Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Ida Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 23, 2015

Selected to represent Poland in the Foreign Language Film Category at the 87th Academy Awards, Pawel Pawlikowski's "Ida" (2013), arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The only supplemental feature on the disc is an original trailer for the film. In Polish, with optional English subtitles for the man feature. Region-B "locked".

Anna

The film opens up sometime after the end of WWII, possibly the late '50s or early '60s. The Polish Communist Party has started rebuilding the country and removing the "enemies" of the new regime. Most people, especially outside of Warsaw, barely make ends meet.

Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska), an orphan who is getting ready to become a nun, is told that she has to meet her only relative before she takes her vows. Shortly after, she arrives at the home of her aunt, Wanda (Agata Kulesza, Flying Pigs), a former prosecutor with a serious drinking problem, and discovers that she is Jewish, and that her real name is Ida Lebenstein.

The two women then travel to the countryside to find the grave of Anna’s parents. It isn’t easy because very few people are willing to talk about the horrors of the war. Some also have secrets that could destroy them.

Pawel Pawlikowski’s latest film, Ida, is indescribably lyrical and very cynical at the same time. Its message is loud and clear, but not one that aims to divide. On the contrary, it gently forces one to think about the past, reexamine it from different angles, and then compare it with the present.

There is little dialog in the film, but it is never difficult to tell how the two women feel. They are both hurt. They also feel vulnerable, but for different reasons. Anna has made a shocking discovery that has suddenly disrupted the seemingly solid balance in her life and now she isn’t sure how to react. After a casual encounter with a handsome saxophonist, her body also begins sending signals to her that scare her. Wanda is a former believer, but she has never been a religious person. Unlike Anna, she also does not know how to forgive. It is why she constantly drinks -- the alcohol temporarily helps her forget about her past.

The film is set in the past and it shows a country in transition. There is a new direction everyone is expected to follow and no one seems willing to question the leaders. An outsider like Anna can sense how awkward the new system is, but she prefers to forgive rather than confront. I think that there is a part of director Pawlikowski who spent the majority of his life living and working in the United Kingdom that sees post-Solidarity Poland like Anna. It is still very much a country in transition in which people have not forgotten about their communist past but aren’t eager to openly confront it either.

The two leads are sensational. Trzebuchowska apparently had no prior acting experience, but it is difficult to imagine that another actress could have been more convincing as the overwhelmed Anna. Kulesza, a veteran Polish actress, is equally impressive as the disillusioned alcoholic.

Director Pawlikowski started shooting Ida with his regular cinematographer Ryszard Lenczewski (The Woman in the Fifth, My Summer of Love), but after he unexpectedly left he finished the film with camera operator Lukasz Zal. The framing and the careful treatment of natural light are quite simply extraordinary.

Ida Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pawel Pawlikowski's Ida arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

Shot with the Arri Alexa Plus camera, the film looks exceptionally sharp and vibrant. Arguably the most impressive aspect of the technical presentation, however, is the terrific shadow definition. Indeed, light is captured in a variety of different ways, but shadow definition is consistently very impressive. (You can see how rich and nuanced the visuals can be if you compare different parts of the film with different light variations -- see screencaptures #3, 5, and 9). Image depth is excellent during close-ups as well as during larger panoramic shots. There are no stability issues. Lastly, there are no encoding or compression anomalies to report in this review. To sum it all up, this is a very beautiful presentation of an equally beautifully lensed film that has to be seen on Blu-ray in order to be experienced as intended. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Ida Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Polish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The film does not have a prominent soundtrack. In fact, the only time music is heard is during a few sequences where a small band is heard performing. (One of the two main characters occasionally listens to some classical music as well). Naturally, the overall range of nuanced dynamics is rather limited. However, there are different sounds and noises that exceptionally well defined. The dialog is also very crisp, stable, and easy to follow. There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in this review.

Ida Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Ida. In Polish, with printed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

Ida Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The success of Pawel Pawlikowski's Ida at various prestigious film festivals around the world and its Oscar nomination are well deserved. This is an incredibly moving, superbly acted film directed by a true master. Artificial Eye's technical presentation of Ida is outstanding. I only wish there were a few supplemental features on the Blu-ray, possibly a video interview with the Polish director and the two leads. Regardless, I urge you to consider adding Ida to your collections. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.