Hale County This Morning, This Evening Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Hale County This Morning, This Evening Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 3, 2019

Taking an educator position in Alabama, filmmaker RaMell Ross elected to carry a camera during his time in the community of Hale County. The documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” has little linear momentum, with Ross electing to stitch together a feeling of the town in motion, dropping in and out of the lives of various citizens, but focused on the passage of time and how it changes everything is subtle ways. The feature strives to be present in the best way possible, capturing remarkable beauty and wonder in everyday events, while identifying pressures facing people just trying to make their way through life, dealing with dreams and crushing realities.

“Hale County This Morning, This Evening” isn’t a raw document of Southern living, but a poetic journey into common sights and sounds, with Ross using his camera to pull out the unrecognized soul of this Alabama town. We meet certain people along the way, with the promise of youth most interesting to the helmer, but there are no lead characters or mission to follow. In fact, Ross is just happy to shoot anything, with minutes of screentime devoted to observations, including a drive near a vast cotton field and a young child running around his home, releasing his wiggles. Atmosphere is key to the viewing experience, and Ross starts to experiment as the picture carries on, slipping in some Lynchian scenes of surreal encounters with nature and industry.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" is collected from various video sources, and it's fairly easy to spot changes in camera quality. Sharpness is present, with some stretches of the film providing acceptable clarity with the subjects, detailing their clothing and skin. Town tours are also dimensional, picking up on rural expanse and urban centers. Colors are passable with natural skintones and livelier primaries for outfits. Greenery is preserved, and lighting sources are bright and defined, with reds and blues prominent throughout the viewing experience. Delineation is secure. Some mild banding is detected along the way.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix shows unexpected heft, leading with interview audio, which retains sharpness, keeping things intelligible and accents heavy. Music delivers proper support, with moods intact, offering distinct instrumentation. Surrounds are immersive, with a few panning effects and a general circular position, but as surreal touches are added to the movie, volume grows, generating intended sonic pressure. Thunderclaps contribute some welcome low-end.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet features an essay by Patricia J. Williams.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:46, HD) is included.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Hale County This Morning, This Evening" is hypnotic, doing a tremendous job staying out of the way, permitting empowerment, pain, and tragedy to weave throughout the endeavor, never stopping to push a plastic narrative. The documentary simply exists for 77 minutes, with periodic artfulness keeping the odyssey active, while human nature is presented with ideal clarity.