7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Maria, an entitled white woman living in Africa, is desperately unwilling to give up her family's crumbling coffee plantation despite the civil war closing in on her.
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Isaach de Bankolé, Christopher Lambert, Nicolas Duvauchelle, William NadylamDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 91% |
War | 11% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
The French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is 48kHz/16-bit.
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Nominated for Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, Claire Denis' "White Material" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer and an exclusive video interview with director Claire Denis and actor Christopher Lambert. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Needed weapons
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Claire Denis' White Material arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.
White Material is yet another strong addition to Artificial Eye's already very impressive catalog of Blu-ray releases. It looks beautiful, and I certainly hope that eventually they would treat us with equally impresisve Blu-ray releases of Beau Travail and Chocolat. Both should look spectacular in 1080p.
White Material has a striking organic look - detail is outstanding, clarity pleasing, and contrast levels well balanced. The prominent warm red/yellowish tint is very much in sync with the aura of the film. One could literally feel the thick, heavy, humid air of the unnamed African country. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern, though occasionally there are traces of it popping up here and there (see screencapture #18). Because of the constant shaky camera movement, however, its presence is practically impossible to spot while viewing the film. I did not see any signs of excessive noise reduction - the transfer conveys wonderful depth and fluidity. Finally, I did not see any serious compression artifacts or stability issues to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.
The French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is excellent. White Material has a dark, very moody soundtrack, courtesy of Stuart Staples, which benefits enormously from the loseless treatment. Admittedly, surround and bass activity is rather limited but there is a wide range of nuanced dynamics. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. Lastly, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts to report in this review. The English translation is very good, but the optional white English subtitles are a bit too big for my taste.
Claire Denis' White Material is a very personal but certainly not nostalgic film about the dehumanization of post-colonial Africa. At its core there is more admiration than disappointment, I think, as well as a concern that a lot in Africa is now irreversibly damaged. The film is beautifully lensed and terrifically acted. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye, looks and sounds very good. There are not a lot of supplemental features on it, but it is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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