The Underground Railroad Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Underground Railroad Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 27, 2024

Years and years ago either Mad Magazine or one of its knockoff competitors had an article about "what kids hear, and what they imagine it means", and I specifically remember that the term "guerrilla warfare" engendered visions of actual gorillas in battle as one of the panels. Similarly, it turns out that Barry Jenkins had been regaled with tales of the Underground Railroad when he was a child and had indeed imagined in a similarly "take it literally" fashion that there was an actual track and locomotives that operated in a subterranean fashion helping to get slaves to freedom. That turns out to be just one of several magical realist elements that suffuse The Underground Railroad, a really moving if unavoidably depressing limited series adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Colson Whitehead.

In some ways, I'd almost suggest starting this epic with one of the supplements included in this set, a short called Gaze which has its own interesting history. As Barry Jenkins relates in an introduction to the piece, he wanted to document all of the background players in their really remarkable costumes, and would take time during the shoot to get more or less matching tracking in and out vignettes with these "extras" either individually or in groups, with them looking directly into the camera virtually all of the time. Those brief snippets were then edited together and put to Nicholas Britell's score for the limited series, and the result may not be at all what you might expect. As Jenkins mentions with an almost surprised tone, seeing these actors in period clothing and at least ostensibly as characters made him feel like he was witnessing his own ancestors suddenly coming to life, and there is an unexpectedly moving component to a wordless parade of images which seem to be almost like "home movies" of slaves and other Black Americans from that period, with (speaking of gazes) some with faces of resigned dignity, others offering a look of loss, and still others exhibiting almost proud defiance.

Why Gaze may be an interesting starting point is the fact that it offers a relatively "realistic" accounting of at least the look of the period, but I'd argue often also the subtext of what some of those being depicted might have been going through, as evidenced by those "gazes" described above. But it's also a short with a rather inimitable style, and style continues to grace the actual limited series even if "reality" may become relative itself as the trials and tribulations of a young slave girl named Cora (Thuso Mbedu, in an astounding performance) endures. The series tends to branch out in developing not just Cora's story, though, but also a number of other characters, and there are some ping ponging to and fro moments as various timeframes are explored, all of which mean, when combined with some of the more magical realist bordering on surreal at times plot machinations, The Underground Railroad can be overwhelming. (Several Gaze-like moments are utilized as interstitials throughout the limited series; you can see one such moment in screenshot 13 accompanying this review.)

Among the literal hordes of characters moving through this huge piece are any number of other slaves and even free Blacks that Cora interacts with as she attempts to journey toward freedom, but there's also quite a bit of time spent on developing her main pursuer, a martinet slave wrangler named Arnold Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton). If there are potential stumbling blocks in this piece, it may be its seeming "insistence" that kind hearted White folks were well nigh impossible to find if not actually nonexistent, and even those with seemingly noble helpful goals might in fact have ulterior motives. There's no such ambiguity with regard to Ridgeway, though once again the series gives some back story that is supposed to help illuminate why the adult Ridgeway is, to perhaps pun a bit, so much of a problem child.

Despite this sweeping, novelistic approach, there's never any doubt that Cora is the focal character, and a number of other stories refract through her own perspective, including the mysterious disappearance of her mother Mabel (Sheila Atim) when Cora was very young, something that then is mirrored in a way in Cora's own quest for freedom. The magical realist element like trains and stations replete with boarding platforms and the like all nestled beneath the surface of the planet are fascinating and often quite striking visually, but may frankly not end up adding that much to a story that is already so fraught with emotion that it can be hard to handle at times.

The Underground Railroad Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Underground Railroad is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of The Criterion Collection with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer largely in 1.78:1, though with a few "detours" into 2.39:1 (see screenshot 14), typically utilized for flashback material. The IMDb lists the Arri Alexa LF and a 4K DI as the relevant data points, and there are some interesting comments about spherical and/or anamorphic lenses utilized in some of Barry Jenkins' commentary tracks. I've been on record repeatedly as stating that I tend to prefer captures by some other cameras like Red or Sony CineAlta to Arri, but I have to say this is a completely lustrous presentation whose only slight fault might be an absence of convincing shadow detail in some of the underground or otherwise dimly lit scenes. The palette is gorgeously suffused, often graded toward slightly buttery tones, but with a consistently excellent rendering of fine detail on all the practical elements like costumes and props. Outdoor material in particular pops extremely well, and even some of Jenkins' "artier" framings offer abundant detail levels. I'm actually kind of surprised Criterion isn't offering a 4K UHD version of this series, since it evidently was prepared for UHD according to one of the data points on the IMDb.

