7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
The most expensive production in Taiwanese history (budgeted at approximately $25 million), Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale chronicles the true story of Taiwan's aboriginal people and their revolt against the Japanese colonizers in the 1930s.
Starring: Nolay Piho, Umin Boya, Masanobu Andô, Sabu Kawahara, Vivian HsuForeign | 100% |
War | 40% |
History | 39% |
Drama | 6% |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Seediq: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Seediq: Dolby Digital 2.0
Audio is primarily Seediq with some Japanese mixed in.
English, Mandarin (Traditional)
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Is John Woo the new master of the “forced” double dip? Or is it only mere coincidence that two relatively recent films which bear the Woo imprimatur in one way or the other have been released simultaneously in two different formats, forcing consumers to either choose between them or buckle down on spending their hard earned cash on both? In 2010, Woo’s hugely expansive historical epic Red Cliff was released in both an International Version which consisted of two parts, and a Theatrical Version, which was considerably scaled down and edited (which is not to say not enjoyable on its own quite different terms). Now some two years later a Woo produced (rather than directed) epic, the massive Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale follows Magnolia’s release strategy and courtesy of Texas based Well Go USA has been granted the very same sort of release. I’ve already reviewed Warrior of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale’s analog to Red Cliff’s Theatrical Version, in this case the so-called Domestic (Single) Version. Now comes this much longer, two part version which is released as a two Blu-ray disc set featuring over two hours of additional supplementary material (along with a couple of the same supplements as the Domestic Version) on a second BD. Once again consumers will have to decide which version suits their fancy, though for those wanting to save reading (not viewing) time, if not a little money, the short answer is, this is the version to watch. Yes, it’s longer and at times slower, but the additional background information and character nuance makes for a much more satisfying experience.
As with the Domestic Single Version, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.34:1. This is a huge, expansive film that glories in the jungles of Taiwan and it retains a suitably lush, even spectacular, look in this high definition presentation. The DI has been tweaked in post per the usual contemporary practice, with lots of color grading and filtering that alternately cast warm golden or cool blue hues on entire segments. Fine object detail is extremely sharp and pleasing and fine grain levels are also consistent. The one recurrent problem in this transfer is unsightly flicker and instability in many of the jungle scenes. It's quite normal for some reason that many transfers just can't quite seem to handle heavy foliage very well, with a resultant breakdown in resolution, but in this case the entire frame flickers rather badly in several sequences. The only other niggling process is some less than consistent CGI, including several rainbows that arch across the sky and look like they were ported in from some ancient Hanna-Barbera enterprise. It should be noted that this longer International Version spends quite a bit more time in very misty or cloudy forest sequences, which adds a gauzy ambience to a lot of the film that some may mistake for inherent softness in the elements themselves.
Again as with the Domestic Single Version of Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, both the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and standard Dolby Digital 2.0 mixes included on this International Version are labeled with the generic "Chinese" (not even Mandarin or Cantonese), but some cursory research seems to indicate that the actual languages being spoken in the film are the native Seediq tongue and Japanese (one member has also PMd me to indicate some of the film is actually in Korean as well). Since I am certainly no expert in Eastern languages, I have set the specs above to mirror what the labeling on the disc states. One way or the other, the 5.1 sound mix here is unusually impressive, with beautifully nuanced ambient environmental sounds creating a near continual sense of immersion (sometimes literally, when the camera delves beneath the water). The battle scenes are appropriately bombastic (and the final showdown in this International Version is considerably longer and more sonically developed than in the Domestic Version), and rather interestingly we get a variety of nice foley effects, from gunshots to the slice and dice of heads being removed from bodies. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized. The very Western sounding score, which some may find anachronistic but which I personally found quite moving at times, also spills into the surrounds during virtually every cue. Dynamic range is exceedingly wide.
This International Version of Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale is a much more developed and at least somewhat more nuanced take on a fascinating subject matter that probably very few people know much about, but this longer version also has the same basic issue that the shorter version did, namely that it's hard to root for supposed "good guys" who exhibit such appalling behavior. This version does have the benefit of showing some of the relatively "kinder, gentler" life of the tribal peoples of Taiwan, though it also depicts their brutality much more graphically than the edited version. The Japanese actually come off quite a bit better in this version, no less brutal in their own way than the Seediq peoples, but at least partially understandable (if not exactly laudable) in their motivations. This film is gigantic in scope and is lushly beautiful to watch, even with its violence. If see only one Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale this year, this is the one to watch. Recommended.
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