Out of Africa 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Out of Africa 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Directed by Sydney Pollack, one of the most revered and beloved films of the 1980s, 'Out of Africa', arrives on 4K UHD disc courtesy of Universal. Based in part on the writing of Danish journalist Karen Blixen (played by Meryl Streep, 'The Devil Wears Prada'), the film chronicles her life as she embarks upon a marriage of convenience, moves to Africa to establish a dairy, experiences a host of triumphs and disappointments, and ultimately begins an affair with the handsome and worldly Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford, 'The Natural'). The film has been given a solid, but not perfect, 2160p transfer with Dolby Vision, and a pleasing Dolby Atmos audio track. All legacy on-disc supplemental materials have been brough forward to this release, but no new content has been added. An embossed slipcover, a Blu-ray disc identical to that of the 2012 release, and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included.

Out of Africa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It's been quite some time since I've had occasion to screen Out of Africa, so I was quite enthused about seeing the film again. Considering some of the more recent 4K upgrades of modern classics that have hit the market, I was very hopeful about what might be in store, especially as I considered the previous Blu-ray release to be generally good, but at times, frustratingly uneven. No specific information has been provided about the restoration work done or the source material that serves as the basis for this release. The film has been given an HEVC-encoded 2160p transfer with Dolby Vision and improvements are easy to spot here; that much is certain. Colors, for instance, are generally much more stable and are better saturated. Reds, which briefly spring up from time to time, are quite robust and have a nice pop to them, such as the red fezzes worn by the three men tending the spit at the wedding celebration. This is also apparent in the opening shot, where the reds and oranges of the sunrise are much deeper and more lifelike. Contrast is improved a bit as well. Blacks can be quite deep and inky, and whites can be quite brilliant, with image depth being typically quite pleasing as well. Fine detail can be impressive, indeed, with viewers being able to enjoy a more precise and textured image, especially in closer shots. As Streep's Karen stands at the outer door of her train car and speaks with Redford's Denys for the first time, the sheen of the high-gloss paint is striking, not only for the rendering of that particular paint finish, but also for the fact that the wood grain of the boards underneath it remains plainly visible through the paint. As the ivory he and his assistant have harvested is loaded onto the train car immediately behind Karen's, we're able to appreciate the surface texture and imperfections of not only the two tusks, but of the rough burlap that protects the cut end as well.

However, unevenness in the proceedings still abounds. Take, for instance, the process shot where Meryl Streep's Karen proposes a marriage of convenience with Klaus Maria Brandauer's Bror. The scene, which looked unnatural and problematic on Blu-ray, is no better here, and I might argue that it may even look a bit worse. There seems to be a bit of edge enhancement or digital manipulation at play here, with the actors standing out far too crisply from their background. Skin tones suffer here as well, with Bror's complexion turning a bit washed out and ruddy, while Streep's normally pale complexion, made rosy by the kiss of winter chill, tends more toward grey than porcelain. The same holds true in certain shots as the lioness approaches Streep's Karen, as Redford's Denys miraculously appears to offer assistance if needed. The softness that invades mid and long-range shots, unfortunately persists here, too. The earliest visible example comes during the opening credits, as the sweeping African landscapes being traversed by the locomotive see details of grasses, rocks, and trees again dissolve to something closer to suggestion rather than approaching anything close to precision. As the film progresses, this is repeated. Closer shots can be dazzlingly crisp, and sport pinpoint accuracy, but mid- and long-shots noticeably soften as Karen and Denys are on safari, go flying, and in various other instances. In many instances, things are improved, in other's it's status quo.

Does Out of Africa look better here than its previous releases? Unquestionably. Do I have the sense that it could look better still? Unforturnately, the answer here is the same. Unquestionably.

Screenshots are sourced from the 4K UHD disc and downscaled to 1080 and are in SDR.

Out of Africa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Just as Streep's Karen Blixen is remarkably restrained in the face of terrors, catastrophes, insults, and indignations, so too does Out of Africa's Dolby Atmos track exercise remarkable restraint. Immersive moments exist, but they are by no means persistent and are done with subtlety rather than a need to impress or overpower. Surrounds are used to add insects and bird song to scenes on the grasslands, singing voices envelop the viewer as workers pick coffee beans, and frantic voices and the sounds of fire consuming all it touches place the viewer in the middle of the tragedy that ultimately decides Karen's fate in Africa. Directionality is accurate, with viewers able to track animals, trains, cars, and planes through space. Bass is substantially improved here and is most easily observable during the hunting scene in the early portion of the film, while Karen and Borr are still in Denmark. The rifle shots arrive with deep and powerful booms that sounds and echoes throughout the soundstage. Sound effects related to the locomotive are also more lifelike and rumblingly deep. John Barry's Oscar-winning score shines, benefiting from greater precision, clarity, and sound separation. Above all, though, Out of Africa is a dialogue-driven film, filled with many smaller and quieter moments, and the track supports that focus rather handily. Dialogue is crisp, clean, and front and center. It's intelligible and understandable under all circumstances and is properly prioritized throughout. It's a pleasant upgrade.

Out of Africa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The same four features that graced the 2012 "Universal 100th Anniversary" release are found here with no new material to accompany the 4K UHD release which is timed to coincide with the film's 40th anniversary. To learn about these legacy features, please follow this link.

Out of Africa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In the forty years since its theatrical release, Out of Africa has lost none of its emotional impact. Streep's Karen is a victim of her era, forced into a marriage she doesn't truly want due to societal expectations. It's this largely unhappy union of convenience that colors all of the events the film brings to life. It is the source of her happiness, her disappointment, her love, and her humiliation. As is again the expectation of people like her in that time, Streep's line delivery displays remarkable restraint, but it's her expressions and body language that speak volumes of her satisfaction, pride, loneliness, and grief. The cast around her is similarly excellent, with Redford's frustratingly juvenile yet worldly Denys and Klaus Maria Brandauer's financially irresponsible and philandering Bror serving as perfect foils. For those who have yet to add this title to their libraries, Out of Africa 4K is easy to recommend, as the film has never looked or sounded better than it does here. For those who already own the most recent Blu-ray iteration, there are improvements to behold, but the presentation remains frustratingly uneven. Still, in the light of the gains made here, Out of Africa 4K comes recommended.