8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
24 hours in the lives of three young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot.
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili, Benoît MagimelDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 70% |
Crime | 21% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: LPCM 2.0
Confirmed from disc on the player.
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Mathieu Kassovitz’s "La Haine" (1995) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Optimum Home Entertainment. There are no special features on the release. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region B "locked".
I have a secret
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Mathieu Kassovitz's La Haine arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
This British release of La Haine looks practically identical to the French one, which we reviewed awhile ago. Contrast is strong, clarity convincing and detail adequate. The color-scheme is impressive – there is depth and richness that I find to be lacking on the SDVD R1 release courtesy of Criterion. As it was the case with the French transfer, the UK transfer does not always have that marquee "popping" look. As intended by director Kassovitz, portions of La Haine look raw. During the night scenes, for example, clarity varies quite a bit. This being said, there are absolutely no disturbing specks, scratches, or dirt marks that I spotted on this transfer. All in all, I remained convinced that this is the best La Haine has ever looked.
Note: Unlike the French release, the UK release is not encoded for Regions A and B. Optimum Hone Entertainment's disc is Region-B "locked". Therefore, you would need a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content. Those of you in North America who wish to see La Haine but do not have a Region-Free player would have to opt for the French release, which is perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SAs.
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French LPCM 2.0 Stereo. I opted for French LPCM 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for the purpose of this release.
I chose to see La Haine with the French LPCM 2.0 track as I've already seen the film with the French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (French release). Believe it or not, I think that the French LPCM 2.0 track fits the film's organic visual style a little bit better. The bass is still punchy and the high-frequencies not overdone, while the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. On the French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, I noticed some interesting surround effects – mostly during the police raids – that are missing on the French LPCM 2.0 track. Yet, I find that on the stereo track the chaotic raids are actually more effective. So, I encourage you to experiment with both tracks and see which one you like better. This being said, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. Finally, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.
Mathieu Kassovitz's powerful La Haine has now arrived to the United Kingdom. Local distributors Optimum Home Entertainment have ported the same transfer Studio Canal used for their Blu-ray release in France. At the moment, the UK release costs substantially less than the French release, so those of you who have been looking to get a copy of La Haine but have not been willing to pay the high price tag the French release comes up with should definitely consider the UK release. Just keep in mind that the UK release is Region-B "locked", while the French release is Region A/B. Highly Recommended.
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