7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Soviet Union in June 1941, the Russian troops begin an epic struggle to hold onto the border stronghold of the Brest Fortress.
Starring: Aleksei Kopashov, Andrey Merzlikin, Pavel Derevyanko, Aleksandr Korshunov, Maksim KostromykinWar | 100% |
History | 72% |
Foreign | 51% |
Drama | 44% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Russian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Winner of three Russian Academy Awards, Aleksandr Kott's "Brestskaya krepost" a.k.a "Fortress of War" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors G2 Pictures. The only extra on the disc is a trailer for the film. In Russian and German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
It is time to die...
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Aleksandr Kott's Fortress of War arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors G2 Pictures.
Aside from a few tiny compression artifacts that I noticed during a couple of scenes, Fortress of War looks great in high-definition. The very important close-ups look excellent, never appearing dull or plastic, while the panoramic vistas convey excellent depth and fluidity. There are various contrast and color manipulations that are introduced after the Nazis enter the fortress, and practically all of them look very convincing. Clarity is consistently pleasing, even during the darker scenes from inside the fortress and during the battles (there is plenty of smoke). Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern. There are no serious stability issues to report in this review either. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with portions of German). For the record, G2 Pictures have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
If you wish to test the muscles of your audio system, this is the kind of Blu-ray disc you want to experiment with. Some of the special audio effects are indeed quite remarkable, placing the viewer right in the middle of the fierce battles. The sequence where the Nazis drop the two-ton bomb is also very impressive. This being said, the dynamic intensity is not on par with that from the Saving Private Ryan Blu-ray. However, the sound effects are top-notch and, more importantly, the surround channels are very intelligently used. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. The English translation is very good.
Aleksandr Kott's Fortress of War is one of the best contemporary Russian films I've seen in years. It is brilliantly realized, uncompromising, and terrifically acted, guaranteed to appear on my Top 10 list at the end of the year. The film looks and sounds very good in high-definition. However, I wish there were some good supplemental features included on the Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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