Resurrection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 3, 2023

Daniel Petrie's "Resurrection" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include an exclusive new program with Ellen Burstyn; new audio commentary by critic Lee Gambin; new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Transitioning

Ellen Burstyn instantly rejected the original screenplay that the producers of Resurrection pitched to her in 1980. Burstyn told them that if they wanted to get her to appear in their film, they had to tell an original story she suggested, which at least initially was incomplete. The other story that was in the original screenplay that Burstyn did not like was about a woman that traveled to Jerusalem and experienced stigmata before becoming a healer.

It is difficult to tell whether Burstyn was right to instantly reject the screenplay that was offered to her because it was never made into a film, but it is an indisputable fact that she had a good story to tell. In an exclusive new program that is included on this release, Burstyn shares some very interesting information about a real-life healer she interacted with which helped her play her character right. It appears that Burstyn was in a very particular state of mind when she began making Resurrection and the identity of this character was as important to her as her grasp of the unique powers the character possessed. In Resurrection, this crucial connection between Burstyn’s performance and her understanding of the supernatural is unmissable and does a lot to legitimize the story that is told.

After a terrible car accident, Edna Rae Gillooly (Burstyn) falls into a coma and from there temporarily transitions to the ‘other side’. While a team of medical experts is working hard to bring her back, Edna explores the ‘other side’ and discovers that many relatives and friends that have passed away are there and are eager to reconnect with her. However, despite a prolonged stay, Edna is pulled back into the real world -- incredibly weak, scarred, and almost completely paralyzed.

Soon after she is released from the hospital, and while recovering on her family’s farm in rural Kansas, Edna discovers that she has returned from the ‘other side’ with a very special supernatural gift. Even though initially she does not fully understand its potential, Edna begins using her hands to heal her body and regain her ability to walk and then help people in the area. Around the same time, Cal (Sam Shepard), one of her first patients, becomes attracted to her and rather reluctantly Edna begins a romantic relationship with him. As people from neighboring states begin flocking to her, Edna is approached by a team of scientists interested in running a series of tests in a facility in Southern California.

Burstyn’s recollections are very interesting because they reveal that there was an intent to realistically portray a phenomenon that at least in the early 1980s was still impossible to rationalize by many viewers. There were always believers, but there were twice as many skeptics. According to Burstyn, all these years later, there is enough scientific data to conclude that the process of transitioning to the 'other side' is no longer possible to describe as fantasy. Why exactly? Because apparently there are complex developments inside the body that prepare it for its biological death, and while they are in progress the process of transitioning to the ‘other side’ materializes. If true, why wouldn’t a total reset, like the one Burstyn’s character experiences, accidentally combine known human abilities into one very powerful unknown human ability?

The romance and especially the drama are carefully used to keep Resurrection grounded in reality, which given its subject matter is not an easy task. Frankly, a lot could have gone wrong very quickly because there is seemingly endless material where the views of the believers and the non-believers are brought together in pretty conventional ways. Instead, Resurrection simply leaves the door open for the mind to ponder what it perceives to be its limitations.

Daniel Petrie shot Resurrection with cinematographer Mario Tosi in rural Texas. The lush old-fashioned soundtrack was created by Oscar-winner Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago).

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Resurrection arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

According to the back cover of this release, a new 2K scan was prepared at Universal to source the existing presentation of Resurrection. I am unsure if this is true. The film has a dated appearance. Also, the surface of the visuals reveals a very familiar light digital sharpening that can produce smearing of the kind that is often present on older masters that emerge from the major's vaults. The good news I have is that most of the film still looks pretty decent, with close-ups typically boasting the most attractive appearance. Even some daylight footage can look decent, but the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to tell that if properly remastered in 2K/4K the entire film will greatly benefit. Color balance is very good. I was quite surprised because much of the darker footage can look unusually strong, preserving even complex ranges of nuances that tend to collapse on older masters. Image stability is good. I noticed a few blemishes, but there are no large distracting cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Clarity, sharpness, depth, and balance are very good. I immediately fell in in love with Maurice Jarre's score and turned up the volume of my system quite a bit. I was surprised to hear how healthy the upper register is, though I did expect the lossless track to be very good because even during the opening credits it was very easy to tell that the audio was properly transferred. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Choice of Love - in this exclusive new program, Ellen Burstyn explains in great detail how Resurrection came to exist -- with some very interesting comments about the original concept for the film that she rejected -- and discusses her interactions with the real-life healer that helped her play her character right, the production of the film, and some of its key themes and their contemporary resonance. Fantastic program. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• "Born to Be Wild: Resurrection and the Rise of the Divine Feminine" - this new video essay was created by critic Kat Ellinger. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Lee Gambin.

• Trailer - a vintage U.S. trailer for Resurrection. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Resurrection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Does the 'other side' exist? It is the wrong question to ask. Why? Because you cannot give a logical answer if you cannot provide a proper definition of the 'other side'. However, if the 'other side' is related to a complex biological process, and there is sufficient data now that supports this very idea, it makes perfect sense that a person could transition in and out of it. In Resurrection, Ellen Burstyn's character has a terrible accident and does precisely that -- she transitions to the 'other side' and then a team of medical experts brings her back, but with a very special gift. Resurrection is a deeply moving, thought-provoking film that in many ways seems a lot more relevant today. I enjoyed it enormously. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from a mostly decent master and has an outstanding new program with Burstyn. RECOMMENDED.