7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The story of Captain Richard Francis Burton's and Lt. John Hanning Speke's expedition to find the source of the Nile river in the name of Queen Victoria's British Empire. The film tells the story of their meeting, their friendship emerging amidst hardship, and then dissolving after their journey.
Starring: Patrick Bergin, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw, John SavidentDrama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
History | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Bob Rafelson's "Mountains of the Moon" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary by critic Adrian Martin; archival making of featurette; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Mountains of the Moon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from the same older master that StudioCanal supplied to Australian label Imprint Films to produce this release ofMountains of the Moon. This master has a few obvious limitations, but I like it quite a lot because it is free of digital corrections and surprisingly healthy. Also, while color reproduction can be even better, color balance is convincing, so a lot of material throughout the film looks as it should. What are some of the areas where a future proper 4K master can introduce meaningful improvements? Some highlights and darker background nuances can be more convincing. While looking good, wider panoramic shots should be sharper and more vibrant. Grain exposure can be better, too. However, at the moment, even on a very large screen all visuals maintain good density level, stability, delineation and clarity. Only in a few spots, usually where bright light is prominent, the age of the master begins to show. (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).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The lossless track is very good, possibly even excellent. It is stable, clean, and free of age-related anomalies. Previously, I speculated that there might be a few areas where small balance adjustments can be introduced, but I am still a bit uncertain whether they are needed. It is because these areas are from outdoor footage show in unusual places, and I suspect that the tiny dynamic fluctuations that are noticeable there are reproduced exactly as needed.
Bravery, in its most extreme variation, is a form of admirable madness. When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time reading about the first men to reach places like the North Pole and the summit of Mount Everest, and the only way in which I could rationalize their success was to see them as madmen. (For what it's worth, I still think that climbers insisting on reaching the summit of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen are madmen). Bob Rafelson's film Mountains of the Moon is about two such, in my opinion, madmen, who went to Central Africa to discover the origin of the river Nile in 1857 and nearly lost their lives. It is a visual stunner, but I think that its description of their madness is its greatest strength. If you enjoy it, I also recommend spending a night with Bernardo Bertolucci's masterpiece The Sheltering Sky. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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