Check out our review of The Railway man, the story of a former British Army officer, who was tormented as a prisoner of war at a Japanese labor camp during World War II. Later in life he discovers that the man responsible for much of his treatment is still alive and sets out to confront him.
The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
92
Details:
Studio and Year: Anchor Bay - 2013
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 108 minutes
Genre: Drama
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård
Directed by: Jonathan Teplitzky
Music by: David Hirschfelder
Written by: Frank Cottrell Boyce and Andy Paterson (screenplay), Eric Lomax (Book)
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: August 12, 2014
"Based on the best selling book by Eric Lomax"
My Take:
When reading the description on its packaging, The Railway Man sounds a bit like The Bridge Over The River Kwai, but an extension where we see the post traumatic stress of the POW's many years later. It is the true story of Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) and is based on his book. Lomax was an Allied prisoner of war who was forced to work on the construction of the Thai/Burma railway during World War 2. We meet Lomax later in life as he falls in love with Patti (Nicole Kidman). As Patti starts to see that Eric is still mentally tormented by his experience, she vows to help him rid his demons. When she learns that the Japanese officer who abused and tormented her Husband 40 years earlier is still alive, she faces a life changing decision-- Tell him and stand by him no matter what he does, or keep this to herself?
This is heavy stuff that plays out natural because of great performance by Firth and Kidman. Never once did I squawk at the weight of melodrama here as the films pacing between real time and flashbacks of the prison camp flowed so well. I was engaged with this mans mental fight, hoping him well and being frustrated and wanting revenge on the Japanese officer myself. What really struck me was how this film about torment, torture and revenge was really about love, hope and ultimately a great exercise in humanity. Coupled with striking cinematography and a great score from David Hirschfelder (Australia, Elizabeth) this a film not to be missed.
Parental Guide:
This film contains disturbing prisoner of war violence.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency effects:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
- Low frequency extension * (non-rated element): NA
Video: 94
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black Level/Shadow Detail:
- Color Reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
The Railway Man comes to Blu-ray Disc from Anchor Bay featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 26.8 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.2 Mbps.
The Railway Man is a filmic and gorgeous transfer that is a must see for film aficionados. Besides a few shots that were a tad soft most every frame was striking with fine details on everything in the back and foreground. Colors pop and help the onscreen dimension dig even deeper. Black levels are spot on as are its shadow details. This is one not to miss.
The films Lossless audio track is of equal caliber with its impressive soundtrack playing with dynamics and bombast when needed and creating a chilling feeling at proper times. Dialogue is always discernible and the environments natural atmosphere plays precise out of effect channels. Dynamic range matches the onscreen dimension as the LFE rumbles when needed and high end is crisp and their differential is apparent. Thick sounding is a quick and dirty description.
Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Jonathan Teplitzky and Co-Writer/Producer Andy Paterson
- (HD) The Making of The Railway Man
- Digital HD Copy
Final Thoughts:
The Railway Man is a remarkable film and it is a crime that this has gone under the radar. Colin Firth is as strong as ever, the direction and cinematography are great as is the films script. This is not to be missed and is a relic of a time when films and drama were much more appreciated. Anchor Bays transfer is fantastic and I highly recommend this one!
Lee Weber
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D 1080p 3D High Definition Front Projector
Screen Innovations Gamma Maestro 4K 138" 2.35:1 Acoustically Transparent Screen
Da-Lite Pro Imager Projector Screen Masking Syste
Yamaha CX-A5000 Pre/Pro
Parasound Halo A51 & A21 7x250
Sony BDP-S790 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Triad Gold LCR's
Triad Silver Surrounds x4
Triad Bronze Subwoofers x4
Panamorph DC1 Anamorphic Lens
AudioQuest Wires
Panasonic TC-P65ZT60 3D 1080p Plasma
Anthem MRX-310-AV Receiver
Sony BDP-S790 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
MKSound MP-7 LCR's
MKSound SUR-55T Surrounds
Triad Bronze Subwoofer