Subway Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Subway Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 3, 2009

Luc Besson's "Subway" (1985) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont. The only supplemental feature on this disc is the original French theatrical trailer for the film. Please note that unlike the UK Blu-ray release of "Subway", which is Region-B "locked", this release is Region-Free and perfectly playable in North America. It is also English-friendly.

Isabelle Adjani

In 2004, Hungarian director Nimród Antal dazzled audiences at the Cannes Film Festival with Kontroll, a dark and very atmospheric film about a group of “kontrollers” shot entirely in Budapest’s old subway system. Kontroll because one of the biggest hits at the prestigious event and went on to win the coveted Award of the Youth.

Twenty-four years earlier, Luc Besson’s Subway, shot on location in the Paris Metro, had a similar effect on those who saw it. Wild yet incontestably stylish, brilliantly emphasizing the best of Cinema du Look, Subway became one of the quintessential '80s films. Today, many rightfully speculate that it could be Besson’s best work.

Fred (Christopher Lambert,Highlander), a thief who makes ends meet in the Metro, has stolen some important documents from Helena (Isabelle Adjani, Deadly Circuit) a beautiful young woman married to a rich but exceptionally obnoxious businessman (Constantin Alexandrov). Hoping to finally get rich and walk away from his risky profession, Fred instructs Helena to meet him in the Metro, where he will give her back the documents in exchange for a substantial sum of money. However, when Helena arrives at the meeting spot, Fred runs away because another of his victims, accompanied by his goons, unexpectedly appears.

While hiding in the Metro, Fred then befriends several strange characters -- the Roller Skater (Jean-Hugues Anglade, Betty Blue), a thief specializing in purse-snatching; the Florist (Richard Bohringer, Diva), a man with a drinking problem; the Drummer (Jean Reno, Ronin), a passionate musician trying to put together a rock band; and Big Bill (Christian Gomba), a giant bodybuilder. Fred also meets Batman (Jean-Pierre Bacri, Let It Rain) and Robin (Jean-Claude Lecas, Franck Spadone), two crazy cops on a mission to nab the Roller Skater.

What Besson attempted to capture in Subway twenty-four years ago were moods, vibes, and the atmosphere of a place with a unique identity. Unsurprisingly, though certainly entertaining, the story of Subway, as well as most of its characters, seems inconsequential. As a result, Subway is likely to thrill just as many viewers as it is likely to frustrate.

From start to finish, Subway resembles a giant ambient painting. It enthusiastically plays with rich colors, bright lights, and various types of shadows, producing exasperating chaos but also beauty that is impossible not to admire. Also, different parts of it pulsate with a rhythm of their own, making it impossible to profile as a romantic story, drama, or action film.

The dialogue is quite unusual, too. It often feels like it is used to pay homage to the work of the Nouvelle Vague directors, but it has a fluid quality that creates different vibes, infusing certain visuals with a distinct contemporary poetic quality. Interestingly, it was very carefully scripted, not improvised.

Fred and Helena's relationship has a very similar fluid quality. It feels like it often heads in opposite directions at the same time, and it takes quite a bit of time before it finds its rhythm and focus. For this reason, it could frustrate those accustomed to the type of transparency Hollywood films favor.

Subway has a terrific music score, courtesy of Eric Serra, who has collaborated with Besson on many of his best films, including The Big Blue, La Femme Nikita, and Léon: The Professional. Serra has a small part in Subway, too. He plays the Bassit of the Metro band.

Subway Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Luc Besson's Subway arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont.

Gaumont's transfer looks very similar to that Optimum Home Entertainment used for their Blu-ray release in the UK (the UK distributors probably had access to the exact same elements Gaumont used). Once again, it is fairly easy to tell that Subway has not undergone a thorough restoration - there are some mild color pulsations as well as minor specks popping up here and there. Contrast and detail also fluctuate from acceptable to good to very good (this release is actually slightly darker looking than the UK one). Digital noise is noticeable during selected scenes as well. Still, Subway has never looked this good -- a lot of the healthy film grain is kept intact and the color scheme is actually quite strong. Many of the close-ups, for example, are also notably strong (certainly a lot better than they are on the Region-1 DVD Sony Pictures released quite some time ago. So, once again, I must say that this is an acceptable release of a favorite film of mine, which, at the moment, I have no problem recommending to you. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Subway Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Gaumont have provided optional English and French subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame.

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 is practically identical to the French LPCM 2.0 track Optimum Home Entertainment have on their Blu-ray release. Eric Serra's lovely music score sounds quite impressive - the bass is potent while the high frequencies not overdone. The dialog is crisp and easy to follow. All in all, I certainly have no reservations with the French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track.

Subway Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, the only supplemental feature on this Blu-ray disc is the original theatrical trailer for the film (in PAL, and therefore not playable on most North American TV sets).

Subway Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gaumont's Blu-ray release of Luc Besson's Subway looks and sounds very similar to Optimum Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release. However, unlike the UK release, which was Region-B "locked", this French release is Region-Free and perfectly playable in Region-A players. It is also English-friendly. RECOMMENDED.