7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
An indentured servant, Dr. Carlos Morales, rises to power in Georgia shortly after the Revolutionary War.
Starring: Fernando Lamas, Arlene Dahl, Patricia Medina, Francis L. Sullivan, Charles KorvinPeriod | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Blu-ray 3D
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Sangaree was the first 3-D production from Paramount and the first 3-D film to release in technicolor, a double milestone, of several of note, actually, for a picture that released in 1953 and is now, six-and-a-half decades later, another milestone release for the 3-D Film Archive. The company's restoration is as much a highlight of the Blu-ray release as is the movie itself, the latter of which is a fine tale of post-Reovultionary War romance and drama and the former of which is a delight in both flat 2-D and immersive 3-D Blu-ray. As with most of the Archive's releases, the website is home to a comprehensive essay, this one written by Hillary Hess, that surveys the movie proper, digs into its technical construction, and reveals the painstaking restoration work that has brought it back from the brink for this Blu-ray release. It's a lengthy but enlightening, entertaining, and rewarding read that extends one's appreciation for the film and the restoration far beyond the scope of this review, which is meant to highlight the restoration's credentials rather than spell them out in exacting detail.
Note: the 2-D image was reviewed on an LG OLED65C7P while the 3-D content was reviewed on a Sony XBR65Z9D.
Sangaree's 3-D presentation proves a winner from the outset. The film's first lengthy sequence takes place inside a bedroom, where the
general
lays dying and requests that Morales take ownership of Sangaree. The entire set piece appears organically dimensional, with obvious shape to
characters and objects like the bed or the semicircular chair in which Morales sits to eventually sign the documents. There's an appreciable sense of
room and separation between characters and elements in the room, with the small writing desk, the object nearest to the camera in side shots,
actually appearing shapely and proportionate to the rest of the room as the closest object to the viewer. As perspectives change to several different
shots, various elements stick out, such
as the sense of width about the bed and the placement of the bedposts relative to the camera and to one another. Such distinguishing environmental
characteristics are with the movie for the duration. There's always a very natural, and impressively so, feel for space and separation, measurable
length, and definable area
between elements. For the purposes of this review, the 2-D version was watched in its entirety, followed by the 3-D on a different screen, and with the
story fresh in the mind it was fun to largely set it aside in favor of exploring all of the favorable examples of dimensionality, down to even the space
between Martha's thick curls or to get a lay of the land whether in relatively close quarters or more open locations, including ballrooms or courtrooms.
Or, it's a joy to simply take note of the distinctive spacing between characters, even if they're practically rubbing elbows. The image largely leaves
behind any gimmicky 3-D moments; a knife is thrown towards the screen at the 1:24:35 mark, which is really the only flinching moment in the movie.
While there aren't
as many hugely impressive one-off moments of extreme pop-out or jaw-dropping depth as seen in the cream of the crop of the 3-D Film Archive
releases (think
Cease Fire or The Maze) there's plenty to enjoy here in what is a more relaxed and
very agreeable overall image that serves the purpose of
expanding the screen but rarely does anything to really draw one's full attention away from the story (unless one is watching with the intent of
analyzing 3-D structure instead). But even with a few hardware-induced crosstalk interferences (as seen on the review Sony XBR65Z9D display) and
taking into
account the lessened intensity of pops and speckles (see below in the 2-D review), Sangaree delivers one of the most refined and
resplendent 3-D presentations yet. The sense of exacting space and distance is hard to beat.
For those who wish to watch in 2-D, or cannot play back the 3-D presentation, Kino and 3-D Film Archive present the film with its righty eye OCN
source,
and the results are just as impressive as one would imagine. Colors are wonderful, bright and bold and a joy in practically every scene. Right from the
outset, Carlos' light blue coat reveals impressive depth and saturation, as well as fine transitional nuance where light fading (on the garment, not the
print) and small bits of dirt, notably up around the shoulders, give it an impressively realistic appearance. Martha's resplendently poofy pink dress
seen upon her introductory sequence is a visual delight that's not only agreeably vibrant but sees her stand apart from the less dynamic attire around
her and from the more neutral surrounding furnishings. Dahl's red hair dazzles and her blue eyes sparkle. The camera falls in love with her in every
shot, and likewise finds favor with the shirtless Fernando Lamas, on whom viewers will note fine skin textures and strong muscular definition. In fact,
textures are firm and complex in nearly every shot. Period clothes, made of fairly dense materials, reveal impressive complexities at even medium
distance. Ornate furnishings, intricate facial features, and natural and manmade locales maintain excellent, often tactile definition throughout. The
image is very filmic; grain is even and complimentary with only modest spikes in intensity.
The restoration work is beautiful, and it's a shame to nitpick, but there are a few notable imperfections, which are most apparent in 2-D. Slight title
wobble,
mild but
somewhat steady speckling, a few instance of soft flicker, and a few scenes of less than precise coloring, most of which accompany fades and
transitional shots, can be seen throughout. But in the grand scheme of things it's like complaining about a few microscopic flaws on an otherwise
perfect diamond. 3-D film archive spent five months on the restoration project -- two more than average -- and it shows. All things considered, this is
a gem, in 3-D for sure and the 2-D version is no slouch, either.
The included DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack delivers the film's limited mono components well enough. Dynamic range is unsurprisingly minimal and spacing is tight with the presentation focused towards the center. Musical clarity is certainly not within today's standards of excellence, but even with a modestly crunchy and scrunched sound, the essentials are conveyed well enough. Core dialogue is suitably clear with a front-center push.
Sangaree's Blu-ray 3-D release features a pair of trailers, a restoration demo in 3-D, and a vintage radio presentation of Sangaree.
Sangaree is a film of many firsts, leaving several fingerprints on and footnotes in film history. The film proper is a fun little escape, resplendently set and costumed and well acted. The 3-D restoration is a joy and the included supplements, particularly the comparative piece between the original elements and restored image, as well as the Lux Radio Theater telling of the story, are treats. Very highly recommended.
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