6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Children liberated from a Nazi concentration camp have to overcome hunger, thirst and vicious dogs in an abandoned mansion surrounded by the forest.
Starring: Kamil Polnisiak, Nicolas Przygoda, Sonia Mietielica, Danuta StenkaHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 39% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Polish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Orphanage made a relatively early debut in the nascent days of the Blu-ray era, and so for some home theater aficionados, it may represent a memory of an initial viewing experience in the "new, improved" format. Memory is in fact part and parcel of The Orphanage's spooky ambience, one aided and abetted by a gothic setting of an abandoned building in an isolated setting. Something somewhat similar is at play in Werewolf, a 2018 or 2019 (depending on the source) Polish film that, like The Orphanage, deals with young people without parents who have suffered significant trauma (aside and part from being alone in the world). Werewolf is more historically based than The Orphanage, taking place in the waning days of World War II as the Allies encroach more and more on Eastern Europe (from both the west and the east), leading the German forces to take abysmal measures, including executing all sorts of prisoners at concentration camps. An absolutely horrifying opening sequence documents these despicable efforts at Gross-Rosen, an actual camp in Poland, where not only are the prisoners rounded up and unceremoniously gunned down, they're also subject to the feral proclivities of the camp guards' vicious German Shepherds, who are seen pretty much literally eating one poor woman alive. When two Nazi guards break down a barricaded door to one of the buildings holding a bunch of very young prisoners, the poor kids begin doing pushups, obviously offering up an activity they've been forced to do in their years of activity. This whole opening scene sets up a completely unsettling environment which Werewolf may not ultimately be able to totally sustain, though it's notable (and not really that much of a spoiler) that the film actually does not feature any supernatural German "cousins" to Larry Talbot (The Wolf Man).
Werewolf is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment and Montage Pictures with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39. The IMDb has no technical data listed, and I haven't been able to dig up any authoritative information online. Eureka also only sent a check disc for purposes of this review, and so I'm not privy to any information that might be included in the insert booklet. All of that said, this is an often surprisingly striking looking presentation, at least given the kind of dour and often dark and misty environments it exploits. A ton of scenes in the film are just shrouded in darkness, but detail levels remain agreeably consistent throughout. The outdoor material is often weirdly beautiful (again, given the subject matter), and fine detail on things like fabrics and even some of the gruesome injuries sustained by various characters is typically excellent. There are a few passing issues with crush in the very darkest moments, but I noticed no really egregious compression issues.
Werewolf features a powerful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (mostly) in the original Polish (there are snippets in German and/or Russian at various moments as well). From the opening sequence, where rapid fire machine gun bursts, screams and snarling dog noises envelop the listener, it's clear that a lot of attention has been paid to the sound design. The glut of outdoor material in the film also lends itself to consistent ambient environmental effects wafting through the side and rear channels. There are a number of standout sequences in terms of the sound design, including some surprisingly "quiet" moments where terror may be waiting right around the corner. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. As can be seen from the screenshot of the main menu, optional English subtitles are available.
The press sheet Eureka sent with the check disc states that Adrian Panek based this film on "real life historical events", and I'd love to know what those events actually were. The film's title may be more than a bit misleading, at least for those wanting a more hirsute focal character, but the underlying aspect of people becoming monsters is undeniably effective. A lot of "actual" werewolf movies are kind of unavoidably goofy, but it's notable that this film, which features no transformations of humans into wolves, is arguably spookier and more disturbing than any of those outings. Technical merits are generally solid, and Werewolf comes Recommended.
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