7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In fog-dripping, barren and sometimes macabre settings, 11th-century Scottish nobleman Macbeth is led by an evil prophecy and his ruthless yet desirable wife to the treasonous act that makes him king.
Starring: Orson Welles, Jeanette Nolan, Dan O'Herlihy, Roddy McDowall, Alan NapierDrama | 100% |
War | 16% |
History | 12% |
Period | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Orson Welles' "Macbeth" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by Orson Welles biographer Joseph McBride; new featurette with directors Carlo Carlei and Billy Morrissette; new video interview with director Peter Bogdanovich; video interview with former UCLA Film & Television Archive Preservation Officer Robert Gitt; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring Jonathan Rosenbaum's essay "Orson Welles's Macbeth". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. Region-A "locked".
The King
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Orson Welles' Macbeth arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.
Please note that the screencaptures included with our review appear in the following order:
1. Screencaptures #1-14: Macbeth 1948 Version.
2. Screencaptures #16-25: Macbeth 1950 Version.
The press materials that I received indicate that both versions of the film are sourced from new digital restorations. I mention this because in 2012 Olive Films released the 1948 Version of the film on Blu-ray and on that release the 1950 Version was not included even as a bonus. (You can see our review of the first release here). Now, I don't know precisely what type of work was done, but while viewing the new presentation (including the 1950 Version) of the film and then comparing the work that was done for the French release, it appears that the most obvious source limitations remain the same. For example, the same density fluctuations are visible in virtually the same areas; the same fluctuations in terms of grain exposure are also retained. On the French release there is footage that has been cleaned up slightly better, though I can see that at some point work was also done on the current presentation. More importantly, the areas of the film where grain appears slightly toned down look virtually identical on both releases (compare screencapture #8 and screencapture #9 from our review of the French release), which makes it quite clear that this is work that was already done by different parties. (When we reviewed the French release, we confirmed that no additional degraining work was done at the time). The brightness settings are not identical. Generally speaking, the new restorations tend to look slightly darker, though it appears that brightness levels might have been slightly elevated on the French release. The actual discrepancies, however, truly feel mostly insignificant because it is easy to tell that the surviving elements are not in optimal condition and as a result various native limitations make it impossible to produce the consistent depth and fluidity that new restorations typically deliver. To be perfectly clear, there are no drastic drops in density and fluidity, but in an ideal world all of the different versions that are currently available on Blu-ray certainly could and should have a better balanced appearance. Ultimately, the new restorations of the two versions of the film offer various good optimizations that make it easier to enjoy them and at the same time appreciate Orson Welles' artistic vision. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
Both versions of the film come with English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks. Also, both version can also be viewed with optional yellow English SDH subtitles.
The inclusion of optional subtitles will almost certainly make this release the clear choice for fans of Macbeth. While clarity and depth are very good, the highland accents could be quite thick at times. Obviously, on the edited shorter version this isn't much of an issue, but even there the subtitles can be helpful. Depth and clarity are very pleasing, though some sporadic 'thinness' can emerge from time to time. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.
BLU-RAY DISC ONE - ORIGINAL 1948 VERSION
There are plenty of good reasons to recommend this upcoming two-disc set of Orson Welles' Macbeth. The most obvious ones are these: It has both versions of the film sourced from recent digital restorations and a good selection of supplemental features. Unlike the original release of the film, this release also has optional subtitles for viewers that might need them -- and there are probably quite a few that will appreciate them. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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