7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A plumber suddenly decides to face the corrupt system of local politics in order to save the lives of 800 inhabitants of an old dormitory, which is about to collapse.
Starring: Artyom Bystrov, Boris Nevzorov, Yuri Tsurilo, Darya Moroz, Irina NizinaForeign | 100% |
Drama | 64% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Russian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Winner of Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and Best Actor Award at the Locarno International Film Festival, Yury Bykov's "The Fool" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original theatrical trailer for the film. In Russian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
The old building
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Yury Bykov's The Fool arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.
Though I don't know precisely what camera was used, I think that it is rather easy to tell that The Fool was shot and transferred digitally as the entire film has the clean and very nicely polished look that a new Alexa for instance would deliver. This being said, I am a little uncertain if the master that was given to Olive Films to source the release was done with the gamma levels that are on the Blu-ray. The main reason for my uncertainty is this: the indoor footage from the building has plenty of unfiltered light that is frequently captured quite awkwardly and it produces nuances and shadows that are throwing off the gamma levels (screencapture #7 is a very good example). The final grading is also quite stylized and supports an overall warm/subdued palette. However, when the action moves outside of the building there are entirely different nuances and balance appear to be proper (see screencapture #9 and 18). If I had to guess, I would say that the gamma levels are not entirely correct, but the digital cinematography is responsible for plenty of the obvious gamma elevation as well. Either way, the stylizaion pretty much makes the discrepancies a moot point to argue because the intended shifts in tonal balance have that distinctive digital identity anyhow, and even as is the overall balance is very much supportive of the film's bleak atmosphere. Image stability is excellent. There are two segments where I noticed some very light macroblocking trying to sneak in dark patches, but there are no big and distracting anomalies to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The film features a fully digital soundtrack that utilizes a wide range of natural sounds and noises; silence is also a crucial element of the sound design. Clarity, sharpness, and balance are outstanding. During the mass scenes separation is also outstanding. Dynamic intensity is good, but again, the film is a lot more interested in color and ambience than pure dynamic intensity. The English translation is good, but I noticed a couple of minor errors.
It is really odd that the films of Yury Bykov are not as popular and regularly discussed as those of Andrey Zvyagintsev. Frankly, I believe that he is much more effective in his criticism of everything that is wrong in Vladimir Putin's Russia -- and there is a lot because the red mafia is running rampant there -- and definitely bolder when actually identifying the hypocrites that control the system. The Fool is an absolute masterpiece, and I urge you to consider picking up a copy for your collection even if you typically avoid contemporary foreign films. This one truly is special. Olive Films' technical presentation is good, but the only bonus feature on the Blu-ray is an original theatrical trailer. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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