George Washington Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

George Washington Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 1, 2014

Winner of Best First Film Award at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, David Gordon Green's "George Washington" (2000) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include the American director's short films "Pleasant Grove" and "Physical Pinball"; deleted scene with optional audio commentary; Clu Gulager's short film "A Day With the Boys"; audio commentary with writer-director David Gordon Green, cinematographer Tim Orr, and actor Paul Schneider; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

I just gotta sing to her before she goes to bed at night

David Gordon Green’s first feature film, George Washington, is set in one of those small rural Southern towns where everything moves slower – from the occasional truck that passes through to the scorching sun. There are dusty roads, abandoned old cars, and a lot of garbage no one bothered to collect. It is the type of quasi-abandoned place where life simply has a very different feel and rhythm.

The film follows a group of boys and girls who spend the majority of their time enjoying their freedom. Some are black, some are white, but they are all friends. They don’t fully realize it, but the kids frequently act as if they are part of a very large interracial family.

There are also some adults around who spend the majority of their time having meaningless conversations. Some are employed but rarely work; others simply hang around because there is nothing better to do. Occasionally the kids and the adults meet and talk, but even though they look relaxed it is easy to tell that they are not always comfortable with each other.

Twelve-year-old Nasia (Candace Evanofski) reveals that she is no longer interested in being Buddy’s (Curtis Cotton III) girlfriend. Now she is interested in George (Donald Holden), who seems much more mature. Vernon (Damian Jewan Lee) does not like it because he does not want to see his best friend Buddy depressed. He also can’t figure out what Nasia sees in George, who does not even wash regularly because when he was a baby his skull never hardened properly and now water frequently makes him feel sick.

One day, a few of the boys enter an abandoned building. Then an accident occurs and irreversibly changes their lives.

For the most part what happens in David Gordon Green’s George Washington is meaningless. This isn’t a film about a fascinating journey or young heroes who do extraordinary things. It is a film about the feeling of growing up and the sudden realization that life is a precious gift that can be lost in an instant.

George Washington blends the purity of Gus Van Sant’s early films and the visual elegance of Terrence Malick’s latter films. Its flexible episodic structure is also inspired by the manner in which the two acclaimed directors allow time -- not specific events -- to shape up the narrative of their films. Needless to say, describing George Washington and its unique atmosphere with simple words is virtually impossible.

There are some significant character transformations in the film, but they are observed and addressed from afar. (Different portions of the film are narrated). This keeps the melodrama at bay and frequently creates the impression that one is actually viewing an unusually poetic documentary.

Gordon and cinematographer Tim Orr shot George Washington with non-professional actors. Many of the key sequences in the film were scripted, but the actors apparently did a great deal of improvising as well. (Two of them, Eddie Rouse and Candace Evanofski, also appeared in 1998 short Physical Pinball).

The film is complimented by a beautiful ambient soundtrack courtesy of Michael Linnen (Undertow) and David Wingo (Mud).

George Washington Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, David Gordon Green's George Washington arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit 2K DataCine from a 35mm interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS and Pixel Farm's PFClean. The original 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from a 35mm Dolby A magnetic track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube's integrated workstation.

Transfer supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Colorist: Chris Ryan/Nice Shoes, New York."

There are some minor clarity and contrast fluctuations that occur during the darker footage, but they are not a byproduct of problematic digital corrections. The majority of them occur where natural light is typically restricted. (See the sequence from the abandoned restroom). Generally speaking, detail is very pleasing, with daylight close-ups, in particular, looking very good (see screencapture #4). Colors are stable and natural, but it is worth mentioning that there is a good range of overexposed browns that can overwhelm other colors. Again, this appears to be an intended stylistic preference. Some traces of extremely light denoising corrections can be spotted, but the film has a convincing organic look. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, or stains to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

George Washington Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The film's sound design is quite unusual. There is a very atmospheric soundtrack that is used during important transitions, but the rest of the film is filled with different organic sounds and noises. As a result, at times it feels like one is viewing a rough copy of an unknown Terrence Malick film. Overall dynamic intensity is fairly modest. The dialog and the narration are always exceptionally crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no dropouts or distortions to report in this review.

George Washington Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for George Washington. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).

• David Gordon Green on Charlie Rose - in this archival episode of the Charlie Rose Show from 2001, director David Gordon Green discusses the unique themes of George Washington, the film's visual style, the cast and the locations that were selected to shoot key sequences, the film's success, etc. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080i).

• Pleasant Grove - this short film directed by David Gordon Green was the inspiration for George Washington. In was completed in 1996, while the young director was a student at the North Carolina School of the Arts. The film is presented with optional commentary by David Gordon, cinematographer Tim Orr, and Paul Schneider. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080i).

• Physical Pinball - David Gordon Green directed this short film two years after Pleasant Grove, again while he was a student at at the North Carolina School of the Arts. The film follows closely an African American father who suddenly realizes that his daughter has become a young woman. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080i).

• A Day With the Boys (1969) - this very atmospheric short film, directed by Clu Gulager (The Killers) and lensed by Laszlo Kovacs (Ghostbusters), apparently was an influence on George Washington. The film is complimented by a terrific soundtrack. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080i).

• Deleted Scene - a deleted scene with optional commentary by writer-director David Gordon Green, cinematographer Tim Orr, and actor Paul Schneider. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080i).

• Cast Reunion - the archival footage presented here is from a cast reunion organized by Criterion at High Point, North Carolina in 2001. Director David Gordon Green interviewed the young actors who recall their contributions to George Washington and explain how their lives changed after the film was released. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080i).

• Commentary - this audio commentary with writer-director David Gordon Green, cinematographer Tim Orr, and actor Paul Schneider was also included on Criterion's R1 DVD release of George Washington. It was recorded in 2001.

• Leaflet - with film critic Armond White's essay "These American Lives".

George Washington Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

David Gordon Green's George Washington may well be one of the most impressive contemporary American indie debuts. In its own way the film is remarkably beautiful and moving, oozing the type of atmosphere one is likely to discover in the films of Terrence Malick and Gus Van Sant. I liked it a lot and think that it looks wonderful on Blu-ray. If you have not seen it yet, I urge you to do so as soon as possible. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.