8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Matheus Nachtergaele, Phelipe Haagensen, Seu JorgeDrama | 100% |
Crime | 41% |
Foreign | 29% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Winner of the Visions Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles' "Cidade de Deus" a.k.a. "City of God" (2002) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include the the documentary film "News From a Personal War" and a conversation with director Fernando Meirelles. In Portuguese, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
In Heaven
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.84:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Fernando Meirelles' City of God arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
If you already have the Canadian Blu-ray release of City of God, there is no need to consider importing the UK Blu-ray release, hoping that the presentation might be stronger. The two releases use different high-definition transfers (look at the aspect ratios), but their basic characteristics are practically identical.
Fine object detail is good, but clarity and contrast fluctuate quite a bit. Obviously, a lot of these fluctuations are intended, but some of the image softness, for instance, clearly has a different origin. Detail and textures are mostly pleasing, particularly during the daylight footage. The nighttime footage, however, looks mostly flat and muted. The color scheme is practically impossible to evaluate, as yellows, blues, grays, and blacks and routinely manipulated. (For what it's worth, the yellows and grays look marginally richer on the Canadian release). Lastly, edge enhancement is not a serious issue of concern. To sum it all up, I like the Canadian release a little bit better because it looks marginally crisper, but the difference is insignificant. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Portuguese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature.
I am convinced that those of you who have previously seen City of God only on DVD will be very pleased with the Portuguese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Not only it boasts a good range of nuanced dynamics, but surround activity is quite effective as well. The dialog is often quite chaotic, but the English subtitles help a lot. For the record, I did not detect any annoying pops, cracks, or dropouts to report in this review.
English-speaking film collectors residing in Region-B territories finally have a Blu-ray release of Portuguese director Fernando Meirelles's acclaimed City of God, which they can now add to their collections. In terms of quality, the UK Blu-ray release is on par with the Canadian Blu-ray release. RECOMMENDED.
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