7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
German artist Kurt Barnert has escaped East Germany and now lives in West Germany, but is tormented by his childhood under the Nazis and the GDR-regime.
Starring: Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer, Saskia Rosendahl, Oliver MasucciForeign | 100% |
History | 1% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's debut feature-length film The Lives of Others was a landmark picture that explored life and Stasi surveillance under Soviet-controlled East Berlin. His third film, 2018's Never Look Away (the forgettable The Tourist falls in the middle), explores the life of an artist through the decades between the start of World War II and life under both the artistic constraints of post-war East Germany and his love's ex-Nazi father holding tight to visions of a genetically superior "perfect society" into which he does not fit. The film is at once both a terrible tale of human horrors but at the same time an uplifting story of a young man finding his voice through art in a world that would silence his creativity beyond accepted conformity.
IMDB reports that Never Look Away was shot on the Arri Alexa XT
Plus digital camera system, but the image certainly has the look and feel of film. That report is corroborated form Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel in
this article that discusses his and Director Florian Henckel von
Donnersmarck's desire to shoot on film, the difficulty of finding a processing facility, and the ultimate decision to shoot digitally and add grain in post.
It's a fascinating read for the technical details and for insights into both the film and Deschanel's workflow.
The image proper is quite nice. Sony's pressed MOD (Manufactured on Demand) 1080p Blu-ray captures the movie's Oscar-nominated cinematography
with striking precision. The image certainly looks as if it was shot natively on film; the post work is seamless and the picture's faux grain
structure is one of the defining characteristics. Textures are well defined with an intimate level of detail. Faces are obviously the most basic point of
reference for the image's strengths, showcasing pores, freckles, moles, stubble, and other characteristics with just about as much clarity as the format
can muster. Nazi military uniforms are notably crisp and dense with every fabric detail and adornment appearing tack-sharp and tangible. Environments
are well defined across the board from museums to military offices, from intimate home interiors to various outdoor locales. The real highlights appear
in various close-ups of Kurt's artwork. Viewers will note the canvas textures and the applied paint's ridges and brush strokes. The level of total clarity in
such shots is astonishing.
Colors present with attractive tonal neutrality. Paints are again one of the color highlights, with the various colors appearing vibrant and with great
accuracy on the canvas. Military uniforms and adornments again become points of reference, particularly the deep red Nazi armbands and a flag
Elisabeth is given to wave after handing a bouquet of flowers to none other than Hitler himself. World tones -- building façades, natural greens -- are
healthy and accurate. Skin tones appear true to actor complexion and black levels are appropriately deep and hold shadow detail quite well. The image
reveals no encode or source flaws of note.
This is a well-versed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film is dialogue heavy and the spoken word represents its primary component. Delivery in the native German comes naturally, with firm front-center placement and verbal clarity. The track folds in a few odds-and-ends details very nicely, including the rumble of a rolling bus and a larger, room filling precision symphony of blaring bus horns moments later, which represents, arguably, the most sonically demanding moment in the movie. Music is well defined and largely remains up front and presents with natural width. Small environmental details, like office din in chapter four, are realistically reproduced. A few wartime sound effects early in the film offer acceptable detailing.
Never Look Away contains a filmmaker Q&A and a trailer. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not appear to ship with a
slipcover.
Never Look Away is a terrific film boasting first-rate characterization, a well-versed script, and a subject that speaks on multiple levels. The film was all but disavowed by its true-life inspiration but was rightly nominated for two Oscars, one for its cinematography and the other in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Sony's MOD Blu-ray delivers perfect video and audio. Extras are highlighted by a filmmaker Q&A. Very highly recommended.
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