Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Commentary with Director Denis Villeneuve
• Remembering the Ashes: Incendies Through Their Eyes (44:08)

• Theatrical Trailer (2:08)

Second disc DVD

Bitrate:

 

Description: In the highly-acclaimed suspense thriller Incendies, a mother's dying wish creates a painful puzzle her children are forced to solve. At the reading of their mother's will, twins Jeanne and Simon are given instructions to locate the father they believed was dead and the brother neither knew existed. They travel to the Middle East, to piece together the story of the woman who brought them into the world only to make a shocking discovery.

***

When notary Lebel (Rémy Girard) sits down with Jeanne and Simon Marwan (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette) to... read them their mother's will Nawal (Lubna Azabal), the twins are stunned to receive a pair of envelopes one for the father they thought was dead and another for a brother they didn't know existed. With Lebel's help, the twins piece together the story of the woman who brought them into the world, discovering a tragic fate forever marked by war and hatred as well as the courage of an exceptional woman.

 

 

The Film:

That's the hook that will lead you into Incendies, a devastating mystery thriller from Quebec filmmaker Denis Villeneuve that grabs you hard and won't let go. Though the film moves from Canada to the Middle East and involves rape, murder and genocide, the crucial territory covered is fixed in the heart. Adapted from a play by the Lebanese-born Wajdi Mouawad, the film gathers momentum from its images, including the three dots Nawal tattooed on the heel of her missing son. I'll say no more. Incendies is best opened fresh. But there's no way that you'll get it out of your dreams.

Excerpt from Peter Travers at Rolling Stone located HERE

 

Denis Villeneuve’s “Incendies,” a film very much occupied with some of the grisly realities of recent history, nonetheless has the structure, and some of the atmosphere, of an ancient folk tale. It is a quest narrative, about children searching out the mysteries of their parentage, and also the story of a resourceful heroine, the mother of those children, surviving an almost unimaginable series of ordeals.

Excerpt from A.O. Scott at the NY Times located HERE

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

Incendies appears less crisp than many might be expecting from Blu-ray but it has a very consistent look which I suspect is an honest replication of the theatrical from what I have been able to determine. It is thick and dark. The commonly used Arriflex 535 camera with Kodak stock picks up some detail and there is depth apparent. Colors appear authentic. Grain/noise is a bit blotchy in the background but the overall presentation is a positive one. This is dual-layered with a decent bitrate for the over 2-hour film. Contrast is at a solid level for hi-def. The camera is very kinetic and has few static representations - and the impressive cinematography is a key element. This is a great film and the Blu-ray probably looks like Incendies was intended and it advances well beyond any SD capabilities.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio comes in the form of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 3220 kbps 5.1 in the original French with some Arabic languages in the film. The lossless rendering is excellent supplying healthy depth to aggressions and subtle separations sneaking to the rear speakers. The original score by Grégoire Hetzel (A Christmas Tale) carries well through the film supporting the intensities and more contemplative sequences. There are optional English subtitles and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked although it is simultaneously released in Region 'B' in the UK.

Extras :

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Incendies, based on the play Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad, is quite draining - and is an expertly crafted film producing a memorable cinema experience. This is an important work and one you would want to see benefiting from the best possible presentation with viable elements like the cinematography standing as an important feature. The Blu-ray does that well in my opinion. I consider this a must-see film. 

Gary Tooze

September 6th, 2011

 

 

Coming to 4K UHD in the UK in September 2024: