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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Ash Mayfair
Vietnam 2018

 

A winner of the Spike Lee Production Fund, and inspired by the history of director Ash Mayfair s family, The Third Wife is a coming-of-age story; a tale of love and self-discovery in a time when women were rarely given a voice.

In the late 19th century in rural Vietnam, fourteen-year-old May is given away in an arranged marriage and becomes the third wife to her older husband. May learns that she can gain status and security if she gives birth to a male child. This becomes a real possibility when she gets pregnant. However, her path is fraught with danger when May starts to develop an attraction for Xuan, the second wife. As May observes the unfolding tragedy of forbidden love and its devastating consequences, she must make a choice, to either carry on in silence and safety, or forge a way towards personal freedom.

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At 14, May (Nguyen Phuong Tra My) travels up river to marry a man she has never met and start a new life on his family’s silk plantation. The household, which includes servants, her husband’s two other wives and their children, is a place where intimacy and cruelty can be hard to tell apart. It’s the center of a world rendered with pathos and somewhat prurient fascination in “The Third Wife,” Ash Mayfair’s finespun debut feature.

The setting is 19th-century Vietnam, which Mayfair, who was born in Ho Chi Minh City and studied film at New York University, renders with delicate precision. May’s new home, in a steep valley with flowering trees and airy wooden buildings, is both paradise and prison. Governed by rigid, patriarchal customs and rituals, her daily routines also make room for solitude and even pleasure. The two senior wives, Lao (Nguyen Nhu Quynh Le) and Xuan (Mai Thu Huong), welcome her with big-sisterly advice about sex, childbirth and domestic politics.

Excerpt from NYTimes located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 7th, 2018

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Eureka (Montage Pictures) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:
Distribution Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:32:12.527        
Video

1.5:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 29,373,732,847 bytes

Feature: 28,112,104,896 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio Vietnamese 1885 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1885 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
LPCM Audio Vietnamese 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Eureka

 

1.5:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 29,373,732,847 bytes

Feature: 28,112,104,896 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Trailer (2:10)
 • PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by David West, news editor at NEO magazine

DVD


 Blu-ray Release Date: August 19th, 2019
 Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 10

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Eureka Blu-ray (August 2019): Eureka have transferred Ash Mayfair’'s The Third Wife to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate and looks exceptional. The image quality supports the exquisite cinematography by Chananun Chotrungroj. I don't know where The Third Wife was shot but segments are evocative of the Hạ Long Bay with the turquoise water color. Lines are tight and colors rich and impressive - kudos to the art direction. Contrast is in the upper tier and the, unusual, 1.5:1 aspect ratio provides a mesmerizing presentation in 1080P.

On their Blu-ray, Eureka offer the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track or a linear PCM stereo track (both 16-bit) in the original Vietnamese language. The film does not challenge for much separation (some nature, water, fireworks) but both tracks export a clear, clean sound. The traditional music-related score is by An Ton That, sounding a almost as gorgeous as the video is beautiful. Eureka offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Eureka Blu-ray has only a trailer and a liner notes booklet featuring a new essay by David West, news editor at NEO magazine. There is a second disc DVD included.

The Third Wife immediately reminds one of the cinema of Ahn Hung Tran (The Scent of Green Papaya, The Vertical Ray of the Sun) and this even has his wife, Nu Yên-Khê Tran. This is a marvelous debut film for Mayfair - a simply ravishing film -and the Eureka Blu-ray. provides a stellar presentation. A strong recommendation! 

Gary Tooze

 

Menus / Extras

 

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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:
Distribution Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


 


 

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