Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Blue Lagoon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 1, 2017

Nominated for Oscar Award for Best Cinematography, Randal Kleiser's "The Blue Lagoon" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; audio commentary with director Randal Kleiser and actor Christopher Atkins; second audio commentary with director Randal Kleiser, writer Douglas Day Stewart, and Brooke Shields; archival featurette; and more. Region-B "locked".

Forgotten in Paradise

Most of the arguments against Randal Kleiser’s film The Blue Lagoon typically highlight and dismiss the manner in which it removes its characters from reality and then allows them to survive. I think that these arguments could pass as serious criticism, but only if one views the film through the prism of the same dull logic that dictates that total isolation for instance is also a silly cinematic gimmick. In other words, it is entirely up to you to decide what makes sense and what does not, and whether Kleiser’s film should be taken seriously. But before you reach a ‘logical’ conclusion, I urge you to take the time to read this very interesting article that the Smithsonian published in 2013. It is about a Siberian family that was discovered by a group of Soviet scientists deep in the taiga during the late 1970s. Its members lived there in a hand-built log cabin for decades, in total isolation, and were completely unaware that World War II had taken place and reshaped the world.

Kleiser’s film recreates the main events from Henry De Vere Stacpoole’s novel that inspired it quite accurately. (It should be pointed out that the transitions between them occur rather abruptly and sometimes it seems like the film actually moves forward only because there will be more and better opportunities to impress. In the novel, the chronology of the events is clearly handled better). After a giant ship sinks near a beautiful Pacific Island, only an elderly drunkard (Leo McKern) and two children (Elva Josephson and Glenn Kohan) survive. The old man then builds a small shack and for a while acts like a father who has suddenly been given a second chance to redeem himself. But the game of survival eventually wears him down and he decides to end his misery in style. After his abrupt death, however, the children do not panic and slowly learn how to feed and protect themselves.

Years later, Emmeline (Brooke Shileds) and Richard (Christopher Atkins) discover love and become parents. How this happens exactly appears to have turned off quite a few critics that have written about the film, but suffice to say everything that happens between them makes sense. In fact, their behavior actually makes a lot more sense than that of the colorful librarian Roberto Benigni plays in the Oscar-winning dramedy Life Is Beautiful. So lack of logic and authenticity clearly can’t be the film’s biggest weaknesses.

Where does the film actually stumble, then? There are two big issues that are impossible to ignore. First, the beauty of Nestor Almendros’ cinematography routinely overwhelms the story and as a result it feels like the film intentionally slows down so that it can accommodate all the right zooms, pans, and tilts. Second, even well after they discover the power of love the two leads can appear uncomfortable with each other. There is some good editing work that helps, but the inexperience of the leads certainly shows.

*There is a good earlier film retelling the same story that was directed by Frank Launder in 1949. In it the two lovers are played by Jean Simmons and Donald Houston.

The Blue Lagoon 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, Randal Kleiser's The Blue Lagoon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a 4K master which Sony Pictures prepared in the United States not too long ago. The master is not only fantastic, but quite possibly one of the best that the studio has produced for a film from the 1980s.

Depth and clarity are incredibly impressive, though it needs to be said that because director Randal Kleiser and cinematographer Nestor Almendros did a lot of on-location shooting with plenty of natural unfiltered light some minor density fluctuations can be observed. Fluidity, however, remains consistently pleasing. Obviously, grain could appear slightly overexposed or marginally underexposed, but these are the type of minor organic fluctuations that outdoor shoots routinely produced at the time (see examples in screencaptures #3 and 21). The color scheme boasts fantastic primaries and terrific, very healthy nuances. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Image stability is outstanding and there are no age-related imperfections to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Blue Lagoon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film's sound design blends plenty of organic sounds and beautiful music themes from Basil Poledouris's score, but it is also carefully edited. So even though there are segments where the sound is quite fluid, there is proper dynamic balance with timed buildups that are used to further enhance the exotic atmosphere. The dialog is always stable, very clean, and easy to follow. There are no mastering or unique digital defects to report in our review.

The Blue Lagoon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• An Adventure in Filmmaking - in this archival featurette, director Randal Kleiser and cast members discuss the shooting of the The Blue Lagoon on the privately owned island of Nanuya Levu in Fiji. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Trailer - original trailer for The Blue Lagoon. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Audio Commentary - this archival audio commentary features director Randal Kleiser, writer Douglas Day Stewart, and Brooke Shields. The bulk of the information addresses the novel by Henry De Vere Stacpoole that inspired the film, the challenging shooting process in Fiji, and the evolution of the relationship between Emmeline and Richard.

• Audio Commentary - this archival audio commentary features director Randal Kleiser and actor Christopher Atkins. Again, there is plenty of factual information about the casting process, the original story and how different parts of it were filmed, the on-location shooting in Fiji, the staging of the lovemaking scenes and a few interesting surprises that the young actors had to deal with, etc.

• Music and Effects Track - presented as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

The Blue Lagoon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I would never argue that The Blue Lagoon could not have been a better film, but I think that a lot of the harsh criticism that it has received during the years is way off the mark. It is an escapist film that does a lot of the same things that The Black Stallion is loved for, but perhaps with a slightly bigger awareness of its striking beauty. Eureka Entertainment's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from a stunning 4K master that Sony Pictures prepared in the United States, so if you enjoy the film do not hesitate to place an order for it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.