Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Blu-ray Movie Review

Casualties of War

Reviewed by Michael Reuben August 23, 2013

(Spoiler alert: The following assumes that the reader is familiar with all previous series of Prime Suspect. If you haven't seen all previous series, proceed at your own risk. A spoiler-free overview of the Complete Collection can be found here.)

First Broadcast: November 9-10, 2003 (U.K.); April 18, 2004 (U.S.)

Helen Mirren hesitated for a long time before returning to the role of Jane Tennison in 2003, because, as she told an interviewer, "I don't like going backwards. . . . [T]his is the only thing I've done over and over again. . . . Each time I want it to be better than the time before. I feel that mantle on my shoulders, I feel that weight on my shoulders." She was ultimately persuaded by the quality of the script by Peter Berry (Zen), which dealt with distinctly contemporary issues both internationally and within London's Metropolitan Police. From the beginning, Prime Suspect had distinguished itself for the authenticity of its portrayal of police procedures. Berry's script updated the series into the 21st Century.

The director of The Last Witness was Tom Hooper, whose career was just beginning the steady ascent that would lead to the Oscar for directing The King's Speech. Hooper brought a new visual style to The Last Witness. For one thing, it was the first Prime Suspect to be aired at 1.78:1 (which eliminates any question as to its correct presentation on Blu-ray). But more importantly, Hooper made a point of situating the story visually in contemporary London, which was an option newly available because The Last Witness was the first Prime Suspect to be filmed there. (All prior series were filmed in Manchester.) Familiar London landmarks are routinely visible; London Bridge, the London Eye, the distinctive tower known as "the Gherkin" and the new IMAX theater are examples. The crimes that Tennison investigates in The Last Witness are every bit as dark and horrific as in previous series of Prime Suspect, but the streets she traverses, and even the current "nick" where she works, are bright, shiny and new.

Tennison (Mirren) has been a Detective Superintendent for seven years. She gives her age as 54, which has been considered a mistake, since in Series 5 she said she was 50, and The Last Witness is supposed to be seven years later. No explanation is provided for her return from Manchester to London, although it isn't hard to imagine that her former chief was eager to see her depart after everything she learned about him in Series 5.

Having worked her way up the ranks, Tennison now supervises three murder squads, each with as many as eight active investigations. Her direct superior is Chief Superintendent Larry Hall (Mark Strong), who worked under her as a Detective Inspector in Series 3 (and seems rather pleased to have leapfrogged over his former superior). After a required physical exam, Tennison meets with Hall and other senior officers, who urge her to consider retirement. Tennison's response is icy.

Partly as a rebellious response to the retirement suggestion, partly as a reaction to a contentious meeting with a young female constable, Lorna Greaves (Tanya Moodie)—whose commitment to the murder squad Tennison doubts, because Greaves actually has a family life—and partly because of the nature of the crime itself, Tennison decides to take an active role in a case. This does not sit well with the DCI in charge, Simon Finch (Ben Miles), but Finch knows better than to make waves. He is one of a new breed known as a "tick in the box", because he has a university degree and is progressing steadily up the ranks, "ticking off" each position one must hold before becoming a senior officer. Sergeant Alun Simms (Robert Pugh), an old-time copper, cannot resist muttering "Tick! Tick! Tick!" whenever Finch comes into view.

The case of which Tennison takes charge is the murder of a young woman who was tortured, murdered and dumped at a construction site. The evidence suggests that she was a native of Eastern Europe, and the autopsy reveals signs of similar torture approximately ten years earlier. The case gains national publicity, when the media learn that a government minister well known for his anti-immigrant stance was about to invest in the building under construction. Naturally, the minister uses the occasion as a political platform.

A co-worker at the hotel where they both worked identifies the victim as Samira Blekic, a Bosnian Muslim. He also informs the police that she has a sister, Jasmina (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), who works at a hospital—but he doesn't know which one. Tennison and DCI Finch now develop conflicting theories of the case. Finch believes that Samira's murder results from Bosnian mob activities, specifically cigarette smuggling by Kasim Ibhrahimavic (Rad Lazar), who, according to police files, is connected to Jasmina. Tennison, upon discovering the Bosnian connection, contacts a former boyfriend, Robert West (Liam Cunningham), who happens to be a reporter who covered the Bosnian conflict. After consulting with West, Tennison suspects a motive dating back to the Bosnian War. Her suspicions are confirmed when CCTV footage reveals a security van driven by Dusan Zigic (Velibor Topic), a Bosnian Serb, near the scene where Samira's body was dumped. When Zigic is picked up, his toolbox contains circumstantial evidence connecting him to Samira's murder.

