Parade's End Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Parade's End Blu-ray Movie Review

Patience is a virtue...

Stately miniseries like writer Tom Stoppard and director Susanna White's Parade's End are often better suited to the novels upon which they're based, in this case the first three novels of Ford Madox Ford's tetralogy of the same name, published individually over the course of the mid-to-late 1920s. The subsequent five-part HBO/BBC production is seemingly no different, particularly during its first three episodes, as we're forced to endure privileged people tending to privileged problems in the midst of privileged societal upheaval. Melodrama is heaped atop melodrama, and unlikability infects almost everyone on screen. And yet, somewhere along the way, Parade's End begins to crackle beneath its surface. History takes on a life of its own. Hot-button topics of the era -- suffrage chief among them -- slowly step forward. A love triangle develops, and not just any love triangle; one through which World War I European class structure, entitlement and Edwardian values are unpacked and examined. Performances become richer and more rewarding, with Benedict Cumberbatch finding depth in what at first seems shallow, Rebecca Hall proving herself an irreplaceable asset, and Adelaide Clemens demanding more and more attention as her suffragette comes into her own. It's all at once a compelling, almost gripping miniseries; its strength and timeliness becoming more apparent as Cumberbatch is thrust onto the battlefield, lines at home are drawn, and the lives of his Christopher Tietjens, Hall's Sylvia and Clemens' Valentine Wannop are irrevocably changed.

Parade's End Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Despite a prevailing digital sheen, HBO's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is lovely, capturing every detail of Sheena Napier's award-winning costumes and Martin Childs' period production design. Colors are as detached and stuffy as the miniseries' elite, and yet lifelike skintones, convincing earthtones and satisfying black levels lend the image a humble, almost cinematic beauty. Edge definition is crisp and natural as well, without any serious ringing to be found, and textures are nicely resolved. Not necessarily crisp, but quite convincing. Add to that a proficient encode that doesn't suffer from significant macroblocking, banding or other compression issues, and you have a 2-disc standout deserving of high marks.

Parade's End Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Reserved and restrained, the impressive qualities of the miniseries' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track aren't readily apparent. However, both interiors and exteriors are backed by natural ambience and acoustics, imbuing otherwise quiet, uneventful scenes with notable realism. LFE output is subdued on the whole, of course (at least until Christopher is dispatched to the World War I battlefront), and rear speaker activity revels in subtlety. Even so, dynamics are quite good, directionality is decidedly decent, pans are smooth, and dialogue is clear, well-grounded and centered, and flawlessly prioritized. Ultimately, the experience isn't what anyone will deem remarkable, but its faithfulness to the miniseries' sound design shouldn't be understated.

Parade's End Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only special feature included with Parade's End is a 28-minute audio interview with Tom Stoppard on KCRW's The Treatment. Host Elvis Mitchell does a fine job guiding and developing the discussion, and Stoppard is forthcoming and engaging, all of which helps take some of the sting out of the absence of any video extras, commentaries or more significant behind-the-scenes materials.

Blu-ray/UltraViolet Combo Pack Contents (Subject to Change): The initial combo pack release of Parade's End features a side-entry slipbox (with the original pressing), two BD-50 discs (the first with Parts 1-3, the second with Parts 4-5 & the KCRW interview), and an HBO Select digital copy (download at hboselect.com, select provider of your choice). Please note: the Parade's End digital copy is iTunes compatible.

Parade's End Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Parade's End is initially a bit of a tough slog, and its difficult to care about anyone in Stoppard's adaptation of Ford's novels. Given time to breathe and develop, though, both the characters and the story become absorbing; so much so that, by miniseries' end, I was riveted, melodrama or no. HBO Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release certainly helps, thanks to a terrific video presentation and solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Granted, there isn't much in the way of special features or supplemental value, but HBO's 2-disc set is nonetheless easy to recommend to those who enjoy World War I-era miniseries, compelling storytelling, strong period performances and masterfully crafted production design.