The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
90
Studio and Year: Disney - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 150 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 7.1 Master Audio, French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Gloria Reuben
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Music by: John Williams
Written by: Tony Kusher
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 26, 2013
"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
Film Synopsis:
My Take:
Lincoln is inspired by the true-life events that confronted President Abraham Lincoln during his monumental moral and political challenge to amend the United States Constitution to permanently abolish slavery.
Parental Guide:
Lincoln, is a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, President Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, re-unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
“Lincoln” is rich and compelling in its description of the historical events surrounding President Lincoln’s quest to end the ferocious bloodshed of the civil war by eliminating the motivation behind it, slavery. The film provides a fly on the wall perspective that closely extols the efforts of the president, his staff and the members of congress that saw the passing of one of the most critical amendments ever to be made to the U.S. Constitution. This is a character driven film that bristles with layered rhetoric, wink and nod interplay and textured drama. In that vein it might seem slow moving but dividends are paid in the unfolding narrative that paints in fine strokes which portray the dilemmas faced by the president, the shared pain between he and Mary (over the loss of their son Willie), the politically driven maneuvering and personal sacrifices that made it possible.
Lincoln is a superbly crafted, dutifully executed and marvelously enacted film with a historically significant effervescence. Melodrama isn’t used to underscore the proceedings but at the same time the context is imbued with a dramatic flair that subtly permeates every aspect. The supporting cast is littered with talented actors all of whom play their respective parts with passion and credibility. The primary players in David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field and to a slightly lesser degree James Spader are standouts in their support of Daniel Day-Lewis whose Oscar winning performance is in a word, remarkable. The production is top notch as everything from the make-up/costumes to the set designs to the cinematography is first rate.
Lincoln is an indelible film not only because of its historical significance but because of care and devotion that went into its making. The result is a wonderful and engaging cinematic experience justly deserving of the accolades bestowed upon it.
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 extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Lincoln comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 36 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate 4 Mbps.
This film utilizes a stylized visual design that is meant to create a period specific aesthetic to support its thematic elements. The predominating palette is limited to what appears very nearly to be black and white mixed with a little color which results in a sort of muted sepia. According secondary colors such as brown and blue are muted while grays and whites appear delineated. Looking at films from a “colorless” perspective is something that can take a little getting used. It isn’t an issue for me which allowed me to appreciate this nuanced presentation. Blacks are deep, with appreciable gradations and dynamic highlights that surface when onscreen with mixed light/dark content.
This is a predominantly dark film that contains many sequences shot in low lit environs and natural lighting. While there is some loss of visibility in dark backgrounds contrast and brightness levels aren’t overdriven and work in tandem to preserve detail in dark and light elements onscreen. The applied filtering and cinematography can occasionally have an effect on perceived resolution however images onscreen appear lucid and sharp. Close ups reveal lots of fine detail in the faces, hair and clothing worn by the cast members. Some have expressive faces that reveal every crack, furrowed brow and wrinkle. Long range shots aren’t resolved quite as well but appear dimensionally satisfying. A light veil of grain imparts a film like texture that is never intrusive. This is an excellent high definition presentation that is revealing of the high production elements used in the film.
This is primarily a dialogue driven film however there are elements in the film that require use of the entire system so its ability to clearly render them is essential. Dialogue is reproduced with transparent realism and lucid texture as it is appropriately balanced within the front soundstage. The surround mix utilizes the entire platform to recreate the many acoustic sounds associated with the environments portrayed onscreen. The rear channels contain a mixture of spatial ambience/musical extension as well as directional panning cues that effectively support the front soundstage. This is an understated yet enriching audio presentation that mates perfectly with the source material.
Bonus Features:
Disc 1:
- Feature Film
- (HD) The journey to Lincoln – 9 minute featurette
- (HD) A historical tapestry – 4 minute featurette
Disc 2:
- (HD) In the company of character – 10 minute featurette
- (HD) Crafting the past – 10 minute featurette
- (HD) Living with Lincoln – 27 minute featurette
- (HD) In Lincoln’s footsteps – 16 minute featurette
- Bonus DVD
- Digital Copy Bonus Disc
Final Thoughts:
Lincoln is a superbly crafted, dutifully executed and marvelously enacted film inspired by the true-life events that confronted President Abraham Lincoln during his monumental moral and political challenge to amend the United States Constitution to permanently abolish slavery. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring excellent high definition video, involving lossless surround sound and a fair supplemental package the looks behind the scenes including insights from the cast and filmmakers. Lincoln is an indelible film experience that comes highly recommended on Blu-ray.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
I had just noticed that Ralph listed a 3.5 for LFE.
