Firstly, a HUGE thanks to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential. We are always trying to expand Patron benefits... you get access to the Silent Auctions and over 5000 unpublished screen captures (in lossless PNG format, if that has appeal for you) listed HERE. Please consider helping with $3 or more each month so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you so much. We aren't going to exist without another 100 or so patrons.


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r


(aka "La promesse de l'aube" or "Promise at Dawn")

 

Directed by Eric Barbier
France / Belgium 2017

 

From his difficult childhood in Poland to his adolescence under Nice’s sun, to his career in the air force in Africa during World War II... Romain Gary has lived an extraordinary life. He owes this relentless enterprise to live a thousand lives, to become a great man and a famous writer, to his mother Nina. It’s the wild love of his eccentric and endearing mother that drives him to become one of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century, to lead a life full of twists, passion, and mystery. But this unconditional maternal love will also be a burden that he bears his whole life... Promise at Dawn is the film adaptation of Romain Gary’s best-selling autobiographical novel.

***

From his childhood in Poland to his adolescence in Nice to his years as a student in Paris and his tough training as a pilot during World War II, this tragi-comedy tells the romantic story of Romain Gary, one of the most famous French novelists and sole writer to have won the Goncourt Prize for French literature two times.

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 14th, 2017 (Busan International Film Festival)

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Menemsha Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Menemsha Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 2:10:32.491         
Video

2.39:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 43,166,232,552 bytes

Feature: 40,857,686,016 bytes

Video Bitrate: 35.98 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 French 1880 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1880 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio French 1557 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1557 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Menemsha Films

 

2.39:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 43,166,232,552 bytes

Feature: 40,857,686,016 bytes

Video Bitrate: 35.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Trailer (2:12)


 Blu-ray Release Date: June 30th, 2020
 Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 13

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Menemsha Films Blu-ray (June 2020): Menemsha Films through Kino's distributing have transferred Eric Barbier's Promise at Dawn (La promesse de l'aube) to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate for the 2+-hour film. This gorgeously shot film (Glynn Speeckaert) has an epic-production feel and looks stunning in 1080P. This is a rich visual film, using shadows and light brilliantly that translates beautifully to 1080P. It was shot in Italy, Morocco, Hungary and Belgium. Both an impressive looking film and HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 76 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Menemsha Films offers the option of DTS-HD Master tracks (16-bit) in 5.1 surround or 2.0 channel stereo -in the original French language (with some Polish, Spanish and English.) There are some war (bomb, planes, gunfire) related effects that comes across well in the surround with some deft separations. Although not credited with the score there are 4 pieces composed by Max Richter (Wadjda, Lore, Waltz With Bashir), sounding tight and, predictably, clean in the lossless. Menemsha Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

The Menemsha Blu-ray includes only a trailer (and trailers for other films) as a supplement. I'm really taken with this film and obviously would have loved to see more - interviews, commentary etc.

When I view a film as exceptional as Eric Barbier's Promise at Dawn I criticize myself for not knowing of its existence. How did this epic get by my radar? Where have I been? Personally, it evoked memories of Anthony Minghella's The English Patient. A remarkable man's story during wartime - there is also humor. Not of the same grandeur of Joe Wright's Atonement, but in that sphere. Pierre Niney is wonderful in a career-defining performance as Roman Kacew. So is the always amazing Charlotte Gainsbourg as his headstrong mother Nina. I'm so glad that Menemsha did their Blu-ray video presentation to the maximum. This film gets our highest recommendation! I was blown away.

Gary Tooze

 

Menus / Extras

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Menemsha Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!