Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

The Story of India Blu-ray Movie Review

PBS presents a spirited BBC documentary series...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown July 7, 2009

Even as a student of world history (and a fairly educated fellow well-versed in the particulars of international affairs), I was shocked by how little I knew about the people, culture, and historical narrative of one of the planet's foremost democracies and budding economic powerplayers: India. Normally, such a realization would come while talking with someone who has intimate knowledge of the region but, in this case, it hit me while watching an engaging six-episode BBC documentary series aptly called The Story of India. In it, host and writer Michael Wood (Saddam's Killing Fields, Conquistadors, In Search of Myths and Heroes) travels to a variety of stunning locales, exploring archaeological sites, sprawling cities, and secluded hillsides in an effort to capture the very heart and soul of the nation. Along the way, he digs into India's past to define its present, examines its present to unravel its future, and discusses the many ways its future is a reflection of its past.

Problematic video issues aside, the series' photography is gorgeous...

Some may find Wood's brisk, often kinetic approach to his subject to be overbearing, but his enthusiasm and interest in his every stop is unmistakably genuine. Regardless of whether he's observing the preparation of peasant cuisine or standing in the shadow of a massive monument, his eyes are filled with the same wonder, his voice filled with the same awe. At any given moment, he seems to recognize the inadequacy of his descriptions, as if no amount of words could possibly convey the spectacle of India's sights or the significance of its rich history. More importantly, his respect for the culture is authentic, his interactions with its people are friendly and natural, and his infectious experiences exhibit the spontaneity that could only occur alongside someone focused on the unscripted reality of everyday encounters. In short, Wood is arguably the perfect host; a man whose excitement is only tempered by a drive to properly educate his audience; a master-researcher whose knowledge and familiarity with India is inspiring to say the least.

That's not to say The Story of India is impervious to criticism, or that it bests the most enthralling documentaries on the market. Unfortunately, even with six, hour-long episodes -- "Beginnings," "The Power of Ideas," "Spice Routes and Silk Roads," "Ages of Gold," "The Meeting of Two Oceans," and "Freedom and Liberation" -- Wood barely has enough time to scratch the surface of the country, its history, or its citizenry... much less all three. While he does attempt to cover as much ground as possible in the time allotted, he ends up delivering the sort of whirlwind tour that rushes past far more places and curiosities than it stops to document. Granted, I doubt even a hundred episodes could neatly encompass the immeasurable annals of a nation like India, but considering the number of episodes he had to work with, I would have preferred a more focused overview. Still, don't let that discourage you from tracking down a copy. Wood may occasionally plow through centuries of material in mere minutes, but he makes the most of every second, deftly crafting a meticulous, rewarding, and entertaining documentary series worthy of a spot in your hallowed high definition collection.

The Story of India Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Similar to other television documentary series of late, The Story of India's 1080i/AVC-encoded transfer delivers an uneven presentation that doesn't leave a lasting impression. Colors are strong and contrast is spot on, but detail waxes and wanes throughout. While some shots sparkle with all the high definition luster a country like India deserves, others are soft and forgettable. Likewise, black levels are fairly deep and delineation is revealing, but far too many nighttime sequences are hindered by heavy source noise, noticeable macroblocking, and rampant crush. Moreover, minor banding, severe aliasing, and intrusive ringing interfere with the clarity and stability of the image. The transfer manages to contain its technical issues for the most part, but every time I started to immerse myself in the series, a flurry of artifacts and a slew of edge halos would yank me out of the experience. Documentary regulars will be more apt to shrug off such shortcomings -- after all, very few productions are blessed with the budget afforded to major projects like Planet Earth -- but videophiles will probably just shrug their shoulders. Solid at best, average at worst, The Story of India eeks by with a passable presentation.

The Story of India Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

PBS serves up a somewhat underwhelming DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that doesn't do the series' photography justice. Voices are clean and properly prioritized, crowds sound suitably busy, and music is particularly involving, but environmental ambience and overall fidelity is lacking. That's not to say there are any major technical distractions. To the contrary, had I been watching The Story of India on television, I wouldn't have given the audio quality a second thought. But seeing as this is a Blu-ray release -- and seeing as production houses have finally begun to realize the sonic potential of their documentary series -- I expected more. I would have loved to tour India with a more rousing audio mix; to be absorbed by the sounds of the country as well as the sights. Instead, the rear speakers are active but restrained, the soundscape is boisterous but pinched, the LFE channel is consistent but timid, and the soundfield is lively but flat. All thing considered, this limited track gets the job done, but isn't nearly as memorable as it could have been.

The Story of India Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While the Blu-ray edition of The Story of India includes a pointless, eight-minute promotional montage, neither disc offers any substantial supplemental content.

The Story of India Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It would be a shame to miss out on a engrossing documentary series like The Story of India simply because its high definition video and audio presentations aren't the jaw-dropping showstoppers they could be. Thankfully, the 2-disc Blu-ray release bests its DVD counterpart, and makes an already reasonably priced title worth every penny. As it stands, documentary junkies and students of history alike will find a lot to love in The Story of India. I know I did.