7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible?
Starring: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur, Ursina LardiDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 67% |
Period | 17% |
Mystery | 12% |
Crime | 4% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English narration and German dialog for the English track
English, English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
I don't know if the story I want to tell you is entirely true.
The White Ribbon. It's a challenging film no doubt, a picture that's structurally beautiful
but that
resonates with a haunting and difficult uncertainty. It's a film mired in outrageous acts that are
more often than not spoken of but not seen. It's an intellectual Horror movie if there ever
was
one; it's deliberate, steadfast in tone, and sometimes agonizingly difficult to watch, not because it's
in
any way poorly constructed or dull, but because it's so effective at building a disquieting
atmosphere
that's every bit as intense as the most visually-robust Horror pictures, except here The White
Ribbon grates on the nerves and the mind and torments the heart and the soul rather than
simply shocking the eyes and ears. The White Ribbon is the antithesis of modern genre
filmmaking; it features a classic, throwback style not only through its lack of color but via its ability
to
linger, to build a narrative through words and feelings rather than visuals and sound, to frighten
and
enthrall not without purpose but with a purpose of demonstrating that evil may exist anywhere
and
everywhere, around the corner, in a friend's home, in the doctor's office, in the sanctuary of the
church, in the place of work, in the company of family.
And so it begins.
Sony's Blu-ray release of The White Ribbon yields a gorgeous 1080p black-and-white transfer framed at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The absence of color is in no way a hindrance to the quality of the picture; detail is immaculate throughout, with character faces and the village's pebbly dirt roads in particular revealing of the transfer's capabilities. There's no shortage of clarity across the board; even distant shots of the landscape and the textured wood and brick building façades and accents never lack in even the most intricate of details. Black levels are more often than not splendid, though there is a hint of crushing evident in several scenes. Still, it's the film's bright exterior daytime scenes that showcase the image's strengths. Clarity is beyond exceptional; the image is consistently sharp and deep, with several scenes taking on an almost 3D-like quality, and most every frame in some way demonstrates a perceptible level of depth. The White Ribbon's Blu-ray transfer does feature some grain; it's more pronounced in some scenes than in others, and while a random speckle or two also appear atop the image, they're not intrusive to the presentation. The White Ribbon represents another fine high definition transfer from Sony, and it's also a splendid example of how good a black-and-white image can look when presented with proper care and attention to detail.
The White Ribbon's Blu-ray release is graced with a high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack, presented with both native German and dubbed English options. The White Ribbon's soundtrack yields positive, strong, and focused dialogue, its narration in particular nicely resolved and infinitely crisp and discernible. Music is wonderfully clear and absent any sense that it's artificial and not live; a flute practice session early in the film features several light notes that float into the soundstage as if they were being performed live, allowing the speakers to disappear in favor of the breezy and impeccably accurate presentation. Additionally, Sony's track creates a wonderfully light but absorbing and seamless small-town atmosphere; the surround speakers are engaged with minor but nevertheless critical nuances that help absorb the listener into the various environments seen throughout the film, whether indoors, in the town proper, or in the surrounding wooded areas where birds, insects, light winds, and other natural elements spill into the soundstage with an effortlessness that ranks up there with the finer Blu-ray presentations. There are no action-like powerful components to be found, but a piercing whistle heard late in the film represents the track's most aggressive element. Generally, however, this is something of a reserved and contemplative listen; it suits the movie well, and Sony's lossless soundtrack is wonderful in that context.
Sony brings The White Ribbon to Blu-ray with a fair collection of extra content, though notably absent is an audio commentary track. The supplements begin with Making of 'The White Ribbon' (480p, 38:40), a subtitled piece that features Director Michael Haneke exploring the process of brining the picture to life. He speaks on filming locales, the specifics of the shoot, the casting process, the picture's themes, the purpose behind the black-and-white presentation, and much more. The comments are interrupted for some candid behind-the-scenes segments -- including interviews with cast members -- that prove both entertaining and enlightening. My Life (480p, 50:09) takes an extended look at the life and times of Director Michael Haneke; this film is assembled through interviews with the director and those closest to him, as well as photographs, clips from his works, and other video sources as they all provide glimpses into his style, the themes of his works, his beliefs, and his personal life. Fans of the director will be pleased with this piece. Cannes Film Festival Premiere (480p, 18:36) takes viewers onto the red carpet for The White Ribbon's premiere, press conference, and award presentation. An Interview with Michael Haneke (480p, 14:08) provides Haneke fans further opportunity to glean insight from the director as he speaks about The White Ribbon. Also included is The White Ribbon theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:22) and additional 1080p trailers for The Secret in Their Eyes, Get Low, A Prophet, Chloe, The Last Station , Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, Waltz With Bashir, and Wild Grass.
The White Ribbon is, perhaps, 2009's most intellectually-challenging and soulfully-stirring picture, but it's a picture that every cinephile need experience for its ability to construct such a disquieting atmosphere and deliver such a positively horrifying experience in a manner that visually suggests something entirely unassuming. What, exactly, it is that the film is trying to convey seems better left to each audience member. Is it a cautionary tale of the dangers of violence begetting violence; a glimpse into the human condition at its most raw level; an artful Horror picture; a story that examines the potential dangers of idealism taken to the extreme; or nothing more and nothing less than a simple story told about as visually simply but, at the same time, thematically and emotionally complexly as any other picture in recent memory? That's the film's true strength; it's not a cut-and-dry experience, and audiences in search of a movie that's emotionally stimulating, intellectually challenging, and visually unique will want to visit The White Ribbon several times over, even if the film is often nothing short of a difficult watch -- for all the right reasons. Sony's Blu-ray release, no surprise, sparkles. Featuring a nearly pristine 1080p transfer, a wonderful lossless soundtrack, and a fair assortment of extras (that focus more on the director than the movie), The White Ribbon need become a permanent addition to any and every serious Blu-ray collection. Highly recommended.
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2009
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Trois couleurs: Rouge
1994
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
2009
2003
2012
2010
A Torinói ló
2011
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance | Ultimate Revenge Edition | 친절한 금자씨
2005
Tengoku to jigoku / 天国と地獄
1963
2013
2016
2008
Trois couleurs: Blanc
1994
Cidade de Deus
2002
마더 / Madeo
2009
Ultimate Revenge Edition
2002
পথের পাঁচালী / Song of the Little Road
1955
살인의 추억 / Salinui chueok
2003
天注定 / Tian zhu ding
2013