7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
An aging chief's last stand, lessons for the new, and the education of a young chief-to-be played against harsh Nature in Nepal's Dolpo. When his son dies returning from Tibet's salt lakes, Tinle blames Karma, his son's friend, refuses to give Karma his blessing as the new chief, and organizes a rival caravan to take the salt to lower Nepal to trade for grain. He, a few old men, his son's widow, his grandson, and his second son, a monk, set out on the arduous journey.
Starring: Gurgon Kyap, Lhakpa Tsamchoe, Thilen LhondupForeign | 100% |
Drama | 53% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Tibetan: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The story that unfolds in Himalaya—set deep in the mountainous Dolpa region of rural Tibet—is completely timeless. That is, the film was shot
and presumably set in 1999, but it could easily take place anytime in the past several hundred years, as the culture of the villagers in this area has
changed little over the centuries. In all of Dolpa, in fact—as of 2012—there is exactly one automobile. The people there live exclusively off the
land, mining salt, harvesting wheat, and tending herds of yak. The ancient traditions still hold sway—the rites of tribal succession, the hand-sewn
clothing, the superstitions of an animist, astrological strain of Buddhism—but we might naturally wonder how long the old ways can continue running
contrary to a modern world that's increasingly global and connected.
The film, then, is a bit of time-capsule ethnography, capturing a way of life that may soon cease to exist. Himalaya's director, Éric Valli, is and
was particularly well-suited to this task. A longtime photographer and documentarian for National Geographic and The Sunday Times, Valli spent years
living in and traipsing through remote Tibet before applying his expertise to this, his first feature film, which was made almost entirely with local, non-
professional actors in areas only accessible by foot.
Tinle
This is one of the best-looking transfers Kino-Lorber has put out in recent memory. Himalaya's new 1080p/AVC-encoded remaster is a nearly perfect showcase of the stunning 35mm Cinemascope work of cinematographers Eric Guichard (HBO's Sometimes In April) and Jean-Paul Meurisse (Europa). Aside from a few fleeting specks here and there, the print is in ideal condition and—with its natural grain patterns intact— shows no signs of excessive digital tampering. No noise reduction, no edge enhancement, no over-the-top color or contrast boosting. The film has a strikingly realistic look to begin with, and seeing it in HD for the first time makes it even more impressive; the transfer has a vivid, dimensional quality that's almost reminiscent of 70mm IMAX photography. (Maybe I'm just thinking of the the Tibet sections of last year's Samsara.) There are rare softish shots, but most of the time, clarity is exceptional, revealing the finest contours of the non-actors' legitimately weather-beaten, wind-creased faces and the intricate stitching of their hand-sewn clothing. Color is graded and balanced excellently too, with properly exposed skies—tricky when shooting in full sun at high elevations—and grounded black levels. If you own and love the film on DVD, the Blu-ray is definitely a worthwhile upgrade.
Likewise, the film's Tibetan DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is fantastic. At the core of the mix is a lush score from French composer Bruno Coulais (The Secret of Kells), who blends in Tibetan elements—like the atonal chanting of Buddhist monks—with more typical orchestral arrangements. The music is sweeping and forceful—maybe even a bit too much so for certain scenes—and it sounds wonderfully rich when you crank it up a notch or two above your normal listening level. The soundfield is additionally filled out with all sorts of environmental ambience; buzzards caw in the rear speakers, herds of yaks stampede down a dusty pathway, wind whips mercilessly and rocks crumble and fall. Throughout it all, dialogue is clean and balanced and easy to comprehend with the aid of the optional English subtitles.
Éric Valli's Himalaya is one part Tibetan fable, one part moving National Geographic photo spread, and one part time capsule of a timeless culture. What it lacks in drama, it more than makes up in sheer ethnological interestingness, documenting a way of life that's tough, beautiful, and quickly disappearing. (Plus, the stunning cinematography of the high Himalayas is worthwhile in and of itself.) Kino-Lorber's Blu-ray release is all-around excellent as well, with a striking new high definition transfer, a lossless audio track, and a selection of informative special features. Recommended!
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