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Jonathan Livingston Seagull
R1 - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak and Chrisana Love (27th October 2007). |
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The Film
 Getting its DVD release just in time for Christmas, this 1973 film based on the bestselling novella by Richard D. Bach (inspired by John H. Livingston, one of the U.S's top pilots, winning 79 races from 1928 : 1933) is about a seagull named Jonathon. Funny that. