8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David HuddlestonDark humor | 100% |
Crime | 97% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (as download)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Mobile features
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In the cookie cutter copycat world of the film industry, you have to give Joel and Ethan Coen credit for one thing: they are individuals, obviously unafraid to pursue their artistic vision and instincts wherever those instincts lead them. Even a cursory review of the Coen Brothers’ oeuvre reveals a startling variety of subject matter, approaches and styles: Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Intolerable Cruelty, The Ladykillers, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man and last year’s remake of True Grit. Taking even one of these disparate properties can be a lesson in idiosyncratic filmmaking technique, one which eschews the Syd Field screenwriting dicta and tried and true directorial tropes and often throws caution to the wind with bracing results. But taken together as a whole, this series of films is simply an amazing achievement, certainly one of the most singular in contemporary film, and one which has made the Coen Brothers objects of both lavish praise and more than occasional disparaging scorn. How dare they? seems to be the mantra when the Coens don’t toe the line as they’re expected to (though one would think by this time The Establishment would have figured out the Coens aren’t about to be toeing many lines). And it can’t be argued that several of their films are at least partial misfires. And so where does The Big Lebowski fall (no pun intended, considering a couple of dreams Jeff Bridges’ Dude character has in the film)? Lebowski was snuggled in between Fargo, arguably the Coen’s most successful film in terms of audience appeal and critical praise, and O Brother Where Art Thou?, another incredibly original production which also generated significant box office and critical approval. And the consensus at the time of Lebowski’s release is that it wasn’t just a misfire, it was writing, directorial and production excess of such an extreme as to be largely unwatchable, despite an appealing cast and several at least fitfully amusing sequences. But something Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque happened along the way, and The Big Lebowski somehow attained a cult status perhaps unmatched in the Coen Brothers canon in the decade plus since its initial theatrical exhibition. The cult contingent insists Lebowski is the Coens’ masterwork, a finely detailed and expertly crafted skewering of all sorts of conventions and one which may have a piquant political subtext. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. It can be stated quite positively that The Big Lebowski is certainly unlike any other film in recent (and maybe much more than recent) memory, an odd concatenation of a quasi-detective mystery and an indisputably bizarre character study. On the other hand, it also can’t be denied that the Coens seem to be throwing everything they can think of at the screen in the hopes that something will stick, and that gives the film an at times overwhelming ambience that some may find off-putting.
I frankly never saw the HD-DVD release of The Big Lebowski, but I have to wonder whether this is the same transfer, due to the VC-1 encode (in 1080p and 1.85:1). The film is not overly pretty, despite having been lensed by the magnificent cinematographer Roger Deakins (Kundun). Colors are bright, just this side of lurid a lot of the time (especially within the confines of the bowling alley), but are lifelike and suitably robust. Sharpness is certainly much better than the DVD, though there is attendant edge enhancement and some minor artifacting issues, including transitory aliasing, as well as some fairly noticeable crush in the nighttime scenes and Universal's typical DNR. Fine detail is quite good a lot of the time, again especially in the brightly lit bowling alley sequences, where everything from Turturro's plush velour purple jumpsuit to the shiny ambience of the bowling balls themselves are delivered with clarity and precision. Some of the film still looks relatively soft, as it always has, but on the whole fans of The Big Lebowski shouldn't have too much to complain about with this new Blu-ray.
There's no denying the nice, if subtle, sonic upgrade afforded to The Big Lebowski, courtesy of a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. While this is obviously a dialogue driven film, there's quite a bit of attention paid to its overall sound design, and the film features several wonderful moments of immersion as well as a slew of great (and sometimes rather funny) sound effects (listen for example to the kind of champagne cork-popping sound the bowling balls make as they exit the return mechanism). The film is filled to the brim with source cues, all of which sound excellent, and several of the more bombastic sequences benefit from this new lossless track. Especially impressive are quick but effective moments like the "handoff" sequence where The Dude and Walter are supposedly going to give the kidnappers their ransom (or are they?), leading to a car crash and then the roar of three motorcycles zooming off into the distance. LFE is wonderfully robust in this sequence and the panning effect is also very well handled. Fidelity is great throughout the track, and dynamic range is also very good.
There's no denying the fact that The Big Lebowski has become something of a cult sensation in the decade plus since its release. There's also no denying the fact that at least some of that acclaim has no doubt come from brothers-in-arms of The Dude, those who shall we say may be slightly herbally enhanced as they watch the film. Those without "assistance" (so to speak) may find The Big Lebowski simply too outré to be tolerated, but for a certain few (even those who haven't "enhanced" themselves), the film is wacky, weird and at least occasionally wonderful. This is definitely not the film to start with if you're new to the Coen Brothers (I'd recommend Fargo for that), but if you do have experience with Joel and Ethan's often discursive way with plot and character, as well as their completely idiosyncratic sense of humor, you'll most likely find a lot to love in this appealingly disheveled outing. One way or the other, it's pretty much guaranteed you've never seen anything quite like The Big Lebowski. Highly recommended.
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