7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Set in 1936, centers around four mountain climbers who attempt to climb the north face of the Eiger Mountain in Switzerland and the tragic events that follow.
Starring: Benno Fürmann, Johanna Wokalek, Florian Lukas, Georg Friedrich, Ulrich TukurDrama | 100% |
History | 85% |
Foreign | 84% |
Sport | 9% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A terrific film about the power of human spirit, Philipp Stölzl's "North Face" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video. The film is yet to be released theatrically in North America and a Blu-ray release is not currently announced. Fortunately, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed is Region-Free.
Training
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 and granted a 1080p transfer, Philipp Stölzl's North Face arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video.
This fairly recent German film has received a lovely Blu-ray treatment. Contrast is near perfect, clarity very strong and detail outstanding. The color-scheme is also notably pleasing – blues, greens, browns, grays, blacks and whites are lush and well saturated. A lot of the panoramic vistas from Eiger Mountain for example are remarkably vivid. This being said, neither edge-enhancement nor macroblocking are a serious issue of concern. Additionally, the actual transfer is also notably healthy – I did not detect any debris, dust, scratches, or stains to report in this review. To sum it all up, this is a top-notch transfer that will surely impress those of you paying close attention to detail. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray release is marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray release: German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, the English subtitles Metrodome Video have supplied for the main feature are imposed (they cannot be turned off). They also appear inside the image frame.
Though there isn't an overwhelming amount of activity in the rear channels, the German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track impresses with excellent balance, terrific clarity and potency. For example, there are a few scenes during the second half of the film ((most notably when the rocks hit one of the Austrian alpinists) where the sound is of near reference quality. Additionally, the dialog is crisp and very easy to follow. Finally, Christian Kolonovits' lovely soundtrack is expertly mixed with the dialog. For the record, there are absolutely no audio dropouts, pops, cracks, or hissings that I could detect either.
Please note that the majority of the supplemental features listed below are in standard-def PAL. Therefore, you need to have a Blu-ray player that converts PAL-NTSC, or a multi-system TV set, in order to access them.
Making North Face – a standard featurette where the director of the film, Philipp Stölzl, and cast members talk about Kurz & Hintersoisser and their unbelievable story. (With imposed English subtitles, PAL, 18 min).
Visual Effects of North Face – a short segment revealing how a few of the more challenging scenes from the film were shot (With imposed English subtitles, PAL, 3 min).
Deleted Scenes – six deleted scenes (With imposed English subtitles, PAL, 6 min).
Interview with Philipp Stölzl and Jolja Brandt – a text-format interview with the director of the film and his cinematographer where the two discuss the production history of North Face, the filming conditions as well as specific challenges the tech team had to overcome.
The Myth of the Eiger North Face – a text-format history of Eiger Mountain and those who attempted to climb its North Face.
Timeline of Attempts on the Eiger Mountain – a chronological list of the known attempts to conquer Eiger Mountain. In text-format.
Cast and Crew Biographies –
Theatrical trailer - subtitled in English (PAL, 3 min).
UK exclusive trailer –subtitled in English (PAL, 1 min).
Expertly lensed and terrifically acted, Philipp Stölzl's North Face is very easy to recommend. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video, looks and sounds great. Fortunately for film aficionados residing outside of Region-B territories, it is also Region-Free. Highly Recommended.
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