial improvements. This being said, the only reason I am not giving
Che: Guerrilla our highest score is because I am somewhat displeased with the
distributor's decision to include forced PAL-encoded subtitles before the main feature.
(Note: This is a Region-B "locked" disc. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or
Region-Free player, you won't be able to access its content. Additionally, those of you with native
Region-B players in North America will not be able to access the main feature due to the inclusion
of the earlier mentioned forced PAL trailers, which will prevent you from accessing the main
feature).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish (with portions of English) DTS-HD
Master
Audio 5.1.
Once again, this is a terrific track with truly impressive dynamic levels. The bass is rich and
potent,
the rear channels very active and the high frequencies not overdone. The shootouts will certainly
test your audio system. They are not overly aggressive, but the quality of sound is superb. The
final
clash between Che's rebels and the government forces for example is notably well mixed – it
literally
feels as if the action takes place right in front of us. As expected, the dialog is crisp, clear and very
easy to follow. Furthermore, Alberto Iglesias' outstanding music score sounds excellent. There are
no pops, cracks, or hissings that I detected. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have
provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
Interview with Alberto Iglesias - the composer answers a number of questions
about his contribution to director Soderbergh's film, how he felt about working on a project about
Che Guevara, his take on the events shown in the film, etc. With optional English subtitles. (mpeg-
2, 13 min).
Interview with Benicio del Toro - the actors talks about how he got involved with
Che, why he agreed to play this most controversial historic figure, what the message of the
film is, and what he hopes people would get out of it. (mpeg-2, 7 min).
Interview with Jon Lee Andersonh - a fantastic interview with the author of
"Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life" in which he talks about the cult of Che, the perception
different generations had of him, why he was and still is so inspiration to many, etc. (mpeg-2, 32
min).
Theatrical trailer -
It is a shame that Benicio del Toro was recognized for his exceptional performance in Che at the Cannes Film Festival but not at home, in the United States. If you could play Region-B discs, I urge you to consider adding Che to your libraries. I also urge you to find the time to see the marvelous interview with Jon Lee Anderson, it is as fascinating as the actual film. If you reside in the United States and cannot yet play Region-B discs, wait for the Criterion release later this Fall. Very Highly Recommended.
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