Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales Blu-ray Movie Review

A compelling documentary which will appeal to fans of Ruspoli.

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales is an impressive documentary which explores the life and work of documentary filmmaker and artist Ruspoli. The feature-film is directed by Florence Dauman (Hollywood Mavericks). The piece explores the work of the acclaimed artist through captivating interviews with family and friends.

Ruspoli was renowned for his contributions to documentary filmmaking. Fellow filmmakers, family members, and friends recount the efforts of the artist and the significant historical elements which revolved around his development as an artist. Known as a filmmaker, artist, and writer, Ruspoli experimented in his field and managed to come up with a number of unique shorts that made his illustrious career a defining one.

The heart of an artist.

Born in Rome, Ruspoli spent much of his life as an artist living in Paris, France. The documentary filmmaker delved into his stories with an emphasis on historical accounts and on entomology. The importance of art – and storytelling – was central to his life and work. Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales explores those elements with a heartfelt eye.

Crafted as a loving tribute by filmmaker Florence Dauman, Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales is certainly a worthwhile documentary film for fans of the artist. The interviews and interesting and engaging. There are some interesting insights into the artists personal life and development as a documentary filmmaker. Anyone with an interest in the works of Ruspoli will find this to be an enlightening watch and something to consider sharing with others. Worth a look.

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. Arriving on Blu-ray in high-definition for the first time, the documentary showcases the journey adventured by Mario Ruspoli through a variety of sources. The documentary is largely crisp and impressively detailed: the high-definition imagery is fantastic.

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales does showcase a lot of archival footage taken from some of the short films of Ruspoli (as well as segments that are from archival photographs and the like). These cuts are of a decidedly lower-quality than the interviews sprinkled throughout the feature-film. However, given the nature of documentary productions, the quality-loss should be considered a given as the footage comes from a variety of sources – and it is certainly no fault of Kino Lorber.

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The audio quality is surprisingly great and there were no issues with distortion to report. The track is crisp, clear, and dialogue is easy to understand. As a documentary, the audio track is never flashy or exciting but it sounds great for something of this nature. The documentary never suffers from egregious hiss, crackle, and other detrimental audio elements. An effective audio track that suits the filmmaking fine.

English subtitles are provided. There were no significant or noteworthy issues to report in regards to subtitle quality. The subtitles never had any significant spelling or grammatical errors.

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

7 page booklet with notes about the artist, the short films, and the restoration efforts.

The short films included in the collection feature brand-new restorations by Metrograph (as restored in 2K resolution).

Short Films:

The Whalers (1958) (HD, 25:53)

The Earth's Forgotten (1961) (HD, 41:26)

A Look at Madness (1961) (HD, 35:13)

Captive Feast (1961) (HD, 14:54)

The Last Drink (1964) (HD, 23:02)

Chaval (1970) (HD, 15:28)

Le Chavalanthrope (1972) (HD, 10:37)

Three Cheers for the Whale (1972) (HD, 17:55)

The release also includes a selection on trailers: A Bigger Splash (HD, 1:40), The Competition (HD, 2:07), Downtown 81 (HD, 1:29), Duet for Cannibals (HD, 00:33), Hyenas (HD, 1:26), Prairie Trilogy (SD, 1:01), and The Raft (HD, 1:50).

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mario Ruspoli, Prince of the Whales is a compelling documentary that should appeal a great deal to fans of the documentary filmmaker and artist at the heart of the production. The filmmaking is well done and the interviews are thoroughly engaging. The Blu-ray presentation is excellent overall and the release includes several recently restored shorts by Ruspoli. Kino has assembled an impressive package. Recommended.