Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1647 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1647 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
DUB: Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby Surround

Bitrate:

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Description: Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis star as Mickey Knox and Mallory Wilson, two young, attractive mass murderers in love in Oliver Stone's wild-eyed satire on the American fascination with criminals. After killing Mallory's loathsome parents, the pair perform a ritual "marriage" and take off on a "honeymoon" killing spree that wipes out 52 people. Bloodthirsty tabloid reporter Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.) reports their every move to an adoring public while warden Dwight McClusky (Tommy Lee Jones) is only too eager to welcome such celebrities to his prison.

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from Roger Ebert's review at the Chicago Sun-Times located HERE

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

Firstly, I'll suggest that fellow reviewers who are claiming the transfer image quality is the same on the new Director's Cut Blu-ray as on the 2008 R-Rated Blu-ray - should practice some due-diligence. Both are dual-layered but the color sequences are dramatically different with the earlier release showing boosted reds that have disappeared for a more natural look in the DC. Strangely the original release has the superior bitrate and larger file size for both the disc and the feature. Despite this, I don't see any extravagant jump in detail.  While there may be other differences - as contrast may be superior on the 2008 transfer, I don't think it is especially important for this film which has such an abundance of shifting styles -, overlays, tints, a variety of camera sources and fast edit cuts - but I suspect that the DC remains more faithful to the original intent as flesh tones, and as another example see the sky outside the prison shot below, are unnaturally reddish in the R-Rated cut. Many scenes have intentional grain and overall it makes it hard to critique the image quality as its diverse nature is certainly an intentional effect but the red cast seems like a digital manipulation.

NOTE: The unrated DC is 3:06 longer with, what Stone has stated as, 155 additional sequences or lengthening of previous ones. I believe these are mostly focused on more graphic violence that didn't pass the MPAA at the time. These 'cuts' are restored on the new Blu-ray.

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

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Warner (R-Cut) - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP vs. Warner (Director's-Cut) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

The True HD 5.1 at 1647 kbps has unnoticeable differences in the two editions. To my ear it sound exactly the same. Dialogue is intentionally scattered, at times, and effect noises again give difficulty in making definitive statements about the quality. The original Blu-ray does offer a 5.1 track and 7 foreign language DUBs to the DC's one (Spanish). Both have extensive subtitle options defining it is the 'International release' supporting my Momitsu identifying it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

BOTTOM LINE:
It's quite revealing to see the differences in the Blu-ray editions and I honestly admit this is not a film that I enjoyed on my first two viewings many years ago. It is, intentionally, appalling - certainly not a pleasant experience but it now seems a valid one - once one becomes more blasé to the disturbing imagery. Taken from a Quentin Tarantino story - Natural Born Killers has his edgy content and caustic thematic look at social culture. From this standpoint it is often considered a masterpiece and for both Stone's preferred version and the image - the new Blu-ray is the way to watch it.   

Gary Tooze

October 17th, 2009