6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A Magistrate working in a distant outpost begins to question his loyalty to the empire.
Starring: Harry Melling, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Mark Rylance, Sam ReidDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
“Waiting for the Barbarians” is an adaptation of a 1980 novel by J.M. Coetzee, which has already inspired a stage play and an opera by Philip Glass. Coetzee handles screenplay duties for the material’s cinematic debut, largely protecting a core story of colonialism that made the book highly regarded in literary circles, carefully bringing a tale of governmental madness and corruption to audiences inundated with the stuff on a daily (hourly?) basis. Pacing is very deliberate here, but Coetzee doesn’t lose control of the tale, doing a commendable job building a sense of horror with the period picture, offering a spare but compelling study of demoralization. “Waiting for the Barbarians” is chilling at times and never strays far from its thematic points, while the cast assembled to portray all manner of evil, shame, and fear contribute excellent performances, always keeping the feature fascinating.
The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation secures frame detail, delivering a clear viewing experience that brings out fine textures on decorative additions for the period picture. Rooms are available for inspection, along with the open world, offering deep distances. Set textures and facial particulars are defined, exploring battered bodies. Colors are exact, handling a darker palette with military uniforms and fort interiors. Blue skies and golden sun and sand are distinct. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Mild banding is detected, and major compression issues emerge during a mid-movie sandstorm sequence.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix presents clear dialogue exchanges, with sharp accents and crisp acts of refined intimidation. Surrounds deliver subtle atmospherics with open world scenes, increasing with environmental challenges and community movement. Scoring cues retain exact instrumentation. Low-end isn't challenged, but a few elements, including the sounds of carriage travel and storms, handle with some weight.
The Magistrate decides to leave the outpost for an extended amount of time, venturing into the unknown to bring The Girl back to whatever remains of her people. The trip adds some adventure to the feature and reinforces its ideas on colonialism, where leaders are careful to use fear as a form of control. The third act brings The Magistrate full circle in his disillusionment (Robert Pattinson appears as another officer committed to violence), and Coetzee has a chance to play with expectations, inspiring a conclusion that's informed by world history. "Waiting for the Barbarians" isn't aggressively paced or performed, but it connects as a meditation on leadership and military order, supported by sharp performances and rich sense of futility.
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