Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Resurrected Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 11, 2014

Years ago, I music directed a cabaret that had two up and coming English comics who had just finished a long stint at a Las Vegas casino. One of my favorite jokes of theirs went something like: Do you know why the British invaded the Falkland Islands? To impress Jodie Foster. With all the conflicts that the United States has been in over the past several years, it’s sometimes easy to forget that other nations have their own histories with invading foreign lands, sometimes under dubious rationales. Resurrected, the first feature film by future directing superstar Paul Greengrass, offers a verité style recounting of a true story that plays like a modern day update of The Return of Martin Guerre crossed with an English version of Coming Home, with its tale of Kevin Deacon (David Thewlis), a British soldier assumed killed in the conflict who turns up some time later, very much alive (if both physically and emotionally wounded).

Thewlis, an instantly recognizable character actor who has had frustratingly few opportunities to prove his obvious mettle as a leading man, simply commands the film as Deacon, a guy who finds out that matriculating back into everyday society is going to encounter obstacles from the unlikeliest of sources—the very military and nation he served. The sort of military hazing that was the subtext of A Few Good Men also shows up here, though in this case it’s Kevin himself who can’t stand the truth—namely, that he’s been branded a traitor and may never be able to get his life back. Though this is a somewhat less kinetic experience than some of Greengrass’ later films, it shows the director in firm control of his surroundings and (especially) the performances. Resurrected isn’t an especially easy film to watch, but it packs an unexpected wallop due largely to Thewlis’ fantastic performance.

Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Resurrected is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. The film was made on a rather modest budget, so in look it often resembles a somewhat upper scale television movie. While colors aren't especially vivid throughout the presentation, they look accurate, with a whole range of green tones being especially notable. The elements utilized for this transfer are in surprisingly superb condition, with very little if any damage to report. Clarity and contrast are somewhat variable throughout the presentation, at least some of which can be attributed to filming conditions.

Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Resurrected features a serviceable if not exactly reference quality DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. As with the video component, expectations need to be tempered in light of the film's production, where it doesn't appear much if any post looping was done. That results in variable amplitude and clarity, though for me personally the biggest obstacle was cutting through some of the very thick British accents, something that's exacerbated by the lack of subtitles on this release. Fidelity is excellent, keeping the original recording conditions in mind.

Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Isolated Music and Effects Track


• Paul Greengrass on Resurrected (480i; 17:46)


• David Thewlis on Resurrected (480i; 15:56)

Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ironically, some of the same issues Greengrass and Thewlis examine in Resurrected have been on the front pages of American newspapers only recently with the release of American soldier Bo Bergdahl. Resurrected is often a fairly harrowing viewing experience, but it's a worthwhile one. This Blu-ray provides an accurate accounting of the lo-fi look and sound of the original. Recommended.