7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura DernDrama | 100% |
Romance | 57% |
Period | 36% |
Coming of age | 31% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Polish VO
English, English SDH, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) accomplishes big things with Little Women, a vivid retelling of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel of the same name. The film follows several other, older adaptations, notably Sony's own 1994 film that today still holds up as a treasured take on the timeless tale. Gerwig, who also penned this screen adaptation, captures the essence and essential details of the original work, maintaining the story's depth, breadth, and core drama and values while still putting her own stamp on the material. There's nothing that fundamentally changes the story, but thorough production and presentation emphasis Gerwig bolsters its voice for modern audiences while allowing it to sit comfortably in its own, and familiar, setting.
Little Women joins increasingly rarified air as a modern motion picture actually shot on film. And it, of course, looks fantastic on Blu-ray. The image holds tight to a very fine and flattering grain structure, yielding a beautifully organic film-like presentation. It's very complimentary of the period details that visually define the movie, supporting the dense dresses and sharp suits, the wood and brick work around homes, the ornate furnishings and fine support accents, grasses and leaves. Image clarity is resplendent up close in particular as it breathes life into complex facial details with striking ease and efficiency. Colors are equally well balanced. They are not loud, offering instead a hint of airiness. They are very well saturated and flattering, from dense natural greens and colorful fall foliage to pastel dresses and accents in chapter eight seen during an elegant reception. Black levels and skin tones yield no problems. The image is not entirely perfect, though. The odd speckle appears here and there, with a few, albeit very brief, occurrences of near heavy density. A couple of out of focus backgrounds look more clumpy than they do organically smooth and soft, but all told these flaws are small and should not detract from what is an otherwise beautiful Blu-ray presentation from Sony.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a high quality listen that is well versed in both prominent and modestly supportive sound elements alike. The track opens with considerable stretch and intensity in the first 90 seconds when Jo enters a busy New York publishing office where chatter dominates the stage but doesn't overwhelm it, quickly giving way to central scene dialogue. Boisterous music pours through the stage in the scene to follow, an exuberant Jo running down the street, where both the music and the din create a jovial exercise in sound engineering excellence. The track is never shy about expansion and expression, with music often soaring -- at film's end being another wonderful example -- but also playing with subtle background support as necessary. The track also sees its sound effects range from high yield to soft and subtle. Surrounds are engaged with regularity but also with admirable balance. One of the finest back channel moments comes when Amy chases after Jo in chapter seven, screaming with wonderfully discrete placement and detail. Atmospheric effects are pleasantly integrated through and across the entire stage. Dialogue delivery is clear and center positioned through the duration. This is a wonderful audio presentation from Sony.
Little Women's Blu-ray includes a handful of featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with
purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Little Women is a fine example of resplendent filmmaking. It's beautifully crafted in every way, served by gorgeous production design and flattering cinematography, involved and intimate performances, and steady adherence to the source while at the same time elevating it in small ways for contemporary audiences. Technically, this is a world-class Blu-ray experience. Video and audio presentations are practically perfect and the included supplements serve the material well. Very highly recommended.
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