Vertigo 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Vertigo 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film 'Vertigo' to the UHD format. This new presentation includes 2160p/HDR video output and DTS:X audio. The UHD disc brings over most of the Blu-ray's extras (the one missing supplement can be found on the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the linked 2014 disc). At time of publication, this UHD disc is only available as part of a four-film Hitchcock UHD boxed set which also includes 'Rear Window,' 'The Birds,' and 'Psycho.'

Vertigo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

"Special" might be an apt description of Universal's 2160p/HDR UHD presentation of Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 masterpiece Vertigo. The gargantuan improvements over the Blu-ray are obvious right from the outset when the "VistaVsion" logo appears, the lettering leaping off the screen with extreme white luminance and intensity, putting to shame the Blu-ray's comparatively creamy, uninspired look. Not only that, but the canvas-like Paramount logo behind blows away the 1080p competition for sharpness and clarity. The various colors to follow under the opening titles -- teals, oranges, and, reds, amongst others, all in dizzying spirals -- dazzle with heretofore unmatched brilliance and depth.

Such holds true throughout. Any and every color rendition example throughout the film presents with greatly enhanced vibrance, depth, and tonal solidification. Broad stroke elements like blue skies and green grasses are obvious, but there are a number of interesting one-off scenes with great color output of note. Here are a few. Look at the warm mahogany woods in chapter four. The tones are flatter on the Blu-ray but much fuller on the UHD, presenting with a punchier, deeper, and denser output, the color a completely transformative example of the HDR's vast improvements to color stability and authenticity. In the following scene in the 17 minute mark, a busy restaurant scene is peppered by a few bright dresses but mostly defined by the contrast of the black suits and the deep red wallpaper serving as another example of how the HDR tones simply overpower the Blu-ray's SDR output, making enormous gains in contrast and black level depth. The scene, and much of the movie, is also comparatively a good bit darker on the UHD, but even so audiences won't necessarily feel that if not directly comparing (or vice versa for that matter, seeing the Blu-ray as too bright when simply watching for pleasure rather than making comparative illustrations). It's the same with bunches of flowers minutes later, offering a splashy example of refined color expressiveness (those flowers also represent one of the more obvious boosts to object sharpness in the movie). The list just goes on.

The 2160p resolution sees the image's textural attributes much improved, too. Sharpness is greater and clarity effortlessly boosted in every shot. Skin textures are tighter, clothing lines finer, environments more clearly defined. The sense of total clarity and tactile definition sees the new image soar well beyond the aging Blu-ray. The picture features a beautifully fine and refined grain structure, a constant companion throughout, putting the finishing touches on an extravagant transfer.

The review disc did have a major pixelated picture break-up and audio dropout in the 41-minute mark. After the disc was removed and the fingerprints from pulling it out of the DigiBook packaging were removed, it played just fine.

Vertigo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For its UHD release, Vertigo earns a DTS:X Master Audio upgrade from the Blu-ray edition's 5.1 lossless presentation. And it's a treat from the beginning. Admittedly, the track hits its high point at film's start over the opening titles. The multichannel audio presentation offers a wonderfully expansive opening title sequence in which the music seems to emanate from the front left and right channels, as well as along the back, but also from directly atop the listener in one of the best examples of overhead musical engagement the format has yet to offer. The immersion is total and the subwoofer output is positive in support as well, creating a wonderfully detailed and enveloping experience that lays the groundwork for the movie's tone, story, and psychological underpinnings. Music throughout is full and fluid, flowing through the stage with expert spacing and precision handling of all elements, fully inserting the listener into every moment. Never again do the overheads engage so much and so prominently as they do right at the beginning, but the whole track certainly finds a full, authoritative surround wrap in all of the score's most prominent engagements. Environmental supports present with excellent spacial awareness and clarity as well, often subtly, but sometimes a little more fully and with superior pronouncement, inserting the listener into various scenes throughout the film. Balance is excellent in all scenes and the track never leaves the listener wanting for superior engagement. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and holds steady to its natural front-center position.

Vertigo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Vertigo's UHD disc includes all of the Blu-ray extras with the exception of an archival collection. All supplements are included on the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to that which Universal released in 2014. For full supplemental reviews, please click here. As it ships in the Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection, a Blu-ray copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock's Masterpiece
• Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborations
• Foreign Censorship Ending
• Hitchcock/Truffaut
• Theatrical Trailer
• Restoration Theatrical Trailer
• 100 Years of Universal: The Lew Wasserman Era
• Audio Commentary: William Friedkin.
• The Vertigo Archives (Blu-ray Only)

Vertigo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Universal has brought new life to one of Hitchcock's best films. The 2160p/HDR video is outstanding, the DTS:X track adds a new layer but maintains a core fidelity to the original elements, and the carryover bonuses are extensive. Very highly recommended.