7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Django is a lone stranger who roams the West dragging a coffin filled with chaos towards a destiny ruled by vengeance.
Starring: Franco Nero, José Bódalo, Loredana Nusciak, Ángel Álvarez, Simón ArriagaForeign | 100% |
Western | 38% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: Arrow's long, winding road with this title seems to be drawing to a close. They released Django 4K + Texas, Adios BD in May and are releasing Django 4K as a standalone concurrently with this 1080 release.
This review is based on the 1080 version sent to me some time ago when the original recalled 1080 release was imminent.
When is a Django film not “really” a Django film? Quite a bit, and maybe even most, of the time, according to a
phenomenon that has already been mentioned on a number of previous “Spaghetti Western” Blu-ray releases, including
The Complete Sartana and
A
Pistol for Ringo & The Return of Ringo: Two Films
by Duccio Tessari, but which is gotten into even more overtly on some of the supplements included on this new release from Arrow. In
one of the kind of strange ironies of international cinema, while Django never made any substantial inroads in the United States market
(at least as a theatrical exhibition), when it was originally released and took off big time in Italy, and then later in West Germany, it created
such a sensation that literally scores of “Django-ized” supposed sequels were produced, though none of them had original star Franco
Nero, and kind of hilariously, many of them didn't even feature a character named Django. It was apparently felt that simply sticking “Django”
either right into the title or at least into some of the marketing materials would more or
less guarantee audiences showing up and buying (coffins full of?) tickets. That phenomenon actually is part of the history of the second film in this
set, Texas, Adios which was actually marketed as a supposed "Django film" in some markets. As is also discussed in some of the
supplements, both Django
and A Fistful of Dollars might be vulnerable to
another cheeky kind of question, namely, “When is an Akira Kurosawa film not “really” an Akira Kurosawa film?” As is mentioned in an
archival interview included in this release as a supplement, both Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci evidently saw Yojimbo within just a few days of each other in the early sixties, and both then set about more or less
adapting some of the basics of that property in their own ways. The first Django film and A Fistful of Dollars therefore both
exhibit some undeniable similarities, but as is also discussed in some of the supplements, Django is considerably more hyperbolic in a
number of its elements.
Django is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the transfers of both films in this set:
Django is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 with Italian and English mono audio. Scanning, grading and restoration work was completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution on a pin-registsered Arriscan.This is a largely gorgeous looking restoration, with a nicely burnished palette that still manages to pop vividly (and in my opinion more naturally than the Blue Underground version) when any of its trademark reds arrive on screen, and with a much better resolved grain field than was on the at times almost pixellated looking Blue Underground release. Detail levels are routinely excellent, helped along by Corbucci's tendency to grant his performers lots of close-ups (sometimes courtesy of extreme zooms). There are still slight variabilities in color temperature, palette and clarity, and as noted in Arrow's disclaimer, a few (in my estimation pretty minor) signs of age related wear and tear still are apparent, as in the long vertical scratches right after the opening credits that I've noticed in other presentations (see screenshot 14). This is noticeably darker than the Blue Underground version, but to my eyes looks much more natural and less artificially boosted.
Texas, Adios is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with Italian and English mono audio. Scanning and restoration work was completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original two-perf Techniscope 35mm camera negative was scanned in 2K resolution on a pin- registered Arriscan with a wet gate. The film was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master at R3Store Studios, London.
For both films, thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, picture instability and other instances of film wear were rapaired or removed through a combination of digital restoration tools and techniques. Some instances of picture wear remain, in keeping with the significant restoration challenges presented with the condition of the original elements.
The mono Italian and English language tracks were remastered from the optical sound negatives. The audio synch will appear slightly loose against the picture, due to the fact that the dialogue was recorded entirely in post-production, as per the production standards of the period.
All original materials used in this restoration were accessed from Surf Film.
There are DTS-HD Master Audio Mono tracks available in either English or Italian. The Italian track sounded slightly hotter to my ears, but otherwise, aside from voice acting performances, the tracks are extremely similar if not identical in mix levels. As is discussed in some of the supplements, Django has a certain "Eastwood-ian" ambience in the English language track, with a much more forceful, darker tone in the Italian. There are similar differences in other voices, and fans may well want to check both tracks out. Dialogue, score and effects are all rendered faithfully.
- Italian Trailer (1080p; 2:58)
- International Trailer (1080p; 2:58)
- Stills (1080p)
- Posters (1080p)
- Lobby Cards (1080p)
- Press (1080p)
- Home Video (1080p)
It's not hard to see why Django created such an instant sensation when it was released, even if took a while for that sensation to reach the shores of the United States. The story is stuffed full of outré touches and Corbucci provides a really kinetic style that helps propel things in a consistently exciting way. Arrow's new release sports great technical merits and excellent supplements. Highly recommended.
Goodbye Texas
1966
I quattro dell'apocalisse
1975
Stranger's Gundown / Django the Avenger / Django il bastardo
1969
Se sei vivo spara
1967
E Dio disse a Caino...
1970
Blood at Sundown / Il ritorno di Ringo
1965
La resa dei conti
1966
Django, prepare ton cercueil / Preparati la bara!
1968
Joe... cercati un posto per morire!
1968
¿Quien sabe?
1967
The Cruel Ones / I Crudeli
1967
Un fiume di dollari
1966
The Rope and the Colt / Une corde, un Colt...
1969
2K Restoration
1972
Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom
2008
1976
La banda del gobbo
1978
Giù la testa / Duck, You Sucker
1971
Buon funerale amigos!... paga Sartana / Gunslinger
1970
Collectors Edition | Rang Zi Dan Fei
2010