Zigic's interrogation yields little information but a lot of atmosphere. It is attended by a lawyer, Rosemary Henderson (Kate Lynn Evans), who specializes in representing Serbians, and a polite translator, Milan Lukic (Oleg Menshikov), whom Zigic greets warmly. When Jasmina is eventually found—and the search is not an easy one—Tennison shows her Zigic's picture, and a horrific tale emerges of how a Serbian paramilitary group slaughtered an entire village of Muslim men, women and children. Tennison now realizes that someone—probably Zigic, maybe others—wants to eliminate the last witnesses to a war crime.

The further Tennison digs into Samira's murder, the more extensive the criminality she finds. Even when a confession is suddenly handed to her, it appears to be no more than a coverup for a larger evil. Tennison concludes that the truth can't be found in England but requires field work in Bosnia. When DCS Hall won't approve the trip, she goes anyway, with West as her guide. "Where does [your staff] think you've been phoning from?" he asks her. "Paris", she replies. "Where you're taking me when this is all over."

Almost every installment of Prime Suspect features a scene in which Tennison is reprimanded and taken off the case, because her aggressive investigation has disturbed the repose of some powerful interest (usually for good reason). In The Last Witness, the stakes are so high that this scene occurs in the headquarters of Scotland Yard, and the meeting is attended by a covert operative whose affiliation is never specified. It's a fascinating experience to watch Jane Tennison threatened by Her Majesty's government for doing her job well.

Does Tennison heed the warning? After the meeting at Scotland Yard, she visits her elderly father (now played by venerable British actor Frank Finlay). Arnold Tennison listens to his daughter's predicament, then tells her a grim story about his experiences as an ambulance driver in World War II. It's exactly the push she needs.

Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Last Witness has been transferred to Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Please see the Video section of the Complete Collection review for an overview of Prime Suspect's video presentation. The extra screencaps with this review include sample comparisons between the Blu-ray and Acorn Media's DVD release of Series 6. The 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray opens with the disclaimer quoted in the Complete Collection review.

Although British television was already experimenting with HD capture in 2003, The Last Witness was shot on film by Larry Smith (Eyes Wide Shut and Only God Forgives). The Blu-ray image is a noticeable improvement over the first five series of Prime Suspect, probably because the elements are newer. While the picture is no one's ideal of sharpness, it is consistently detailed and never melts into the kind of blur that appears to a greater or lesser extent in each of Series 1 through 5. Color aren't heavily saturated, but they are stronger and more varied than in prior seasons. Black levels and contrast look appropriate, and the film's grain pattern is more consistently rendered from scene to scene. There are no obvious signs of grain reduction or artificial sharpening. The 205-minute program, with a short featurette, has been compressed onto a BD-25 without obvious artifacts.

Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Last Witness' DTS-HD MA 2.0 is typical of recent British television stereo tracks, in that the mix is straightforward and functional, emphasizing dialogue and basic sound effects, which remain largely in front. To the extent that The Last Witness sounds different from other series of Prime Suspect, it is largely due to the much more extensive use of music and the replacement of composer Steven Warbeck by Rob Lane (HBO's John Adams ). Lane's Middle Eastern-inflected score provides an urgency and, where appropriate, a mournful tone to the story.

Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind-the-Scenes Feature (1080i; 1.78:1; 23:15): This promotional featurette was obviously intended to introduce Tennison to a new audience after a seven-year hiatus. It contains interviews with actors Mirren, Miles and Pugh and director Hooper, among many others, and shows the production shooting for Series 6 in and around London and on set. Warning: Spoilers galore!



• Introductory Trailer: At startup the disc plays a trailer for Murdoch Mysteries, which can be skipped with the chapter forward button.

Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Series 6 brought an entire new look to Prime Suspect. London and the Met had changed, and Prime Suspect evolved with it. The one constant is Mirren's Jane Tennison, who remains fearless and uncompromising—and doesn't particularly care whom she offends in the process. In part 1 of The Last Witness, her boss, DCS Hall, brags that his former subordinate now works for him. In part 2, he has to bring his own chief the bad news that Tennison has trumped both of them, and he does it with an expression that says, "How could I stop her? It's Tennison." Different in style, but up there with the best of the series.