Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Orlando Blu-ray Movie Review

Orlando's Magic.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 14, 2011

Do not fade. Do not wither. Do not grow old.

Orlando is a Fantasy picture that's more about life than it is the abnormalities of its lead character; it's the story of a person who somehow evades the curse of time, living life through the ages as an individual who defies nature and refuses to grow old, or at least older as the hours slip into days, as the days morph into months, as months become years, as years transition to centuries, as centuries last however long the forever young Orlando can sustain such a gift. But is it a gift? Is longevity something to treasure, something to desire, something that seems like the greatest gift of all but is really anything but? How does one react to the passage of time and the constant changing of the metaphorical political and cultural seasons not over decades but rather centuries? Based on the book of the same name by Virginia Woolf, Director Sally Potter's (The Man Who Cried) Orlando is a curious spectacle of a life in a state of perpetual youth, of a person who changes with the times but doesn't himself change -- until he awakens one morning as a she. A story of a life that experiences living from two perspectives and through the prism of countless experiences, Orlando is a fascinating little picture that takes an extraordinary circumstance and puts it through its paces with an eye not towards the future but rather pointed inward towards the soul that takes its gift in stride.

Boy-->Girl.

Orlando (Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton) is a young and very effeminate man (as was the accepted social norm of the time) who catches the eye of an aging Queen Elizabeth I (Quentin Crisp). Her highness wishes Orlando to remain by her side through her final days on Earth. On her deathbed, the queen offers Orlando a great fortune to be given to him immediately should he agree to meet a single requirement: that he not to fade, wither, or grow old. Somehow, Orlando manages to keep his promise. As the years continue onward -- from 1600, to 1610, to 1650, 1700, 1750, 1850, to the years of the first World War and on through today -- Orlando remains a young and vital man who passes his time discovering the joys and hardships of life alike, studying poetry, engaging in politics, living in high society, and falling in love. Along the way and after a political visit to the Middle East, Orlando awakens a woman, a sudden transition that more so than the wonder of his agelessness threatens to take everything he's had for 200 years. Will Orlando's experiences allow him -- now her -- to move on in life and leave his past behind, or will life have taught him nothing about what it means to live?

In a transitory world, Orlando isn't. Orlando is a story about life and the way it's lived, with emphasis on the person rather than the unique circumstances that define him and her. Certainly the film is constructed around the curious juxtaposition that is the simultaneous passage of time and the stagnation of time, but Orlando is more concerned about how a life is lived rather than when or why. The film shows Orlando traveling at a standstill through time, beginning in the year 1600 and on through to, briefly, modern times, as he and, eventually, she experiences over centuries what everyone else experiences in decades. The film is broken into titled chronicles of Orlando's life -- death, love, poetry, politics, society, sex, birth -- oddly placing "death" and "birth" at opposite ends of the spectrum, the titles not necessarily referring to Orlando directly but certainly indirectly. Does the film's opening of "death" symbolize that a life lived without the internal ticking of the clock, without the passage of time inside some invisible forcefield that surrounds a person, actually symbolize the death of a life as man understands it? Does it takes several centuries worth of experiences -- including a sex change and the birth of a child -- for Orlando come to terms with her lot in life and accept it, in essence giving birth to a new perspective on the meaning of life? Ultimately, nothing else matters in the film. Love, poetry, politics, society, and sex are but fleeting experiences throughout the course of a life, influences that lead a person to discover what it is that makes them unique and lets them understand what life -- however Orlando may come to define that -- really means.

Orlando, much like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, another movie about a life lived in a manner different than the world at large, is a success because the focus isn't on the science, or the hows, or the whys, but rather on the person. The fact that Orlando doesn't age isn't even an issue in the movie for nearly two centuries of his life until he suddenly becomes a she. That a change in sex is regarded as more of a curiosity than an ageless wonder is a fascinating development in the film to say the least, but it represents the dichotomy between Orlando and the world. Orlando lives life as an extended journey whereas others live it fleetingly, failing to truly see the world around them and within a greater, more complex, broader, and lengthier scope, instead choosing to focus on the here-and-now rather than look for the proverbial "big picture." It's that "big picture" that Orlando finally embraces in "birth" and that brings the story full circle. From there, it's not important whether she lives another four centuries or another four minutes; that she understands life and all that implies both in the here and now and in the greater scope of time is what really matters. Orlando is a grand film of visual spectacle, the picture earning two Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Costume Design. Director Sally Potter brings a grace to the material while Potter's and David Motion's score adds a surreal quality to the picture. Lastly, Tilda Swinton plays the part with a reserved honesty and seems in no way phased by having to convincingly play the part of an effeminate male through most of the film. She pulls off the part remarkably well, not only from a physical perspective but from an emotional and psychological angle as well.

