6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Inspired by the true story of Danish artists Lili Elbe and her wife Gerda, this tender portrait of a marriage asks: What do you do when someone you love wants to change?
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, Amber HeardBiography | 100% |
Romance | 98% |
Period | 57% |
History | 49% |
Drama | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
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)
UV digital copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Tom Hooper knows his way around the Historical Biopic. The Director picked up an Oscar for The King's Speech and helmed the Golden Globe-winning TV miniseries Elizabeth I, starring Helen Miren and Jeremy Irons. Hooper returns to the past for a very contemporary film in The Danish Girl, the story of a man's transformation into a woman in 1920s Denmark. The film comes based on the novel of the same name by David Ebershoff, a story inspired by a pioneer of transgenderism and one of the first known people to undergo sex reassignment surgery. The film has reportedly been banned in Malaysia and several Middle Eastern countries.
These make me feel...
The Danish Girl's digital source translates into a striking 1080p transfer that lacks the texture of film but captures its underlying essence with extraordinary attention to detail and robust coloration. Indeed, the transfer springs to life with remarkable clarity throughout. Details are precise and clear, and while the Blu-ray may not reveal character moles, pores, facial hair, and freckles to the same level of intimacy as the finest 2160p UHD presentations, there's no mistaking the Blu-ray's ability to bring out the finest details it can. The same holds true for the finest lacy fabric textures, canvases, scuffed and worn wooden floors, paint-splattered surfaces, finely worn interiors, and stout brick and stone exteriors. The image never falters in its ability to provide a gorgeous cinematic texturing. Colors are impressively robust. Makeup is a standout -- Lili's red lipstick seems always prominent -- while a myriad of solitary and blended paints on canvas and palette, colorful attire, and bright city exteriors are highlights. Black levels hold firm and offer a good command of depth and shadow detail. Flesh tones are a little airy, particularly on Einar/Lily, but there's never a serious push to unwanted paleness or warmth. Beyond light source noise, the transfer is never home to unsightly artifacts. This is a tremendous presentation from Universal.
The Danish Girl features a well defined and effortlessly immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is the highlight, presenting with excellent, almost airy spacing around the stage, including a prominent, but properly balanced, surround support. The low end is smooth and supportive, never overly pronounced. The track makes the most of its environments. Ambience at an art exhibit where hushed whispers and laughs emanate from all around the stage is an early movie highlight. Seagulls and passing bicycles give shape to outdoor ambience, and a few other small support pieces transform the listening area into the film's environments. Dialogue is the key component, however, and it enjoys richness of definition, expert prioritization, and a natural center placement.
The Danish Girl contains only one supplement. The Making of 'The Danish Girl' (1080p, 11:29) looks back at the real story, Director Tom Hooper's attachment to and love for the script, casting and the actors' appreciation for the story and one another, Hooper's craftsmanship, shooting in Copenhagen, recreating the era in which the story takes place, costumes and makeup, Redmayne's performance, and the film's role in the transgender community. Also included with purchase is a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.
There's no doubt that The Danish Girl will polarize audiences and even polarize people who haven't seen the movie. Hooper's films does its best to shy away from overt commentary and instead focuses on telling its story. Performances are strong and Hooper's direction is silky smooth. It's a terrific movie on its technical merits, but the question is whether audiences will find the real, intimate depth the story demands or a more skin-deep experience. Universal's Blu-ray is unfortunately devoid of meaningful supplemental content; it only includes a broad overview making-of. However, video and audio are terrific. Fans concerned only with the disc's technical merits should not hesitate to purchase.
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