7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Two detectives, from the USA and Mexico, must work together to hunt down a serial killer operating on both sides of the American-Mexican border.
Starring: Diane Kruger, Demián Bichir, Ted Levine, Annabeth Gish, Thomas M. WrightThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
There’s a lot of newsprint and bandwidth being burned up lately with talk about how “porous” the United States border is, with reports of literally tens of thousands of people scuttling purposefully into the arms of border guards as they attempt to escape various harsh environments in South America. And yet, even the concept of a border can seem somewhat odd when you get right down to it, as if there were a magical line in the sand that delineated the difference between two countries. Sometimes that demarcation can be a naturally occurring “line” like a river, but even that might provoke some to question what would happen should the river’s course change—would the border change right along with it? Many of the lines dividing the actual states are arbitrary at best, and the sheer artificiality of this formulation can result in odd opportunities like being able to stand bent over with your two feet and two hands in four different states at the location known as Four Corners. Both the artificiality and hardnosed reality of international borders are central to the conceit of The Bridge, an often riveting FX series based on a similarly named Danish/Swedish co-production. In this Americanized (in the continental connotation of that word) version, the border in question is between the United States and Mexico, specifically that between El Paso, Texas and Cuidad Juarez, two disparate cities which are joined at the figurative hip by the rather impressive Bridge of the Americas. When a mysterious blackout casts the bridge and its approach in darkness for a few minutes, border guards are understandably alarmed, but things get even more tense when the lights come back on and it becomes evident that someone has left a corpse directly on the imaginary line which separates the two countries. Two different jurisdictions show up to investigate the crime, and when it turns out that the corpse is actually two corpses, with the top half belonging to a well known American judge with an anti- immigration stance and the bottom half belonging to hapless Mexican murder victim who may have been part of a serial killer’s spree, all sorts of intercultural and interdepartmental conflict arises. While there are certainly procedural elements aplenty in The Bridge, what really sets this series apart is a fine eye toward the morés and lifestyles of a widely variant population that is portrayed in the show.
The Bridge: The Complete First Season is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This show is but the latest in what has been a small but significant string of recent releases to bathe many scenes in a kind of syrupy amber color. This does give a sun drenched and arid feel to many sequences, but at times it tends to suck at least a minimal amount (and sometimes a bit more than that) of fine detail out of the image. Shot digitally with the Arri Alexa, the series benefits from both the teeming squalor of Juarez, as well as the somewhat more sophisticated urban climes of El Paso, both locales set against the wide open vistas that surround the metropolises. Colors are very accurate looking and aside from the occasional yellow suffusion, color grading is surprisingly minimal. Contrast is also generally strong, though some elements, especially in the early going, take place in very dark environments and shadow detail can be slightly lacking at times. The series' overall image clarity and stability is excellent and there are no major artifacting issues to note.
The Bridge: The Complete First Season's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is a bit restrained at times, offering some bursts of surround activity with regard both to environmental effects and score, but otherwise remaining relatively straightforward, with an emphasis on clear presentation of dialogue. There are some nicely done foley effects which help to establish various ambiences, including everything from the wind swept environment of a barren prairie (in some scenes that look like outtakes from Breaking Bad, courtesy of an underwear clad character traipsing around a trailer) to the sterile industrial feel of an autopsy room (with Mary Pat Gleason as just the latest in a long string of quirky medical examiners). While this may not be as bombastic a mix as some might be expecting, it offers excellent fidelity and clarity and occasional eruptions that increase dynamic range.
The Bridge is an ambitious series, but part of that ambition may tend to alienate viewers who don't want to sort through the almost insanely large cast and number of intersecting plot points. Still, the through line of the serial killer mystery, and especially the solid characterization of Bichir as Ruiz, help to anchor the series. There are some nicely detailed peeks at the difference between American and Hispanic culture—both generally and in terms of police procedure—that also give The Bridge an authentic ambience. If the bridge (and The Bridge) is a bit too crowded for its own good, it at least offers a visceral accounting of the chaos that often surrounds our border with Mexico. The series is still finding its legs, but the good news this first season improves as it goes along. Recommended.
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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