6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Amid a revolution in a South American mining outpost, a band of fugitives are forced to flee for their lives into the jungle. Starving, exhausted, and stripped of their old identities, they wander desperately lured by one deceptive promise of salvation after another.
Starring: Simone Signoret, Georges Marchal, Charles Vanel, Michel Piccoli, Tito JuncoForeign | 100% |
Drama | 47% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Luis Bunuel's "Death in the Garden" (1956) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include trailer for the film; new video interview with critic and filmmaker Tony Rayns; and audio commentary by critic critic Samm Deighan. The release also arrives with a 10-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Peter Tonguette. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Luis Buñuel's Death in the Garden arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
So, let's put aside the aspect ratio discrepancy between the British release and this release for a moment and focus on the quality of the master that was used to produce this release. First, it seems pretty clear now that the current version of the film incorporates footage from multiple sources. My guess is that the current version is actually a reconstruction of some sort, and that the softer/flatter footage replaces portions of the film that were either seriously damaged and no longer usable, or completely lost. Second, the density levels here are quite a bit better, and in some areas the shadow definition is superior as well. In fact, even the secondary footage looks better (you can compare screencapture #10 with the correspodinng screencapture from our review of other release to get an idea what type of difference to expect). Also, here the overall color balance is different -- some of the primaries are better saturated, and some of the supporting nuances are expanded. However, there are also a few areas where I am not seeing any difference at all, which tells me that at the very least the other master in the 1.66:1 ratio was referenced. During the outdoor and indoor footage grain exposure looks very nice and the visuals have the type of 'tigtness' that I would expect to see from a brand new 2K/4K remaster, which is something that instantly has a positive effect on fluidity as well. In other words, if you view your films on a larger screen, expect to see really strong visuals. (The exception would be the footage that I have speculated comes from a secondary source).
The aspect ratio: The film looks really good in the Academy ratio, which isn't an odd one in Luis Bunuel's oeuvre. For example, Fever Mounts at El Pao, which was completed a few years after Death in the Garden, was also fully restored and presented in the Academy ratio and looks very convincing. Los Olvidados is another popular film from the 1950s that has been presented in the exact same way as well. The point is, even if some of these films were screened in 1.66:1, after viewing this particular restoration and reconstruction of Death in the Garden I can comfortably say that the film looks very nicely composed in 1.33:1. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
Aside from the opening credits where the music feels a tad 'thin' the rest of the audio sound lovely, boasting great clarity and sharpness. A few very small fluctuations in terms of dynamic stability exist, but my guess is that they are essentially part of the reconstructive job that was done to create the master. Also, you should keep in mind that some of the overdubbed, so there is some native unevenness as well. The end production, however, is of very high-quality.
Death in the Garden is a colorful adventure film that essentially channels many of Luis Bunuel's political views. I believe that it was intended as a warning against a troubling future that the director was convinced Mexico and countries in Latin America were likely to face. It is an enjoyable film, but I think that the final film in the "revolutionary triptych", Fever Mounts at El Pao, is the most effective one. Kino Lorber's new release of Death in the Garden has a technical presentation of the film that is not identical to the one that this release from Eureka Entertainment offered. I don't know when or how the master that was used to source it was it was prepared, but I think that overall it has a more convincing organic appearance. RECOMMENDED.
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