Note: Kind of interestingly, this is one of a very few releases from Criterion that I've personally reviewed that doesn't have at least some technical information on the transfer included.

The Underground Railroad Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Underground Railroad features Dolby Atmos and LPCM 2.0 options. There's no doubt you should opt for the Atmos track, even if you're getting the 7.1 fold down, as it significantly opens up both ambient environmental effects, which are frequent, as well as Nicholas Britell's elegiac score. I'm assuming this was perhaps an unintentional coincidence, but the opening of Britell's main theme offers the same ascending minor 6th and following melody notes as are featured in a well remembered song from a famous film documenting the lives of another "expat" community still honoring their African traditions, namely "Manhã de Carnaval" from Black Orpheus. One way or the other, the Atmos track offers nicely consistent immersion, if not a wealth of overhead activity. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Underground Railroad Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Commentary Intro (HD; 2:03) offers some "instructions" from Barry Jenkins, who recommends a given order to listen to the commentaries on each episode, since he recorded them in the order that the episodes were shot (out of order). His commentaries divulge some of the budgeting problems they encountered, necessitating some pretty major changes in plans. Jenkins' recommended order of listening is: Chapter Two, Chapter One, Chapter Ten, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine, Chapter Three, Chapter Seven, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Four.


• Deleted Scenes

  Chapter One: Francis Confronts Caesar (HD; 2:07)

  
  

  Chapter One: Hob Your Home (HD; 1:15)

  
  

  Chapter One: They Break Us All (HD; 00:53)

  
  

  Chapter One: Francis in the Garden (HD; 1:19)

  
  

  Chapter Two: Commercial (HD; 1:20)

  
  

  Chapter Two: Tubal Ligation (HD; 1:28)

  
  

  Chapter Three: Reading Martin's Diary (HD; 3:52)

  
  

  Chapter Three: Martin's Story (HD; 4:54)

  
  

  Chapter Five: Campfire Wake Up (HD; 3:38)

  
  

  Chapter Eight: Meeting Sam Again (HD; 2:50)

  
  

  Chapter Nine: Homer Meets Clem (HD; 1:35)

  
  

  Chapter Nine: Home's Coat (HD; 1:13)

  
  

  Chapter Ten: Throw Me Anywhere, Lord. . . (HD; 00:32)

Teasers

Introduction (HD; 2:55)




Fire for the Kindling (HD; 1:30)




Floating Ms. Reva (HD; 00:53)




Resurrection (HD; 1:15)




Resurrection - Piano (HD; 00:53)




Searching - Evolution (HD; 1:23)




Thinking - Music (HD; 00:41)




Wormhole (HD; 1:52)

• Commentaries for each episode are accessible either under the individual Play Menus for each episode, or the Setup Menu.

Disc Two

• Commentaries for each episode are accessible either under the individual Play Menus for each episode, or the Setup Menu.

Disc Three

• Commentaries for each episode are accessible either under the individual Play Menus for each episode, or the Setup Menu.

Disc Four

• The Gaze

  Introduction (HD; 6:01) features Barry Jenkins.

  
  

  Movie (HD; 51:57)

• Building The Underground Railroad (HD; 4:02) is a brief EPK looking at production design.


• Commentaries for each episode are accessible either under the individual Play Menus for each episode, or the Setup Menu.

Additionally, the keepcases encloses a fold out leaflet with an essay by Angelica Jade Bastien, as well as production credits. There's also a "graphic novel" (less high falutin' types might want to say "comic book") with a prequel story appropriately called Genesis.

The Underground Railroad Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I kind of blanch when modern day pundits tell Black people to "just get over it" with regard to the horrors of slavery. I'd love for some of those people to watch this devastating limited series and consider how they'd react if their families had had to suffer in this way and see if they'd be willing to "just get over it". If you're able to make it through this piece without a significant lump in your throat, and quite possibly tears streaming down your face, you're a stronger viewer than I am. Technical merits are first rate and the supplements are also excellent. Highly recommended.