7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three.
Starring: Peter JacksonDocumentary | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
If one were to conduct a survey of the general public and query subjects about the origins of the media frenzied court cases and the highest of the high profile trials, many might respond that it was the O.J. Simpson spectacle that was the first of the major modern era headline-grabbing, news channel dominating, cameras-in-the-courtroom media circus trials that would continue on a startlingly regular basis with names ranging, literally, from A (Anthony) to Z (Zimmerman) capturing the attention of the world and dividing citizens playing media-influenced judge, jury, and executioner. People from the Eastern Arkansas city of West Memphis, however, would probably respond differently. While O.J was certainly the largest of these and unquestionably established the trend of the 24/7 nonstop trial coverage on television, West Memphis was, a year prior, home to its own show trial when three local teenagers were arrested and convicted of the brutal, "satanically influenced" murder of three younger boys. It was a case that brought a small city to a halt, enflamed tensions, and engendered the sort of bloodlust that could only be contained with quick closure. So intense was the pressure to convict that the case was littered with sloppy police work and the trial shady and poor prosecutorial techniques in an effort to get somebody -- anybody -- behind bars. West of Memphis more deeply explores the murders, the convicted, and the people around them, casting serious doubt on the official story and pointing towards a more likely suspect.
On trial.
West of Memphis arrives on Blu-ray with an HD video-photographed high definition presentation. The new HD clips, generally, look quite nice. There's the expectedly solid color balance and high level of clarity and detail. The image appears sharp and perfectly defined around the entire frame. Facial details are revealed to nearly natural levels with almost no feel of pastiness or flatness. The image is also comprised of archival news and television footage -- much of it wavy standard definition video modified to fill the 1.78:1 frame -- and still photographs and newspaper clippings of varying qualities, some showing moderate signs of aging and wear-and-tear. As is always the case with older standard definition material brought to Blu-ray, the inherent lesser quality doesn't factor into the score. The scored HD footage does show light banding and aliasing in a few spots, but is otherwise handsome and highly proficient. In short, the movie looks great on Blu-ray, and the narrative is strong enough to mask what would be an otherwise jarring transition to low-resolution footage.
West of Memphis' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is surprisingly active and occasionally robust. It's not so active and robust as to dominate the theater or interfere with the narrative -- this is still a dialogue Documentary at its core -- but it does enhance the feel of the picture to an honest degree. There are good, natural, if not somewhat engineered, sounds of motion, largely in the form of moving vehicles, notably cars but sometimes trains. The transition of sound form one speaker to the next is largely seamless. Musical delivery is well done; clarity is strong and spacing efficient. The low end chimes in on occasion with tight, manageable bass. There's no loss of dialogue integrity in the newer footage; material hailing from older 1990s clips, however, is rightly left to fend for itself and it hasn't aged well. Again, the score reflects only newer material, not elements that cannot sound inherently better.
West of Memphis contains a quality, and rather lengthy, assortment of supportive content.
West of Memphis is a fascinating Documentary chronicling a sprawling history of uncertainty, mistruths, poor official procedure, and a failing not so much of the system but of the people running it. It's a riveting account of a crime that remains officially solved but unofficially wide open. It will leave audiences wanting more answers; this is a starting point rather than the final word on the matter, but it makes a strong case for its side that's well researched and supported. Sony's Blu-ray release of West of Memphis offers high quality video and audio. A healthy assortment of extras are included. Highly recommended.
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