Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

on a separate, single-layered, DVD:

• 1980 - TV Spot (1:02), Making of... (18:45), Deleted Scenes (6:48)

• Trilogy: Theatrical trailer (2:29), TV Spot (:31), Behind the Scenes (3:01)

Bitrate:

 

Description: Red Riding is a television adaptation of English author David Peace's Red Riding Quartet. Published between 1999 and 2002, the quartet comprises the novels Nineteen Seventy-Four (1999), Nineteen Seventy-Seven (2000), Nineteen Eighty (2001) and Nineteen Eighty-Three (2002). Set against a backdrop of serial murders, including the Yorkshire Ripper case, they deal with multi-layered corruption and feature several recurring characters across the four books. Though real crimes are featured the scripts are fictionalised and dramatised versions of events rather than contemporary factual accounts.

The adaptation into three feature-length television episodes aired on Channel 4 beginning on 5 March 2009. They are produced by Revolution Films. The three films were released theatrically in the US in February 2010. (from Wikipedia HERE)

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from Kenneth Turan's review at the LA Times located HERE

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

Firstly, the package consists of one Blu-ray disc with the three feature films - Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 19XX - (over 5 hours worth) and a second disc - a DVD with supplement features.

Red Riding is a creepy stylized trilogy - made in 2009. Perhaps as a choice - the image quality improves through the decade in which the events transpire. Art direction is quite good and the, 1.85:1, 1974 segment looks grittier and less sharp - this improves with superior detail through the similarly framed 1980 episode and gets downright glossy for 2.35:1 aspect ratio 83' segment - maybe even too glossy. I don't have evidence that these were intentional production choices but it would seem logical. With over 5 hours of material on the dual-layered disc compression is 'pushed' and colors seem a bit dull but daylight scenes are much more impressive. This Blu-ray exports a clean, un-tampered, feel but at the lower end of the scale for 1080P brilliance although 83' does show some depth of field. Part of the obvious appeal here is having the entire trilogy on one disc - but with that comes a price. Overall, the image quality seems to be in-line with what those who have seen it previously might anticipate - slight improvement in detail grading upwards through the 3 segments and superior to the already released SD-DVD versions.

NOTE: Sent in email - (thanks Max!) "Just read your Red Riding review. The first film was shot on Super 16, the second on 35mm and the third one digitally on the Red, which explains the differences in look that you mention. Been waiting for ages for these, in the UK they've only released the DVDs so far. I can only recommend the books, by the way, they are amazing and I don't think the films will do them justice."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1983:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing is offered in HD but there are 2 track choices - a Dolby 2.0 channel stereo and a 5.1 surround option. Those more familiar with the deft separations of lossless won't notice much going on here but dialogue is clear and consistent - although the volume level needed cranking quite high - otherwise effect noise are fairly unremarkable. There is some nice background music - I recall some guitar riffs - but, generally the audio does not stand-out especially. The exception to this is Johnny Mathis' 'A Certain Smile' blaring with deep resonance in the first part. I tested some scenes with both the stereo and surround and I did note a slight difference in the range - but it wasn't dramatic - or perhaps my ears are spoiled by DTS-HD. English and Spanish, bright yellow, smallish font, subtitles are offered and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
I watched this over 2 nights and enjoyed it thoroughly - certainly it seems worthy of its theatrical release. Intentional or not - the three segments flow together extremely well with purposeful pacing despite each having a different director... with different styles. There are shades of many intriguing serial killer films including Fincher's Zodiac with inclusion of an intrepid rookie journalist moving through police politics + inefficiency and a string of unsolved murders, in this case children, that lasts almost 15 years. There is a curious appeal here and my Blu-ray supported the presentation intent well. I can see revisiting The Red Riding Trilogy again - I think being more prepared for it would improve my appreciation which is already quite substantial. I liked the investigations but found the police corruption angle an unwelcome distraction. You do have to pay attention to Red Riding. Despite the digital limitations- we still endorse. 

Gary Tooze

August 19th, 2010