7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A band of wayward twenty-somethings—including a disaffected playboy searching for his birth mother, a lovelorn woman hopelessly enamored with him, and a policeman caught in the middle of their turbulent relationship—pull together and push apart in a cycle of frustrated desire.
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Carina LauForeign | 100% |
Drama | 83% |
Romance | 27% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Cantonese: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Cantonese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Mandarin (Traditional), Mandarin (Simplified), English, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Thai, Vietnamese
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Won Kar Wai's “Days of Being Wild” (1991) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Media Asia. The only bonus feature on the release is a gallery of trailers. In Cantonese, with optional English, Mandarin (Traditional), Mandarin (Simplified), Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, and Thai subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Disillusioned
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Days of Being Wild arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Media Asia.
Right off the bat, I must point to the fact that people unfamiliar with the manner in which this film was shot (a Spherical 35mm camera) will likely be puzzled with how it looks on Blu-ray. Or not. if familiar with the specific color-lighting scheme favored by cinematographer Christopher Doyle. Heavy grain, a subtle use of lighting resulting in a stylistic look disallowing strong clarity, and a nuanced use of blacks and greens is what we have here. Furthermore, there is an abundance of close-up shots that make it that much more intriguing to analyze the print provided by Media Asia, as more or less it is rather impossible to judge the film presentation based on what traditional contemporary films look like in 1080p. I personally find this release to be notably better than what previous SDVD releases of Days of Being Wild have revealed, particularly in terms of color reproduction. The prevalent spectrum of greens and blacks is very well handled allowing maximum detail to be extracted from scenes that previously were source-limited into something that obviously had nothing to do with Christopher Doyle and Wong Kar-Wai's visions. Furthermore, I did not detect any DNR-filtering as the grain structure of the print looks both natural and in tune with the film's stylistic composition. Finally, I must note that the actual quality of the print appears to be of very high quality as I did not see any disturbing scratches, specks, or dirt. Overall, this is the strongest presentation of Days of Being Wild that I have seen. (Note: Even though the back cover of this Blu-ray release indicates a Region-A only status the disc is in fact region-free. I tested it on my Region-B hardware and it plays flawlessly).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the DTS-HD Master 7.1 track.
Frankly, every single aspect of the audio treatment on this Blu-ray disc is superior to the SDVD version. The rear channels are much more potent (especially during the shooting scene) and, as far as I am concerned, the dialog is much clearer and crisper. For the record, I did not detect any disturbing hissing, cracks, or pops. This being said, the Blu-ray disc does suffer a great deal from the same issue the Asian SDVD release was plagued with – a very weak English translation. To be honest, there are specific scenes in Days of Being Wild where it is quite impossible to grasp precisely what the main characters are discussing. It appears to me that exactly the same sub-file has been used and this will surely be an issue for some. I personally am unable to comment on the quality of the rest of the subtitle tracks offered on this release as I don't speak any of the Asian languages they reflect.
Aside from a gallery of trailers for other Media Asia recent Blu-ray releases, there is nothing else to be found on this disc.
Meditative, subtly constructed and filled with nostalgia, Days of Being Wild is a film juxtaposing key Wong Kar Wai themes -- impossible romance, lyrical pessimism, and stylish eroticism. The film also marked the arrival of Christopher Doyle as the Chinese director's preferred cinematographer. The Blu-ray disc we have reviewed is nicley produced, with the only exception being the questionable English translation, which some viewers may find to be an impossible to ignore issue.
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