Western Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Western Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 26, 2018

In an interesting creative quest, writer/director Valeska Grisebach takes the mood, characters, and conventions of the American western movie and replants them near Eastern Europe. She keeps the attitude and the bulging masculinity, but the setting has changed, finding that most of what’s used in American cinema applies everywhere with a little finesse. “Western” sustains such experimentation throughout its run time, with Grisebach crafting an effective experiment that eventually becomes its own dramatic creation, and one that’s deepened with unusual, pained characters and a Bulgarian setting that’s not normally associated with cowboy adventures.

Meinhard Neumann stars as Meinhard, a German day laborer who finds himself with an opportunity to help construct a hydroelectric plant in Bulgaria, soon dealing with the personality dangers of his co-workers, who take over the area. Meinhard finds an unexpected connection to the local villagers, building a tentative bond that’s tested by secrets and loyalties. And there’s a horse to sell the genre mood, with Meinhard finding freedom on the back of a white stallion.

Western Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is tasked with delivering wide vistas and intense close-up with true HD detail, and the viewing experience comes through quite vividly at times, especially when taking in the expanse of various locations. Colors are clear and expressive, handling cultural decoration with care, and greenery is gorgeous, delivering a deep sense of grasslands, riverbanks, and mountainous regions. Skintones are natural. Detail does well with close-ups, secure grizzled faces and unbathed masculinity. Clothing remains fibrous, and village decoration is textured. Being an intensely dark movie at times, delineation has a few fights for clarity. Even the filmmakers tend to regret the darkness, with a few shots providing a telescopic brightening to clarify frame information, which encourages some pixelation.

Western Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix capably communicates changes in environment and intensity, and while it doesn't set out to overwhelm, it's an evocative listen. Dialogue exchanges are precise, managing different languages and tempers without reaching distortive extremes. Group activity is also defined perfectly, capturing celebratory spirit. Music is sharp, with proper instrumentation for village party sequences and radio play. Atmospherics provide a detailed understanding of location, picking up on rushing waters and whipping winds. Surrounds provide a feel for position, and some frontal panning effects add movement. Low-end is minimal but satisfying.

Western Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (two pages) contains an essay by Dennis Lim.

• Interview (26:44, HD) is a discussion of "Western" with its writer/director, Valeska Grisebach.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:05, HD) is included.

Western Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Western" captures the spirit of the genre it's replicating, and it does so with a distinct cultural fingerprint. It's strong work from Grisebach, who takes potentially disastrous ideas and forms them in full, establishing mood, temperaments, and tributes, taking the leathery stoicism and poetic manliness of John Ford and finding a new home for it on the other side of the world.