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Hitler: The Last Ten Days [Blu-ray]
(Ennio De Concini, 1973)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Tomorrow Entertainment Video: Olive Films
Disc: Region: 'A' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:45:48.884 Disc Size: 24,649,058,905 bytes Feature Size: 24,447,762,432 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.09 Mbps Chapters: 9 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: September 22nd, 2015
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 2090 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2090 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles: • None
Extras: • None
Bitrate:
Description:
Alec Guinness takes center
stage as Adolf Hitler in director Ennio De Concini’s (Daniel
and Maria) Hitler: The Last Ten Days. Leading up to
Hitler’s suicide, the film recounts the final days of
strategizing and infighting among the Fuhrer’s closest
advisors, as well as his relationship with Eva Braun (Doris
Kunstmann, Funny Games) within the confines of the
infamous underground bunker. Alec Guinness’ performance
offers the viewer a rare look inside the mind of a mad man –
manic, irrational, contemplative and eventually defeated, as
the Third Reich crumbled before his eyes. Director De
Concini’s Hitler: The Last Ten Days, scripted by
Gerhardt Bolt, Ennio De Concini, Maria Pia Fusco, Ivan
Moffat and Wolfgang Reinhardt, features an international
cast that includes Simon Ward (The Three Musketeers),
Adolfo Celi (Thunderball),
Joss Ackland (The
Hunt For Red October), Philip Stone (The
Shining), Diane Cilento (Tom Jones) and
Sheila Gish (Mansfield Park).
The Film: Alec Guinness plays against stereotype, imbuing his Adolf Hitler with an introverted solemnity in Ennio De Concini's Hitler: The Last Ten Days. Set almost entirely inside Hitler's Berlin bunker, the film chronicles the dying days of the Third Reich as the Allied armies close in on Berlin. Guinness's Hitler is an enclosed depressive who sinks slowly into madness, depression, and ultimately suicide as his 1,000-Year Reich collapses around him. Excerpt from MRQE located HERE
IN LATE APRIL, 1945, the real estate under the control of Germany's
1,000-year Reich had shrunk to a crumbling perimeter around the Berlin
Chancellery. Below it, protected by 18 metres of steel-reinforced
concrete, the delusional Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was planning the
construction of a lavish cultural capital in the already Allied-occupied
city of Linz. Ever fascinating are the what-might-have-beens of history.
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Hitler: The Last Ten Days arrives on Blu-ray from Olive Films. This is only single-layered and the film seems quite, intentionally, gritty. Colors are rich and thee is some texture. The visuals lack consistency even beyond the very rough black and white archival footage being used. There is no real depth but this is all certainly watchable in the original 1.78:1 aspect ratio without fatal flaws. The Blu-ray improved the presentation over an SD rendering but the production limitations leave it somewhat 'wanting' in HD expectations.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Audio is transferred to a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 2090 kbps. There are explosions and other 'war-related' effects but they are usually in the background and not in need of exporting significant depth. The score is by Mischa Spoliansky (Saint Joan) but is sparsely utilized although there is quite a classical flourish in the finale. In fact it is all pretty unremarkable but dialogue is audible. There are no subtitles and m y Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.
Extras : No supplements - not even a trailer which is the bare-bones route that Olive are going with the majority of their releases. Some form of discussion could have increased appreciation.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze September 19th, 2015 |
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 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 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
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find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. 60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD
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