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H D - S E N S E IA view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze |
Baraka [Blu-ray]
(Ron Fricke, 1992)
Review by Gary Tooze
Studio: MPI Video: MPI Home Video
Discs: Region 'A' Feature Runtime: 1:36:47 Chapters: 16 One dual-layered Blu-ray Case: Thin Cardboard book-case style - Eco-friendly packaging (100% recyclable - soy based inks) Release date: October 28th, 2008
Video: Aspect ratio: 2.2:1 Resolution: 1080p Video codec: VC-1
Audio:
Supplements: • Baraka: A Closer Look (1:16:25 in HD!)• Baraka: Restoration (7:05 HD!) Comes in Eco-friendly packaging (100% recyclable - soy based inks)
Product Description: Shot in breathtaking 70mm in 24 countries on six
continents, BARAKA is a transcendent global tour that explores the sights
and sounds of the human condition like nothing you ve ever seen or felt before.
These are the wonders of a world without words, viewed through man and nature s
own prisms of symmetry, savagery, harmony and chaos.
The Film: Film technology and global consciousness have both come a long way since the quaint old days when "This Is Cinerama" was the leading edge of wide-screen film spectacle and the Seven Wonders of the World were touted as the hit parade of international tourist attractions.
The film, which begins with an image of a solar eclipse, is structured like an epic poem: it begins in heavenly climes, descends into hell, recapitulates its opening themes and ends with a celestial starburst. A succession of pictures of religious shrines and holy places intermingled with scenes of natural wonders gradually gives way to the portrayal of squalor, urban freneticism and ecological horror before the film regains the high ground.... Excerpt of Stephen Holden's NY Times review located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were ripped directly from the Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray is advertised as "FULLY RESTORED - THE FIRST MOVIE EVER TRANSFERRED IN 8K ULTRADIGITAL HD!" Rendered from restored 70mm elements this Blu-ray makes a bold statement when it claims to be the 'most visually stunning' ever. But I'd be hard-pressed to argue. Technically it does have the best images I have ever captured on this new format. Detail, contrast, color - everything is in the extreme high-end. I was certainly 'wow'ed' and I believe I've now found the perfect demo disc for when guests head over. It works out well as they can still hold conversation and eventually when their eyes drift to the screen - I'm sure they will be as hypnotized as a I. I can't elucidate much further on the visual expertise than simply pointing you to the full resolution screen caps (obtainable by clicking the reduced image below). I suggest the first and last as possibly the strongest testament to this zenith extreme of this Blu-rays clarity and dimensionality.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio & Music:
Extras:
Bottom line:
Gary Tooze October 20th, 2008
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