8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity.
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy HillerDrama | 100% |
Biography | 9% |
History | 6% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region B, A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
David Lynch's "The Elephant Man" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are: Joseph Merrick: The Real Elephant Man, a look at the tragic history of the man whose story inspired David Lynch's film; an interview with director David Lynch conducted at the Cartier Foundation in Paris, 2007; an interview with actor John Hurt; a second interview with David Lynch conducted by Mike Figgis in 2006; and more. With optional English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Japanese subtitles. Region A/B "locked".
The Elephant Man
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and grated a 1080p transfer, David Lynch's The Elephant Man arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
Even though this transfer is not as convincing as the ones Optimum Home Entertainment/Studio Canal introduced for Belle de jour and The Deer Hunter, it still represents a solid upgrade when compared to previous SDVD releases of The Elephant Man. Fine object detail and clarity are good but not consistent. For example, some of the darker scenes in the film tend to look a bit soft. Mild digital noise is also easy to spot. On the positive side, contrast levels appear relatively stable. Finally, I noticed a few minor flecks while watching the film, but I did not see any large cuts, dirt, or stains. All in all, even though there are a few minor issues with the transfer, I believe that it certainly allows one to experience David Lynch's film in an entirely new way. (Note: This is a Region A/B "locked" disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A, Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content. Please note that the disc's main menu could be set in one of the following languages: English, Spanish, Danish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, or Japanese).
There are five audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.
I don't have any reservations with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. John Morris' terrific music score is also well balanced with it. Dynamically, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 certainly does not rank as one of the best I have heard, but this is hardly surprising; surround activity is indeed rather limited. Finally, there are no disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.
For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Japanese subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, the split the image frame and the black bar below it.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are encoded in 480/60i. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SAs.
Joseph Merrick: The Real Elephant Man - a look at the tragic history of the man whose story inspired David Lynch's film. In English. (20 min, 480/60i).
The Air is on Fire - an interview with director David Lynch conducted at the Cartier Foundation in Paris, 2007. In French and English, with English subtitles. (15 min, 480/60i).
John Hurt Interview - the actor talks about the Elephant Man, how the film was shot, what director David Lynch wanted to accomplish with it and how, etc. (21 min, 480/60i).
David Lynch Interview - a long and very informative interview with the director of The Elephant Man in which he recalls how the film came to exist. In English. (25 min, 480/60i).
Interview with David Lynch and Mike Figgis - another long and very informative interview. David Lynch's comments on the process of transforming an idea into film are fascinating. (20 min, 480/60i).
BD Live Functionality -
Booklet - a 20-page illustrated booklet containing an essay by Time Out London magazine writer and critic tom Huddleston.
This is yet another good addition to the Studio Canal Collection. The supplemental features, all of which are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SA, are excellent. RECOMMENDED.
1980
Limited Edition of 2000 Copies
1980
Remastered | Vintage Classics
1980
40th Anniversary Edition | Collector's Edition
1980
40th Anniversary Edition
1980
1980
40th Anniversary Edition
1980
2014
1999
2013
Napoléon vu par Abel Gance
1927
2018
Masters of Cinema
1974
2010
1947
1942
Зеркало / Zerkalo / The Mirror
1975
Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle
1974
2016
2008
30th Anniversary Edition | Vintage Classics
1986
2009
Indicator Series | Limited Edition
1970
Андрей Рублёв / Andrey Rublyov
1966
Masters of Cinema
1966
Vintage Classics
1963
2016