Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Mauritanian Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 27, 2021

The larger political and humanitarian debates surrounding the process of detaining terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay in the months and years following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks are better left to political discussion forums, but at the heart of Director Kevin Macdonald's (Whitney) The Mauritanian is the intimate story of one man's detention at that same prison and the legal battle that followed his imprisonment. The film is not concerned, generally, with the larger picture of the political process or the ins-and-outs of the military's detainment of various terror suspects. Rather, its focus is on one man and his journey through a hellish time of torture and confinement and the roadblocks and stumbles his legal team encounters along the way, which do by necessity, but not by exclusivity, point to the larger picture in which due process and humanitarian considerations are erased from the equation. The film rightly, and compellingly, leaves its eye on the man rather than the system at large.

In the months following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Mauritanian Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim) is captured by U.S. forces and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. He's a suspected terrorist and, more, considered to be one of the masterminds behind the 9/11 attacks. He is systematically abused and held without charge. When American lawyer Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) learns of his case, she makes it her mission to corroborate his claim of innocence and see him freed from his imprisonment. Meanwhile, the government's case is spearheaded by Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch).

The film is based on Mohamedou Ould Slahi's redacted memoirs, and the film ends with clips of the real man showing his book in various translations from around the world, including the blacked-out content -- sometimes a word here or there, sometimes pages upon pages -- that erases some of the truth behind his time at the notorious prison facility. But the film certainly doesn't beat around the bush. It shows in some detail -- visually and aurally alike -- a small taste of the torture the prisoner endured, which was far more frequently concerned with breaking him psychologically and emotionally rather than physically. The film doesn't necessarily condemn such practices but within the context of its story, through making Mohamedou a three dimensional character, by injecting him with an affable personality (who ultimately wins over even his guards), one can see the arguments agianst such treatment, particularly given Mohamedou's circumstances as a man who has been imprisoned with nary a reason given as to why. The film is largely compelling as it simultaneously explores the less interesting legalities and maneuverings around his case and the more interesting character beats that see Mohamedou pushed to his limits but take the time to hold to his convictions and claims of innocence, learn English, and deal with the day to day rigors of his time in prison.

The essential structure and narrative work well but it's the collected cast that truly breathes life into this material. Tahar Rahim is a revelation as Mohamedou, bringing a sense of mystery to the character that gradually morphs into a personable exterior and interior made of enormous depth shaped by his own life experiences, wants and needs, sufferings, fears, doubts, the whole nine yards. Rahim builds a full character portrait that allows the audience to explore Mohamedou from every vital, and sometimes even subtle or nonvital, perspective which brings a humanity to the screen and allow the audience to sympathize with his character and story. Foster is exceptional as always as his attorney, a woman who is determined but who is defined by her soft exterior and soothing personality. She will fight, and she can, but she's a balanced character who holds fast to her humanity, and her view of it in others, which is ultimately why she's a perfect pair with Mohamedou.

The Mauritanian Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Mauritanian's 1080p transfer achieves the expected level of excellence for a new, digitally photographed film making the transition to high definition Blu-ray. Most of The Mauritanian is presented on Blu-ray in a standard ~2.39:1 framing. The picture is exceptionally sharp, achieving a level of detail reserved for the finest images. Close-up shots reveal super-fine detail on hairs, skin, and applied makeup. There's nothing left to the imagination and the image's clarity pushes Blu-ray to its limits. This applies to various locations, too, whether densely packed office spaces or spartan, worn-down prison cell and interrogation room interiors. Sharpness abounds in every shot, scene, and sequence; there's no such thing as a soft or fuzzy element here. Color output is equally brilliant. Tones are well balanced and bold, particularly some of the more vivid accents like Nancy's red lipstick. Essential clothing colors and the like enjoy perfectly bold and natural color reproduction with contrast running straight down the middle. Black levels are excellent (look at a nighttime exterior at the 89-minute mark). Skin tones are likewise in full command and naturally balanced. Noise is kept to a minimum, only spiking in challenging low-light interiors. Light banding can be seen at the 1:32:52 mark but is not a persistent issue by any stretch of the imagination. The image does transition to a window box aspect ratio when the film explores Mohamedou's past time at Gitmo, essentially closing in the frame as the story closes in on the story of his imprisonment. These scenes have a grainer appearance as well and a somewhat more desaturated color appearance.

The Mauritanian Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal brings The Mauritanian to Blu-ray with an impressively spacious, balanced, and detailed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is full and satisfying and is home to plenty of opportunities for atmospheric recreation, such as waves along the Cuban coast, blowing wind around the camp, and general din around the prison exterior, including rattling chain link fences, radio chatter, and the like. This extends to office spaces, too, where chatter, ringing phones, and other familiar audio cues pleasantly filter into the listening area from all corners. Various one-off sound effects play with positive clarity and perfect stage balance, such as when heavy doors rumble closed in the spartan detention interview facility. Music is additionally well balanced; it's wide across the front, most often engaging through the rears with subtle engagement, and featuring a modest low end support. Musical clarity is excellent, even as it's generally not one of the more prominent audio elements in the film, save for a stretch later in the film when Heavy Metal music blasts into the stage as part of a torture regimen. Dialogue is the main audio component within the track, and it plays with superb prioritization, adherence to a font-center position, and seamless, lifelike detail.

The Mauritanian Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal's Blu-ray release of The Mauritanian includes an alternate open, deleted scenes, and a pair of featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and an AppleTV digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Alternate Opening (1080p, 1:15).
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 4:46 total runtime): Included are Meeting Arjun, Burial Site, Winding Up or Down, Call Me Stu, and A Revelation.
• Behind the Scenes of The Mauritanian (1080p, 2:47): Briefly recapping the story, the characters, the real Mohamedou Ould Slahi and Nancy Hollander on the set, cast and performances, and more.
• A Look at Director Kevin Macdonald (1080p, 1:26): A short look at the qualities Macdonald brings to the film.

The Mauritanian Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Mauritanian blends dark story lines with essential humanity to excellent dramatic impact and emotional investment. It's well performed, fully engaging, and technically sound. Universal's Blu-ray delivers top-tier video, excellent audio, and a smattering of extras. Recommended.