8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
After dedicated service in the Great War, a Jewish barber spends years in an army hospital recovering from his wounds, unaware of the simultaneous rise of fascist dictator Adenoid Hynkel and his anti-Semitic policies. When the barber, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Hynkel, returns to his quiet neighborhood, he is stunned by the brutal changes and recklessly joins a beautiful girl and her neighbors in rebelling.
Starring: Charles Chaplin, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy GilbertDrama | 100% |
War | 16% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" (1940) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers; Serge Toubiana's documentary "Chaplin Today: The Great Dictator"; behind the scenes color footage; and more. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Dangerous encounter
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye.
The release has been sourced from the same MK2 master which Park Circus initially accessed when they prepared their Blu-ray release of the classic film. In other words, the basic characteristics of these releases are virtually identical. The bulk of the daylight footage, for instance, looks very good, and close-ups in particular impress with good depth and clarity. Grain is visible throughout the entire film, but there are some traces of careful grain/noise management. The good news is that they never become distracting. In fact, it is easy to see that in select areas they have actually helped rebalance the image. Some traces of very light sharpening can be spotted, but they are harmless as well. There are no stability issues, though some unevenness is present during select transitions. Lastly, there are no large cuts, debris, or damage marks. All in all, while there is certainly room for some minor improvements, the current technical presentation is indeed thoroughly satisfying. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.
The lossless track opens up the film very well, though it is primarily the music that benefits the most. The speeches sound crisper, but rather predictably dynamic intensity is limited. There are no pops, audio dropouts, distracting hiss, or digital distortions to report in our review.
This new release of Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator is sourced from the same master which MK2 provided to Park Circus in 2010. While there is some room for minor improvements, I think that the film looks quite wonderful on Blu-ray. Consider adding it to your collection if you enjoy Charlie Chaplin's work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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