The Duke Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Duke Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 18, 2022

The Duke is based on the true story of the 1961 theft of the famous painting "Portrait of the Duke of Wellington" by Francisco de Goya. The fun and the draw of this story, and the movie adaptation, is that the theft was not the work of some sophisticated heist involving the latest in technology, thorough planning, and a smorgasbord of variously skilled thieves. No, the work was stolen by one man, a commoner, as it were. The film takes some liberties with the real theft for dramatic, and humorous, effect. The end result is an affable little film that is smartly written, wonderfully acted, and narratively engaging beginning to end.

Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent) likes to go against the grain. He's an everyman who is not above standing up for what he believes is right. His latest passion project is a stand against a television tax. He spends 13 days in jail for watching television without the proper licensing. He's determined to get word out and even more determined to do something radical when he illegally comes into possession of the famous painting "Portrait of the Duke of Wellington" by Francisco de Goya. He uses the work of art as leverage, a bargaining chip to use to pay for the elderly to have the TV tax essentially rescinded. As he struggles with keeping the theft a secret from his wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren) with the help of his son Jackie (Fionn Whitehead), he also works through personal grief by penning a television production he hopes the BBC will produce.

Directed by the late Roger Mitchell, The Duke is a joy that hearkens to a time of simpler filmmaking, forgoing the extreme plot complexities for a balanced film that finds significant character depth and weighty narrative content supported by legitimately funny and plot serving and character defining laughs. The movie satisfies in the simple plot maneuvers that build story and reveal characters to both necessary and affable levels. The movie is not preachy or purposeful. It's light and agreeable, yet still not without depth, and the end result is just a fun time at the movies.

That does not mean that the picture is simple minded. It smoothly and purposefully builds larger narrative arcs and character depth with genius reservedness, introducing concepts and sometimes pulling away for humor but never surrendering the underlying driving forces that define the characters and their relationships. For example, Kempton maintains his penchant for chatty humor and quickly returned quips no matter the circumstances or the pressure he's under. The character is beautifully constructed, working together a blue collar essence with a penchant for disobedience, truth to self, and assured in personal values. Jim Broadbent is absolutely brilliant in the part, delivering a carefully constructed yet naturally executed performance, balancing inward personal depth and character motivation with outward joy and confidence. This is a haunted character, but that depth is well engineered within the character's psyche to the point that it defines him but does not overpower him. This is a splendid bit of acting, the same of which can be said of Helen Mirren's work as Kempton's wife.

The Duke Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony brings The Duke to Blu-ray with a classy and practically impeccable 1080p transfer. This is a high-end transfer that pushes the Blu-ray format to its limits. Clarity is just about at the format's peak, revealing ultra-clear and extremely sharp textures across the board. The result is a spectacular barrage of detail that shows everything with all the complexity 1080p can muster. Facial close-ups are beautiful, rendering each pore, line, and hair with remarkably tangible clarity. Environments are likewise striking, even in low light, such as inside the Bunton home. In good light -- various outdoor shots, for example -- there's no mistaking the image's prowess in presenting everything with tack-sharp excellence. There are a few shots and scenes which have been manipulated to recreate the look of 1960s film. Color output is excellent as well. The palette is vivid and bold, with each color perfectly saturated, nuanced, and natural. Viewers will delight in the stunning color clarity and accuracy on display across a full spectrum. Black levels are inky and healthy, whites dazzle, and flesh tones are naturally inclined. Neither source nor encode issues distract from the experience. This is yet another A+ Bu-ray from Sony.

The Duke Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The one and only soundtrack available on The Duke is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless presentation. The track offers a well-rounded experience, Musical clarity is perfect. Spacing is also perfect. The track is engaged and naturally inclined, delivering a hearty sense of realism in instrumental clarity, supported by well-defined surround support and balanced subwoofer content. Mild ambient content is integrated and presented with accurate feeling for clarity and placement. The track is otherwise heavily dialogue driven. The spoken word is naturally oriented in the front, presenting with flawless prioritization and lifelike detail and definition.

The Duke Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Duke contains a couple of brief extras. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Making The Duke (1080p, 2:50): Looking at the true story that inspired the film, plot details, the blend of drama and humor, and characters and performances.
• The Duke Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:27).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

The Duke Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Duke is a joyful film that works well in its technical construct but thrives on Jim Broadbent's internally absorbing and committed and outwardly natural and balanced work. The story is great, the drama tight, the character motivations true: the movie has everything. Sony's Blu-ray is disappointingly low on extras, but the video and audio presentations are terrific. Highly recommended.