Manakamana Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Manakamana Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 23, 2014

The Manakamana Temple is located high in the mountains of Nepal, and while it can be accessed several different ways, the most popular mode of transportation is by cable car. “Manakamana” isn’t a documentary about the temple, but a study of life inside the cable cars, with directors Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez welcoming riders into their cabin, studying interaction, discomfort, and reflection during the nine-minute-long trip up the mountain.

There are 11 trips contained within “Manakamana,” and most of these excursions are conducted in silence. In fact, it takes 25 minutes before a rider utters a word, leaving much of the film to shots of people sitting patiently, trying to avoid eye contact with the camera and enjoying the view. Chattier riders eventually board the cable car, and we meet three young men (and their kitten) who play in a rock band, a mother and daughter who fight a losing battle with melting ice cream bars, and a couple eagerly awaiting a chance to pray at Manakamana (the wife shares that it once took her three days to make her way to the temple). The ride remains the same, but the inhabitants change, with the helmers adding a few touches of comedy along the way, including one trip with a special pen of precious, bleating cargo.

Manakamana Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation obviously doesn't benefit from varied locations, but the modest 16mm cinematography is served well here. With a diverse cast of faces, textures are accessible, with detail also emerging from clothing and backgrounds, with distant mountain regions open for inspection. Colors are washed out by the sun at times, but register naturally, while skintones are true. Grain is retained, and contrast has moments of muddiness.

Manakamana Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Much like the visual elements, the 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix sticks to a specific routine, with the droning sounds of cable car travel providing a consistent rumble to the listening experience. Surrounds are utilized during moments of transfer, with the hollow, concrete sound of the loading dock its employees pushing out in a circular manner. The rest is frontal, with a crisp read of dialogue exchanges and musical selections, with the occasional thump of the car passing through connecting towers adding a touch of low-end to the track.

Manakamana Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet contains eight pages, offering an essay and a director Q&A (interestingly, the riders were cast for the feature, not greeted at the station).

• Commentary features directors Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez.

• Additional Rides (33:34, HD) present new trips up the mountain, with raw footage (permitting a look at the filming process) of religious figures, information junkies, and a pair of blind men exploring a few alternate experiences inside the cable car.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:46, HD) is included.

Manakamana Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Perhaps art-house adventurers will get the most out of "Manakamana," as it offers little visceral highlights. It's hypnotic work with a terrific sense of cultural study and geography, and while its repetition seems daunting at first, the picture has a way of surprising and delighting in its own unique way.