Review by Brian Montgomery

 

Studio:

Theatrical: Paramount Vantage

Blu-ray: Anchor Bay

 

Disc:

Region: FREE! (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 2:07:18.631

Disc Size: 46,377,182,720 bytes

Feature Size: 31,530,258,432 bytes

Video Bitrate: 27.43 Mbps

Chapters: 28

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: March 9th, 2010

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

 

Audio:

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 2556 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2556 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Embedded: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps)

 

Subtitles:

English, Spanish, None

 

Extras:

• Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren on How Wall Street Got Away with Murder (8:20)

• Sorry, House-Flippers and Banks-You're Toast in Flint, MI (5:32)

• Congressman Cummings Dares to Speak the Unspeakable (7:07)

• The Omnivore's Dilemma? It's Capitalism (6:10)

• The Rich Don't Go to Heaven (There's a Special Place Reserved for Them!) (8:29)

• How to Run the Place Where You Work (11:16)

• Commie Taxi Drivers (5:48)

• What If, Just If, We Had Listened to Jimmy Carter in 1979 (17:50)

• The Socialist Bank of-North Dakota? (4:43)

• The Banks KickThem Out, Max Kicks Them Back In (10:51)

• NY Times Pulitzer Prize Winner Chris Hedges on the Killing Machine Known as Capitalism (8:43)

• Trailers

 

 

The Film:

Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story” is anything but — something you, I and everyone who has ever watched him shamble into action, megaphone to mouth, know from the start. He might have had a crush on capitalism early on, yet anyone who thinks that the two have been on friendly terms for a while hasn’t been paying attention. After years of needling big business in movies like “Roger & Me” (about the auto industry) and “Sicko” (health insurance), and giving voice to the disempowered, he has finally decided to go after the system that, in his words, is dedicated to “taking and giving, mostly taking.”
 

[...]

As it happens, the most galvanizing words in the movie come not from the current president but from Roosevelt, who in 1944 called for a “second bill of rights,” asserting that “true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.” The image of this visibly frail president, who died the next year, appealing to our collective conscience — and mapping out an American future that remains elusive — is moving beyond words. And chilling: “People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” It’s a brilliant moment of cinema both for the man delivering the speech and for Mr. Moore, who smartly realized that he’d found one other voice that needed to be as loud as his own.

Excerpt of review from Manohla Dargis located HERE

 

 

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

Like Moore's previous films, "Capitalism: A Love Story" features footage shot for the film mixed with vintage stock footage. The end result is a noticeable disparity between film qualities that is only too evident in 1080p. Still, regardless of the quality of the stock footage, the original material typically looks very sharp and suffers from no damage or artefacts. There are some momentary instances where the image turns slightly softer, or an outdoor shoot gets overexposed by abundant sunlight, but in the larger context these are minor complaints. Details tend to be very clear, and the colors vibrant. Overall, this has to be one of the best looking documentaries available in high definition.

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio & Music:

The TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack sounds outstanding on my player! After two viewings, I couldn't find any flaws to mention here. The dialogue, music, and incidental noise all come off as sharp and clear as can be. There are no discernible instances of unwanted background noise, nor are there any signs of artificial manipulation. The disc also includes optional English and Spanish subtitles that are clear and don't obstruct the image on screen.

 

 

Extras:

The good news here is that the extras are rather lengthy and could probably be edited into their own film themselves. The bad new is that aside from a trailers gallery, all that we have are essentially deleted and extended scenes. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have them included on the disc, but other bonus features, perhaps a commentary or a "making of..." feature would have been very welcome as well.

 

 

Bottom line:

Over all this is a great release. While Moore's message could have been clearer (he calls his target "capitalism", but seems to be focused on the unfettered and unregulated incarnation of the system over the last 30 years in the US, but pines after the mid-20th century capitalist system with strong unions, worker protections, and social welfare nets) and the structure more organized, the point that he makes is a strong one. Since the early 1980s, the economic policies of the United States have benefited the top 1 % and the cost has been payed by the majority of the rest us. Is such a system just? Moore persuasively argues that it is not. Highly recommended.

Brian Montgomery
March 31st, 2010