7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Troubled sisters Justine and Claire find their already-strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet, Melancholia, threatens to collide with Earth.
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, Brady Corbet, Cameron SpurrDrama | 100% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Winner of Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Danish director Lars von Trier's "Melancholia" (2011) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; documentary film about Filmbyen, the home of the Danish New Wave directors; interviews with director Lars von Trier, Kirsten Dunst, and Charlotte Gainsbourg; making of featurette; and audio commentary by Peter Schepelern, associate professor at University of Copenhagen, and director Lars von Trier. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Strange times
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lars von Trier's Melancholia arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.
The high-definition transfer is truly outstanding. In fact, I am so impressed with the quality of the presentation that I would go on record here and say that we will be discussing Melancholia again at the end of 2012, when the year's best releases are mentioned.
Detail is fantastic. I think that some of our screencaptures suggest how striking this film looks, but clearly do not tell the whole story. The prologue, in particular, looks absolutely incredible - the clarity and crispness levels really seem to be testing Blu-ray's potential. Later into the film the outdoor sequences also look wonderful - fine object detail is remarkable and clarity impeccable (see screencapture #5). Some of the close-ups have the type of depth seen in high quality digital photographs but without the that familiar sterile, often cold look. Color reproduction is also very impressive. The variety of blues, greens, reds, browns, and especially yellows look remarkably rich but at the same time natural (see screencapture #11). There are also some outstanding special effects that further enhance the striking scenes at the end of the film. Finally, there are no aliasing, banding, or other transfer-related issues to report in this review. All in all, Melancholia is without a doubt the first truly impressive release of 2012. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also enormously impressive. The prelude to Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, for instance, sounds remarkably rich and full, enhancing the dreamy atmosphere in a way that really cannot be described with simple words; the range of subtle dynamics here is truly outstanding. Elsewhere, random small noises (animal sounds, vibrations, etc) are incredibly easy to hear. The dialog is crisp, clean, clear, and exceptionally easy to follow.
Melancholia, Danish director Lars von Trier's stunningly beautiful film about the end of the world, is a remarkable achievement. I truly cannot think of another recent film that I could compare it to - it is so incredibly pure and thought-provoking. The film's transition to Blu-ray is equally impressive. Indeed, it is only January, but as far as I am concerned Melancholia is already a prime candidate for a release of the year. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (Note: In the United States, Magnolia Pictures will release Melancholia on Blu-ray on March 13th).
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