7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
"The World" is a theme park on the outskirts of Beijing, sixteen kilometers from the Chinese capital, designed around scaled representations of the world's famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.The site is seen here not from the visitors' point of view but through the eyes of a few of its staff, lonely people, communicating poorly, a bit disillusioned with life, glittering for the tourists but dull and restricted as far as they are concerned. We meet, among others, pretty young dancer Tao and Taisheng, a security guard who is fond of her but not of personal commitment...
Starring: Tao Zhao, Hongwei Wang (I), Sanming Han, Taishen Cheng, Jingdong LiangForeign | 100% |
Drama | 88% |
Romance | 24% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Nominated for Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Jia Zhangke’s "The World" (2004) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include a lengthy introduction to the film by critic and filmmaker Tony Rayns; making of documentary; and interview with director Jia Zhangke. The disc also arrives with a 40-page illustrated booklet containing essays by Tony Rayns, director Jia Zhangke, and critic Craig Keller. In Mandarin and Russian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The World
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jia Zhangke's The World arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.
The following note appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:
"This Blu-ray has been mastered at 24fps. For this reason, any modern "motion smoothing" technology ("PureMotion" / "MotionFlow" etc.) should be switched OFF so the film can be viewed at 24fps)."
Filmed with Sony HDW-F900 camera, in 25fps, The World has a pure, rich look - clarity is excellent and colors vivid. During the daylight footage, fine object detail is excellent. The nighttime footage, however, is often poorly lit (intentionally), and some scenes tend to look a bit too dark. Still, when blown through a digital projector The World looks notably tight and crisp. I also did not detect any transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review. Indeed, this is a solid presentation of a truly outstanding film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with portions of Russian). For the record, Eureka Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The music is of utmost importance in The World. It may seem like it is pushed back a bit, but it actually sets the mood for the different stories in it - the nostalgia, melancholy and joy felt throughout the film are very effectively enhanced by Giong Lim's lush ambient soundtrack.
The Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track has a decent dynamic amplitude. It won't test the muscles of your audio system, but it will certainly enhance your viewing experience in a positive way. Lastly, the dialog is clean, crisp, stable, and very easy to follow. The English translation is also very good.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are encoded in 1080p. Therefore, they are perfectly playable on North American PS3s and SAs.
Tony Rayns on The World - a long and very informative introduction to the film. Mr. Rayns also discusses Jia Zhangke's career as a filmmaker. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080p).
Made in China - a 2004 making of documentary, a co-production with the CBA (Audiovisual Center in Brussels), the Cinema & Audiovisual Center of the French Community in Belgium, and the support of The Walloons TV Distributors. This is a fascinating documentary in which director Zhangke discusses the political climate in China, censorship, his past, etc. In Mandarin, with optional English subtitles. (69 min, 1080p).
The World According to Jia Zhangke - in this interview, director Zhangke recalls his childhood years, the films that influenced him the most while growing up, film censorship in China, etc. In Mandarin, with optional English subtitles. (25 min, 1080p).
Booklet - 40-page illustrated booklet containing Tony Rayns' essay "Today, Bejing..."; director Zhangke's essay "The Age of Amateur Cinema Will Return"; and Craig Keller's essay "Hello AuthentiCITY".
Thought-provoking and visually stunning, Jia Zhangke's The World is a fantastic addition to the Masters of Cinema Series. In fact, I would argue that it is one of the very best contemporary films to be released on Blu-ray in 2010. As expected, the film has also received top-notch treatment. Bravo Eureka Entertainment! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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