7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A Vietnam war veteran who is the most decorated cop in New York, has a chip on his shoulder dealing with an emerging blood feud in Chinatown.
Starring: Mickey Rourke, John Lone, Ariane Koizumi, Leonard Termo, Raymond J. BarryThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
With substantial Chinese spoken parts (French subs only)
French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region B, A (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Michael Cimino's "Year of the Dragon" (1985) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Carlotta Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new audio interview with director Michael Cimino; and new filmed video introduction by French film historian Jean-Baptiste Thoret. The release also arrives with a 208-page hardcover book with writings on the film, the original script for the film, reprinted interviews, production notes, and archival production photos. In English, with optional French subtitles for the main feature.
City of violence
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Cimino's Year of the Dragon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Carlotta Films.
Density and especially fluidity are vastly improved. On the existing R1 DVD release a lot of the darker footage can look quite flat, but here the visuals are far better balanced. The light shimmer that occasionally sneaks in on the DVD release is also completely eliminated. Grain is visible throughout the film and appears quite well resolved. I must say, however, that if the film is rescanned in 4K/2K there will be visible improvements (see screencapture #8); there are segments where shadow definition will be managed better as well. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern, but some very light halo effects try to sneak in a couple of segments. Colors are stable and well balanced. I feel that saturation should be a bit more convincing and some nuances expanded, but there are no distracting anomalies. Image stability is outstanding. There are no large debris, damage marks, cuts, stains, or warped frames to report. All in all, while there is room for some minor improvements, the Blu-ray release represents a very solid upgrade in quality over the existing DVD release. My score is 4.25/5.00.
There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional French subtitles are provided for the main feature. Please note that there are no optional English subtitles for the Cantonese dialog/exchanges.
I viewed the film with the 5.1 track and thought that dynamic intensity, separation, and fluidity were excellent. If any future remastering work is done I assume that the only area where some very minor improvements will be made is balance, but the current mix is indeed very good. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions.
Michael Cimino's Year of the Dragon is one of the landmark American films of the '80s. It is essentially a futuristic western envisioned by a director whose sense of style remains unmatched. I frequently revisit it and the more I see it, the more I find myself agreeing with those who claim that the '80s were the last decade in which American directors were allowed to develop original projects and not worry about the culture of political correctness that would eventually change the industry. Year of the Dragon is now available on Blu-ray in France via Carlotta Films. It looks good in high-definition and the label's Deluxe Collector's set also comes with a 208-page hardcover book which includes Oliver Stone's original script for the film as well as plenty of archival production photos. If you decide to order a copy for your library, please keep in mind that the non-English dialog in the film is subtitled only in French. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (In addition to the Deluxe Collector's set, Carlotta Films have available a cheaper standard Blu-ray edition of Year of the Dragon).
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