7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
In 1955, a tough, skinny guitar-slinger who called himself J.R. Cash walked into the soon-to-be-famous Sun Studios in Memphis. It was a moment that would have an indelible effect on U.S. culture. With his driving freight-train chords, steel-eyed intensity and a voice as deep and black as night, Cash sang blistering songs of heartache and survival that were gutsy, full of real life and unlike anything heard before. That day kicked off the electrifying early career of Johnny Cash. As he pioneered a fiercely original sound that blazed a trail for rock, country, punk, folk and rap stars to come, Cash began a rough-and-tumble journey of personal transformation. In the most volatile period of his life, he evolved from a self-destructive pop star into the iconic "Man in Black" facing down his demons, fighting for the love that would raise him up, and learning how to walk the razor-thin line between destruction and redemption.
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas RobertsRomance | 100% |
Period | 59% |
Melodrama | 50% |
Biography | 49% |
Music | 47% |
Drama | 42% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
DTS 5.1 tracks are both 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
French, English SDH, German, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Yet to be released in North America, James Mangold's terrific "Walk the Line" (2005) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Fox Pathe Europa. This disc contains the extended cut of the film, running at approximately 153 minutes. Amongst the many supplemental features on the disc are an audio commentary with director James Mangold, "Becoming Cash/Becoming Carter", "Folsom: Cash & The Comeback", "Celebrating The Man In Black", deleted scenes and more. Region-Free and with a fully functional English menu system.
In Germany
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, James Mangold's Walk the Line arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Fox Pathe Europa. Please note that the disc contains the extended cut of the film running at approximately 153 minutes.
This is a very strong transfer. Detail is exceptional, clarity excellent and contrast quite impressive. Some of the panoramic shots from the first half of the film, for example, look simply staggering. The color-scheme is also terrific. Greens, blues, browns, blacks and whites look warm yet well saturated. Furthermore, neither edge-enhancement nor macroblocking are an issue of concern. I also did not spot any traces of heavy digital filtering. As a result, the healthy film grain is fully intact. Additionally, when blown through a digital projector, Walk the Line remains pleasingly stable. I also must point that the transfer is notably healthy - there are no disturbing scratches, dirt, or debris of any sort whatsoever. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. Please note that the disc's menu system is entirely in English).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS 5.1 and German DTS 5.1. Additionally, Pathe Fox Europa have provided optional English HOH, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, French, French HOH, German, German HOH, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles for the main feature.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is terrific. The live performances, in particular, sound exceptional with it (listen to Elvis Presley's "That's Alright Mama" and Johnny and June's singing "Time's a-Wastin"). The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Something else that made an enormous impression on me was how remarkably well Joaquin Phoenix's "Hello, I am Johnny Cash" lines sounded. At times, he really does sound like the legendary musician. For the record, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings. I did not detect any balance issues to report in this review either.
Note: the supplemental features on Disc 1 arrive with optional English HOH, French, German, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch subtitles. The supplemental features on Disc 2 arrive with optional English HOH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Thai, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean subtitles.
Disc 1:
Commentary - a wonderful and truly informative audio commentary by co-writer and director James Mangold. There is plenty of detailed information about specific scenes, songs and characters as well as certain technical difficulties the cast and crew had to overcome during the shooting process.
Search Content - an interesting feature that allows one to search the entire film - and skip to specific scenes - by selecting key words, such as "music", "guitar", etc.
Websites - links to different FOX sites.
Disc 2:
Johnny Cash Jukebox: Extended Musical Sequences - the collection includes the following songs (with optional introductions): "Lewis Boogie" Waylon Payne as Jerry Lee Lewis; "Get Rhythm" Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash; "You're My Baby" Johnathan Rice as Roy Orbison; "Jukebox Blues" Reese Witherspoon as June Carter; "Rock and Roll Ruby" Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash; "That's Alright Mama" Tyler Hilton as Elvis Presley; "Jackson" Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, Reese Witherspoon as June Carter; "Cocaine Blues" Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash. (All songs are in 1080p; all introductions are in 480/60i).
More Man In Black - two deleted scenes, "Memphis Streets" and "At the Bank" with optional commentary by co-writer James Mangold. (1080p).
Sun Records & The Johnny Cash Sound - different musicians and industry people talk about the city of Memphis, its music scene, and Johnny Cash. (12 min, 480/60i).
The Cash Legacy - a short piece on Johnny Cash and his iconic status. (16 min, 480/60i).
Becoming Cash/Becoming Carter - Director/co-Screenwriter James Mangold, Producers Cathy Konrad and Gill Dennis talk about how they decided that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were the right actors to play Johnny Cash and June Carter. Johnny Cash's son and cast members also share their thoughts on the job the two actors did in the film. (11 min, 480/60i).
Folsom: Cash & The Comeback - a short summation of Cash's social life. (12 min, 480/60i).
Ring of Fire: The Passion of Johnny & June - a look at the couple's history. (12 min, 480/60i).
Cash and his Faith - Cash's sister and son, as well as friends, talk about his music and beliefs. (12 min, 480/60i).
Celebrating The Man In Black - a standard featurette focusing on Cash's legacy. (22 min, 480/60i).
Theatrical Trailer - (2 min, 1080p).
This is a very strong package! I wonder what prevented 20th Century Fox from releasing Walked the Line in the United States. In any event, if you are a fan of the film and wish to have it in your libraries, you should definitely seek out this disc - it contains the extended cut of the film, it is Region-Free, and all of the supplemental features on it are perfectly playable on Region-A PS3s and SAs. What more could you ask for? VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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