|
North Face aka Nordwand [Blu-ray]
(Philipp Stölzl, 2008)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Dor Film-West Produktionsgesellschaft GmbH Video: Metrodome Video
Disc: Region: FREE! (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player) Runtime: 2:06:04.291 Disc Size: 23,359,540,264 bytes Feature Size: 21,101,586,432 bytes Video Bitrate: 18.99 Mbps Chapters: 20 Case: UK thicker Blu-ray case Release date: April 27th, 2009
Video: Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Resolution: 1080p Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio German 2075 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2075 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles: English, none
Extras: • Making Northface (17:47 in SD) • Visual Effect (2:18) • Deleted Scenes (6:09 - Mandatory English subs) • Text Interview with Philipp Stoelzl and Kolja Brandt • The Myth of the Eiger North face (text) • Timeline of attempts on the Eiger Mountain (text) • Cast and Crew Biographies (text) • Theatrical trailer• UK theatrical trailer
Bitrate:
Product Description:
The Film:
In May 1936, the Nazi Party needs Teuton heroes in the run-up to the
Berlin Olympics. The previous year, two German climbers froze to death
trying to scale the Eiger's near-vertical North Face.
North Face appears very impressive on Blu-ray balancing nicely between detail and grain. The mountain cinematography can look quite incredible in 1080P (yes - this is 1080P not a European 1080i transfer). The Blu-ray can look exceptionally beautiful at times with a tight and occasionally glossy transfer. Colors are bright and true and the visuals support a crisp inviting presentation. This Blu-ray has some depth and has no abundant flaws that I could determine.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :We have only one track offering - a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 2075 kbps in original German . It has some range and depth. The snow, heavy wind and rain scenes are the most notable for rear-speaker activity. It suits the film well enough. There are only optional English subtitles and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.
Extras :There is no commentary and the main supplement feature is Making North Face running less than 20-minutes. It's okay with input from the director and cast (with incredible scenery as a backdrop) on a variety of subjects but makes one realize so much more could have been said about this film. The Visual Effect piece takes up a scant 2-minutes and there are 6-minutes worth of, mostly inconsequential, deleted scenes with mandatory English subtitles. Aside from 2 trailers the rest of the extras represent text information onscreen with an interview with Philipp Stoelzl and Kolja Brandt, a historical bit on The Myth of the Eiger North Face and a timeline of climbing attempts on the Eiger Mountain.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze July 28th, 2009
|
About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 7500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. So be
it, but film will always be my first love and I list my
favorites on the old YMdb site now accessible
HERE.
Samsung HPR4272 42" Plasma HDTV Gary W. Tooze
HD-DVD STORE HIGH DEFINITION DVD STORE
ALL OUR NEW FORMAT DVD REVIEWS
|