Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 21, 2018

Bill Colleran and Louis De Rochemont III's "Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich" (1958) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Flicker Alley. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailer for the film; long documentary film; Windjammer breakdown reel; a look at the new restoration and reconstruction of the film; and more. In English, without optional subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Heading to America

This late ‘50s film, which is rightfully regarded as a Norwegian classic even though it is an American production, offers an experience that mirrors what IMAX does for modern audiences. It was shot for the widescreen system Cinemiracle, which uses three different cameras and three different projectors for one massive picture. Cinemiracle essentially imitated human vision, thus creating an incredibly realistic viewing experience.

The concept behind Louis De Rochemont III and Bill Colleran’s Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich is very similar to that of Bruce Brown’s The Endless Summer. In Brown’s film, two surfers from Southern California travel the world looking for the perfect waves. Along the way they learn about new cultures and customs and make new friends. In Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich, the Norwegian ship Christian Radich leaves Oslo and heads to America. The cadets serving on the ship visit various places, some more exotic than others, where they observe and join unique celebrations.

On the Portuguese island of Madeira, some of the cadets participate in the famous basket-sled ride. The large sleds have no safety belts or brakes but are extremely popular amongst the natives. Later on, they also visit the Madeira Country Fair, where a few also approach some of the beautiful single girls that are also enjoying the spectacles.

Next are Puerto Rico and Curacao. In Puerto Rico, the cadets are invited to a performance of the great cellist Pablo Casals. In Curacao, after the Christian Radich is scraped and painted, the cadets go on a picnic with some of the island’s beautiful girls.

Shortly after it leaves Curacao, the Christian Radich endures a powerful storm. This is the first time one gets a good feeling about the many dangers sailors often face. Some days later, the ship finally reaches Trinidad. Here the cadets enjoy the warm water and see some of the unfortunate ships that went down in the area years ago. (There is some really lovely underwater footage).

After a 15-minute intermission, the cadets visit a large sugar plantation. Later on, they also join one of the local bands, as well as the loud and colorful festivities that bring out just about everyone that can walk. Eventually, the Christian Radich heads to New York City. This is the highlight of the trip. The cadets visit various jazz clubs, social events, and later on a Firemen’s Show in Philadelphia.

There is hardly anything that I did not like about Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich. It is a very relaxed and charming documentary that offers some terrific views from exotic places which more than likely now look different. The film must have been a tremendous hit amongst viewers who were lucky enough to see it projected theatrically years ago as some of the visuals are indeed breathtakingly beautiful. The "Smilebox" curved screen simulation gives a pretty good idea how the film must have looked in the theater as one could easily see the three panels and get a good feeling of the tremendous image depth. Indeed, a wonderful release.

Note: Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich was reconstructed with elements from the Swedish Film Institute Johan Ericsson Archival Film Collections.

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.56:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bill Colleran and Louis De Rochemont III's Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich arrives on Blu-ray courtesy Flicker Alley.

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich first transitioned to Blu-ray in 2012 after it was restored and reconstructed by David Strohmaier and his colleagues (you can see our review of this release here). However, the first release was sourced from a master that was struck from less than optimal elements. For this upcoming release, the original camera negative was scanned in 2K at FotoKem and then the film was fully reconstructed.

As it was the case with the new Deluxe Edition of This is Cinerama there are notable improvements in terms of density, depth, and fluidity that give the film an entirely new and much more convincing organic appearance. It also a much more consistent appearance with improved overall image stability. While some minor age-related imperfections are retained and in certain area density is still less than optimal -- the reconstruction was done by accessing what remains of the original camera negatives plus two secondary sources -- much bigger sections of the film actually are actually dramatically healthier than they appear on the previous releases. (You can compare multiple screencaptures from the two reviews). Color saturation, stability, and balance are also improved, and in some cases quite dramatically. In fact, a direct comparison between the two releases instantly reveals that there are actually new color values (primaries and nuances) that have been restored on this release. I also noticed that minor debris, blotches, and even background flicker are also eliminated. All in all, while ideally this film could and should look even better, this is a very strong and convincing upgrade in quality that given existing materials will probably remain the definitive presentation of the film. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

I quite liked the lossless track on the original release and as far as I could tell there are no drastic changes here. The music was stable and overall dynamic balance was good. Obviously, a theatrical screening of the film offers a different type of experience, but given the native abilities of the high-definition format I think that the lossless track serves the film really well.

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Windjammer Voyage: A Cinemiracle Adventure - in this long and very informative documentary, production technical advisor Alf Bjercke, actors Tore Bilet (Cadet #85), Jon Reistad (Cadet #16), Kaare Teerland (Cadet #2), Lasse Kolstad (Boatswain), and Sven Erik Libaek (Cadet #35), among others, recall their contribution to Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich and discuss the film's success. The documentary was directed by historian Dave Strohmaier. In English, not subtitled. (57 min, 1080p).

• The Reconstruction of Windjammer - David Strohmaier narrates this very informative documentary that highlights the many challenges that the new 2K restoration and reconstruction of Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich presented. Also included are multiple before-and-after comparisons with the previous Blu-ray release that Flicker Alley produced in 2012. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080p).

• Windjammer Breakdown Reel - both Cinerama and Cinemiracle 3-panel systems could breakdown during a show. If this happened, a regular projector had an emergency or breakdown reel ready to screen. The footage presented here comes from one such reel. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080p).

• The Christian Radich Today/Christian Radich at the Aalbourg Denmark Tall Ships Festival, 2010 - a look at the great Christian Radich ship, which has been preserved for future generations. The ship has won over 37 tall ship races since 1956. With a short introduction by Einar Corwin, the present director of Christian Radich. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080i).

• Trailer - original trailer for the film. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Windjammer Behind the Scenes Slideshow - behind-the-scenes images of the production, the original exhibition, and original publicity of the film. (10 min, 1080p).

• Cinemiracle Showplaces Slideshow - a look at the unique venues that screened Windjammer. With music. (17 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - 12-page illustrated booklet featuring an article by producer Randy Gitsch (The Cinerama Restoration Team) and vintage materials,

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is the one title from Flicker Alley's Cinerama series that after it was released on Blu-ray in 2012 I have revisited the most. I just find it incredibly relaxing, and the visuals are often stunning. This new Deluxe Edition of Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich offers a brand new 2K restoration and reconstruction of the film that was completed by David Strohmaier and his team and the end result is quite impressive. Do not hesitate to upgrade, folks. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.