7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Ludvik, a Communist official, arrives back home with his wife after spending the evening at a government function where he finds out that several of his colleagues have been 'relieved' of their responsibilities. Once he is inside he discovers that his house is bugged and that 'The Ear' of the government has been listening to him. When the electricity goes in his house and he sees a group of shady men waiting outside his house, he fears that he is the next one to go....
Starring: Jirina Bohdalová, Radoslav Brzobohatý, Lubor Tokos, Jaroslav Moucka, Karel VasicekForeign | 100% |
Drama | 31% |
Psychological thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Czech: LPCM 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Karel Kachyna's "The Ear" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Run. The supplemental features on the disc include filmed introduction by Peter Hames; audio commentary by Mike White, Ben Buckingham, and Martin Kessler; and Vlastimil Venclík's short "The Uninvited Guest". Also included with this release is a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring writing on the film by Peter Hames, author and producer Steven Jay Schneider and journalist and critic Graham Williamson, as well as technical credits. In Czech, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The Ear is listening
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Karel Kachyna's The Ear arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Run.
Even though the current master could have been cleaned up a bit more, I like it a lot. In fact, I like it more than the recent 4K restoration of Ikarie XB 1. Here's why: It has a very strong organic appearance and when projected the film basically looks as it should if it was screened in a theater. Yes, there are a few tiny white dots that pop up here and there, and yes there are some small vertical lines that could have been erased with digital tools. There are even a few larger black marks of the type that can be spotted on Diamonds of the Night. But these are cosmetic imperfections that do not bother me at all. There is a lot more that I like -- a lot. For example, plenty of the film is shot in the dark and the footage boasts some very nice organic nuances. Depth and clarity are very pleasing as well. I even think that the grading job is more convincing than the one that was done for Ikarie XB 1, though the flashbacks could have used some additional rebalancing work. All in all, this new Blu-ray release offers quite an upgrade in quality over the old DVD release of The Ear that Second Run produced more than a decade ago. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Czech LPCM 2.0 (with a few random lines in Russian). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
You should not expect to hear an impressive range of dynamic contrasts. There is a bit of music that is heard during the big party but the soundtrack is flooded with various uneven organic sounds and noises. The exchanges between the the two leads are clear and very easy to follow. In other words, the lossless track replicates the native qualities of the original soundtrack very well.
NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.
I was quite surprised to learn that there were shocked people after it was finally made public that Google and the communist government of China are working together to complete the latter's high-tech surveillance network. (See reports here and here). It is hardly a shocking revelation. The two parties are using the same old playbook that the Soviets and then their lackeys in Eastern Europe did during the Cold War era to enhance and preserve their totalitarian regime. In this wired world that we live in they have to update a few things because technology has evolved rather dramatically, but the goal remains the same: total censorship and control of the masses.
Karel Kachyna's film will take you back to the old days when eavesdropping and intimidation were done with 'bugs' and secret agents pretending to be your best friends. This was the Golden Era of The Ear. I like this film a lot not because it reveals some earth-shattering truths about the communists and their tactics, but because it perfectly recreates the maddening reality they imposed on everyone, including themselves. It is a genuine stunner, undoubtedly one of the very best to emerge from the now-defunct Czechoslovakia. Second Run's release, which I consider the best 'import' to reach my desk this year, is sourced from a very nice remaster and is Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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