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Rams aka Hrútar [Blu-ray]
(Grímur Hákonarson, 2015)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Aeroplan Film Video: Soda Pictures
Disc: Region: 'B' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:32:37.468 Disc Size: 43,704,924,258 bytes Feature Size: 29,637,150,720 bytess Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps Chapters: 12 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: May 30th, 2016
Video: Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio Icelandic 3282 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3282 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio Icelandic 2046 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2046 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras: • BFI Q&A with director Grímur Häkonarson (30:45)• Grímur Häkonarson's short film "Wrestling" (2007, 22:26) • Trailer (1:28) • Reversible sleeve
Bitrate:
Description: In a secluded valley in Iceland, brothers Gummi and Kiddi live side by side, tending to their prized ancestral sheep. But a long-term grudge means that they haven’t spoken to each other for four decades, passing messages via the sheep dog. When a lethal ovine disease suddenly appears in the valley, the authorities move in to cull all of the livestock. But Gummi and Kiddi don’t give up easily and each brother tries to stave off the disaster in his own fashion: Kiddi by using his rifle and Gummi by using his wits. As the authorities close in the brothers will need to come together to save the special breed of sheep passed down for generations - and themselves - from extinction.
The Film:
The perfect tale for a cold winter’s night, Rams tells the story
of two brothers. Their names are terribly long and Icelandic, so let’s
call them Gummi and Kiddi, which makes them sound like lesser-known
cousins of the Marx brothers.
Even though they live in rural Iceland, thousands of miles from the Holy
Land, and in a modern reality of computers and mechanized farm
equipment, Gummi and Kiddi have a decidedly Old Testament vibe. It’s not
just the untended beards and the well-tended sheep. The two men, who
live on neighboring farms in a quiet valley, are feuding brothers,
locked in a sibling rivalry that recalls Jacob and Esau or Cain and
Abel. The sources of the bad blood are never specified, but it trickles
though “Rams,” Grimur Hakonarson’s new film, like an icy stream. Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Rams gets a dual-layered max'ed-out transfer to Blu-ray from Soda Pictures. It was shot on HD (Arri Alexa) and shows the features of this versatile production method. The image is quite crisp - it does look a shade green to me - but not having seen the film theatrically - I really can't speak to the original appearance. Colors are realistic, not overly bright, and the screen captures should give you a fair idea as to the appearance of the UK 1080P rendering. There are some beautiful shots in Rams.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :The audio is transferred in DTS-HD Master with the option of a 5.1 surround or a 2.0 channel in the original Icelandic language. There are some farm-animal sounds but few demonstrative effects. The score is by Atli Örvarsson (Vantage Point) and is sparse but supported well by the lossless. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.
Extras : Supplements include a 1/2 hour BFI Q&A with director Grímur Häkonarson as well as a Häkonarson's short film "Wrestling" from 2007 running about 22-minutes. It's a love story about 2 gay wrestlers who keep their relationship a secret. There is also a trailer and the Soda Pictures package has a reversible sleeve.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze May 25th, 2016
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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
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
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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