The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Jack Clayton
UK 1987

Based on the acclaimed novel by Brian Moore, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne was the final feature film to be made by celebrated filmmaker Jack Clayton (The Innocents, The Pumpkin Eater), and boasts a truly outstanding performance by multi-award-winning actor Maggie Smith.

In 1950s Belfast, penniless spinster Judith Hearne (Smith) falls for charismatic James (Bob Hoskins.) Succumbing to his attentions, Judith makes a series of profound changes to her life, including re-evaluating her deep relationship with her church, to enable the love for which she so desperately yearns.

Poignant and powerful, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne was the recipient of a BAFTA award for Smith, but has since become somewhat overlooked. Now finally available on Blu-ray for the very first time, one of the finest British films of the 1980s is presented in a brand new 2K restoration from the original negatives, supervised and approved by cinematographer Peter Hannan.

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 23rd, 1987

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Review: Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Coming to Standard Blu-ray by Indicator in May 2023:
Distribution	Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:56:11.798
Video	1.75:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,785,482,732 bytes Feature: 34,091,582,400 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Indicator 1.75:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,785,482,732 bytes Feature: 34,091,582,400 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Judith Hearne Remembered (2019, 26:21 mins): documentary featuring interviews with actors Maggie Smith, Ian McNeice and Rudi Davies • Selected scenes commentary with Neil Sinyard, author of British Film Makers: Jack Clayton (32:33 mins) • Original trailer (03:01) •Image gallery: promotional and publicity material • Limited edition exclusive 32-page booklet featuring Pauline Kael’s appraisal of the film, Bethan Roberts on Brian Moore, Jack Clayton, Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins on The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits • World premiere on Blu-ray • Limited Edition of 3,000 copies Blu-ray Release Date: June 24th, 2019 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (June 2019): Indicator present the Blu-ray world premiere of "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne". This is a new 2K restoration by Powerhouse Films from the original negative, supervised and approved by cinematographer Peter Hannan. The 1.75:1 1080p image has a very pronounced and fine texture, along supported by a maxed-out bitrate. The film takes place mainly indoors, sometimes in dark or dimly lit settings. Thankfully this 2K transfer can handle these darker moments with aplomb, showcasing a wide ranging spectrum of blacks within its contrast. Detail is also quite easily defined, showing a clarity that only a transfer from the negative can truly provide. Nice job by Indicator!

The audio track for the film is a 24-bit uncompressed, 1.0 (mono) linear PCM. Dialogue is the star of the show here, with all of its subtleties coming through strong on this Blu-ray presentation. The score is thanks to the late composer, Georges Delerue (a frequent Francois Truffaut collaborator). There are optional English subtitles on this Region 'B' Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.

There are 33-minutes of selected scenes featuring an audio commentary with Neil Sinyard, author of British Film Makers: Jack Clayton. "Judith Hearne Remembered" is a 27-minute documentary that features interviews with actors Maggie Smith, Ian McNeice and Rudi Davies. Also on this Blu-ray is an image gallery with some promotional and publicity material, and the film's original trailer. Though we do not have the final packaging at the time of review, this limited edition features an exclusive 32-page booklet featuring Pauline Kael’s appraisal of the film, Bethan Roberts on Brian Moore, Jack Clayton, Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins on The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

"The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" plot may seem rather meek at first, though that certainly changes as the film progresses (thanks to the terrific performance from Dame Maggie Smith). Not having read the novel by Brian Moore, I was thankful for the informative bonus material presented on this Blu-ray. The new 2K gives the film a clarity that certainly measures up to Indicator's rather high standards.