Rebellion Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.5

Rebellion Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 8, 2013

French director Mathieu Kassovitz's "L'ordre et la morale" a.k.a. "Rebellion" (2011) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films-UK. There are no supplemental features on this release. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"For the first time, I feel useless"

Mathieu Kassovitz’s Rebellion chronicles a true event, known as "Carnage on Ouvéa". On May 5, 1988, the French government ordered the execution of Kanak rebels in New Caledonia who had taken 22 French gendarmes and one magistrate hostage. The Kanaks, led by Alphonse Dianou, were hiding in a sacred cave deep inside the island of Oueva, and had been negotiating with a man who had arrived from Paris together with a group of French commandos. The negotiator was Captain Philippe Legorjus of the CIGN.

The film begins with the end. Legorjus, played by Kassovitz, is seen standing in front of a pile of bodies. The camera looks straight into his eyes and then someone hits the rewind button. A series of flashbacks immediately begin introducing various important events.

At first everything looks chaotic, but Legorjus calmly explains what is happening on the screen. The key players are identified and then the crisis in New Caledonia described by an angry French general. At this point Legorjus is told that he will have a short period of time to establish contact with Dianou (Iabe Lapacas) and his men and find out what their demands are. Shortly after, Legorjus and his commandos begin looking for the rebels.

The second act of Rebellion focuses on the complex negotiations between Legorjus, Dianou, and high-ranking French politicians in Paris. With only days left before French voters will have to cast their ballots and choose their next president – the uprising in New Caledonia took place at a time when President Francois Mitterrand, seeking a second term, and challenger Jacques Chirac were involved in heated debates shown on TV – the crisis in New Caledonia is seen by the opposing parties as the perfect opportunity to gain extra points in the close race. Unsurprisingly, as the drama intensifies Legorjus begins to realize that no one can be trusted.

The film is fast and very intense, but it is not overwhelming. After Legorjus meets Dianou the seemingly scattered pieces of the drama are carefully arranged and the possible solutions made very clear. Then one by one they are eliminated until Legorjus is sent the final scenario from Paris.

Whether the events in Rebellion occurred exactly as they are filmed is difficult to tell – apparently French left and right-wing parties as well as different international organizations have their own versions of the chronicled events – but this should not prevent one from seeing the film. It is very powerful and thought-provoking, the kind of film that is rarely made on this side of the Atlantic.

Kassovitz is sensational as the disillusioned negotiator. Lapacas’ time in front of the camera is limited, but he also leaves a memorable impression. Malik Zidi and the always reliable Philippe Torreton also have small roles in the film.

Rebellion was lensed by cinematographer Marc Koninckx, who also worked with Jean-Stephane Sauvaire’s on the equally intense Johnny Mad Dog. The film’s wonderful ambient soundtrack was composed by Klaus Badelt (Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Kurt Wimmer’s Equilibrium).

Note: Last year, Rebellion earned Cesar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay (Mathieu Kassovitz, Pierre Geller, Benoît Jaubert).

Rebellion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Mathieu Kassovitz's Rebellion arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films-UK.

The basic characteristics of the high-definition transfer are virtually identical to those of the high-definition transfer UGC PH used for their Blu-ray release of Rebellion in France - and this is undoubtedly very good news. The daylight footage from the island looks terrific. Detail and especially image depth are quite impressive. The hand-held camera footage from the second act also surprises with outstanding clarity. Color reproduction is excellent. There is a good range of very well saturated but never appearing artificially boosted greens, blues, yellows, browns, and grays. Despite the fact that natural light is restricted, the close-ups from the cave where the important discussions are held boast wonderful depth. There are no serious compression issues, but I did notice some extremely light artifacts popping up in two short sequences (screencapture #16 is from one of them). Image stability is excellent. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Rebellion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Lionsgate Films has provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless track is one of the very best I have heard on a Blu-ray release this year. Dynamic intensity is excellent and surround movement is very effective. What impressed me the most, however, was the richness of the ambient soundtrack. The airy yet very intense music very effectively enhances the unique atmosphere. For the record, the dialog is always crisp, clean, and very easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

Rebellion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, the supplemental features from the French release have not been included on this release.

Rebellion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rebellion is the best film Mathieu Kassovitz has directed since the powerful La Haine. It is very intense and at the same time incredibly thought-provoking. Lionsgate Films' technical presentation of Rebellion is excellent. My only criticism is that none of the supplemental features from the French Blu-ray release appear on this English-friendly release. Regardless, this is one of the year's best films. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.