7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Set in 1950 during the Malayan Emergency, THE VIRGIN SOLDIERS is part service comedy, part serious look at the end of the British Empire, as seen through the eyes of more or less innocent recruits to the National Service.
Starring: Lynn Redgrave, Hywel Bennett, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Patrick, Rachel KempsonDrama | 100% |
War | 12% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
John Dexter's "The Virgin Soldiers" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new program featuring actors Roy Holder and Christopher Timothy; documentary film by David MacDonald; and more. The release also arrives with a 36-page booklet featuring a new essay by author Scott Harrison, Leslie Thomas on The Virgin Soldiers, archival profiles of Lynn Redgrave and Tsai Chin, an overview of contemporary critical responses, Anthony Nield on Operation Malaya, and film credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
No longer boys, still not real men
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Dexter's The Virgin Soldiers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.
The remaster that was used to produce this release is very frustrating. It was supplied by Sony Pictures, but it has all of the classic shortcomings that you can see on very old remasters from the DVD era. However, I don't think that it is that old. It is just that the elements that were used to prepare it simply do not have the solid and more importantly consistent organic qualities that we expect from a strong remaster. The partially good news is that there is a fair amount of close-ups that tend to look decent, at times even good. The best ones are typically darker but with balanced light and shadows. Despite some lost nuances, they tend to have rather decent delineation and on a large screen hold up well (see screencaptures #3 and 7). Unfortunately, there is also plenty of darker footage that looks very flat and at times even smeary, essentially lacking any fine details (see screencaptures #4 and 11). Also, a lot of the outdoor footage is routinely overwhelmed by moderate to heavy halo effects that basically light up the screen and create the illusion that some very harsh sharpening has been applied (see screencaptuires 5, 10, and 19). Predictably, on a large screen these areas can often look like borderline upscaled material. The range of primary colors is good, but there is plenty of room for rebalancing work, plus the supporting nuances are not always convincing. Grain exposure isn't consistent, and in some areas the shaky grain actually impacts color balance. As a result, some visuals can look even thicker than they already are and the effects could be distracting. There are no large debris, scratches, torn or severely damaged frames, but some dark spots remain. All in all, the technical presentation is very shaky, and while it is still possible to enjoy the film, it is beyond obvious that a proper restoration needs to be completed so that it looks as it should. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The audio must have been cleaned up and stabilized when the current remaster was prepared because it is very healthy and with strong ranges of dynamic nuances. I thought that depth and balance were also very good. To be honest, I don't know if there is room for any additional and meaningful improvements.
NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.
It is great that the folks at Indicator/Powerhouse Films are digging deep in the Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures vaults to bring to Blu-ray forgotten or rarely seen films, some of which were difficult to track down even on DVD. However, it appears that there are a lot of shaky remasters there that are just not suitable for Blu-ray. I liked The Virgin Soldiers and I think that it is a lovely film to rediscover on Blu-ray, but it needs at least a fresh 2K remaster so that it looks appropriately healthy. If you wish to see this film, I urge you to look for a sale and then consider a purchase, keeping in mind that ideally the film could look quite a bit better on Blu-ray. Otherwise, RENT IT.
1998
1968
Final Cut
1979
Premium Collection
1967
1978
1940
Vintage Classics
1977
1975
MASH
1970
2016
Masters of Cinema
1957
1944
BFI Flipside
1968
2008
2017
1987
1986
20th Anniversary Edition
1993
Indicator Series
1959
2007