Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Isadora Blu-ray Movie Review

A compelling biopic featuring a strong performance by Vanessa Redgrave.

Isadora is a wonderful biographical film about a visionary ballet dancer who helped to change the entire world's views on ballet dancing. Featuring a strong performance by Vanessa Redgrave, the filmmaking explores the world of ballet dance dancing. Produced by Raymond Hakim (Purple Noon, L'Eclisse) and Robert Hakim (Belle de Jour, Lovers of Paris), Isadora is a worthwhile classic.

Isadora (Vanessa Redgrave) soars to the top of her illustrious ballet career. The film explores both the personal and professional journey of Isadora as she focuses on her art as a ballet dancer. The story also explores her love life, her personal scandals, and her dance projects – including nude dances that shocked some audiences. Isadora was full of life and vitality (paving the way for future ballet dancers).

At the heart of the film is the strong performance by Vanessa Redgrave. The performance was top-notch throughout and managed to imbue the film with a style that is compelling. The entire film depended on her talents and Redgrave doesn't disappoint. The ballet dance sequences are truly exceptional and the performance capably showcases the skills of Isadora.

The production design by Jocelyn Herbert (The Whales of August, The Hotel New Hampshire) is an impressive component of the filmmaking. Isadora features a number of creative sets which work so well for the ballet dance numbers. Under the art direction of Zeljko Senecic (Hell Hounds of Alaska, The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission) and Michael Seymour (Alien, Beverley Hills Cop III), Isadora is far-and-away better than a typical biographical production. The stylistic flourishes never fail to show a stunning dance- world (as Isadora explored).

A master of ballet dance.

The cinematography by Larry Pizer (Our Mother's House, Phantom of the Paradise) is compelling. A number of sequences are visually stunning because of the emphasis on dance and the framing of these dance numbers. The emphasis on the ballet is at the heart of it all (and there is real beauty in that). A solid effort by Pizer.

The music score composed by Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia) is one of the best elements of the entire production. Jarre is one of the best composers in history. An artist capable of enhancing any effort, Jarre provided the film with a beautiful score that fit the storytelling well. A majestic musical backdrop.

The screenplay by Melvyn Bragg (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Music Lovers) and Clive Exton (Jeeves and Wooster, The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells) manages to showcase the life of Isadora during both ups and downs in her career and personal life. The script has solid dialogue and the storytelling has nice emotional resonance. The script manages to balance the ballet sequences with the drama scenes nicely.

Directed by Karel Reisz (The French Lieutenants Woman, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning), Isadora is an above- average biopic with plenty to offer audiences. The production was beautifully mounted and the filmmaking manages to entertain in spades. Reisz never forgets that the real star of Isadora is Vanessa Redgrave. Isadora soars and is well worth checking out as a result.

Isadora Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Isadora is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The release does not have a sparkling new restoration and instead comes from a dated looking master. Even so, the print looks exceptionally clean and doesn't suffer from any significant print damage. However, due to the older master, the scan never looks as robust or beautiful as a new 4K restoration may have provided the film. Colors are a bit neutral looking and are never as robust as desired.

Isadora Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The audio quality on the release fits the film just fine. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Though the audio track seems to lack the finesse of modern high-fidelity, the audio is clear and never suffers from egregious issues with hiss, crackle, pops, clicks, and other audio-related deficiencies.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Isadora Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Allan Arkush and Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer

Isadora Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:24)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Mary, Queen of Scots (SD, 3:41) and Valentino (SD, 3:04).

Isadora Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vanessa Redgrave is perfection as Isadora. The filmmaking soars as it features a number of top-notch ballet sequences. The production is well mounted as well. The music score composed by the great Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia) is exceptional as well. The Blu-ray features decent video-audio is worth checking out. Recommended.