Orlando Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony brings 1993's Orlando to Blu-ray with a sturdy but not necessarily visually dazzling 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Black crush, slightly dulled colors, and the occasional stray hair and speckle are visible over the print and are the primary areas of concern, but Orlando's is a generally satisfying film-like transfer that sports solid details all around. Though a few bouts of softness and a slightly worn and weathered look don't always allow eye-catching detail to shine through, viewers will be pleased with this image's stability and ability to show the intricate costuming in all its glory. Skin textures and various odds and ends -- building façades and grass, for instance -- are also showcases for strong detailing throughout. As noted above, colors tend to look a tab bit faded on occasion, but nevertheless appear stable throughout, whether as seen in the various period costumes or in some of the warm interior accents scattered through the picture. A rather heavy, sometimes a little sloppy layer of grain swirls around the image with regularity. It's not the best looking movie by its very nature and by extension not the most handsome Blu-ray on the market, but Sony's Orlando should satisfy fans.

Orlando Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Orlando arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The absence of more channels isn't much of a hindrance; Orlando still sounds fine, generally speaking, and the limited soundstage suits the material well enough. Orlando is primarily a dialogue-driven Drama, and the center channel delivers every syllable with equal amounts of clarity and ease. Music occasionally sounds a tad crunchy, but the film's oftentimes surreal score is mostly handled with a fair level of clarity and attention to detail throughout the entire sonic range. The front channels handle various atmospherics quite well, for instance the hushed chatter and clanking silverware of a dinner party scene from early in the film. A few more aggressive sound effects that stem from the few 20th century scenes near the end of the film are handled with fair fidelity, separation, and good imaging. Much like its video presentation, Orlando's soundtrack won't set a new standard for Blu-ray, but it's a fine enough effort that compliments the movie well.

Orlando Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Orlando contains a healthy assortment of extra content highlighted by an audio commentary (and a half) and several featurettes.

• Audio Commentary: Director Sally Potter and Actress Tilda Swinton discuss the film 18 years after the fact and acknowledge the picture's recent re-release to theaters. They share something of a hushed but informative track that's occasionally marred by short stretches of silence. The track is nevertheless a worthwhile listen that offers plenty of engaging and pertinent information about both the picture's themes and generalities and the process of adapting the original novel to film, as well as plenty of smaller, more personal and detailed insights that add quite a bit to the movie. The track is well-balanced between general and specific recollections and technical jargon.
• Select Scenes Commentary (480p, 10:17): Director Sally Potter discusses the picture's themes and story, the work of Actress Tilda Swinton, and the design of several scenes in what is more of a featurette than a standalone commentary track. Viewers will see Potter commenting on the film as she watches a print in her editing room.
• Orlando Goes to Russia (480p, 32:58): A lengthy feature that examines the challenges of shooting some of Orlando's most difficult scenes in Russia during the Perestroika era of Russian history. The piece is comprised of footage from Producer Christopher Sheppard's and Director's Assistant Renny Bartlett's video diary of the team's work in Russia. Sheppard also narrates.
• Orlando in Uzbekistan (480p, 51:56): A vintage documentary that chronicles the story of the shoot in the central Asian country. This video diary is courtesy of Robert Macnaughton.
• Jimmy Was an Angel (480p, 8:03): A short piece that looks at Jimmy Somerville's portrayal of an Angel in the film and the work that went into creating the effect.
• Venice Film Festival Press Conference (480p, 23:21): A panel of Orlando cast and crew, including Sally Potter and Tilda Swinton, field questions about their film.
• An Interview with Sally Potter (480p, 13:21): The director discusses her movie at the 1992 Venice International Film Festival for the film's world premiere.
• Orlando theatrical trailer (480p, 1:16).
• Previews (1080p): Get Low and Inside Job.
• BD-Live.

Orlando Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Orlando is a unique and oftentimes mesmerizing little picture that takes a story usually reserved for fantastical Science Fiction and personalizes it through a unique journey through time that's more about the person rather than the questions that surround an ageless and sex-changing wonder. The film tones down the science and emphasizes the humanity of the story, making it something of a unique journey into a soul that sees the world quite unlike any other person that's ever lived. Supported by steady direction, a quality score, and a superb lead performance, Orlando is small film that's big on smarts. Sony's Blu-ray release of Orlando sports a fair technical presentation and a strong, albeit primarily vintage and standard definition, assortment of extra content. Highly recommended.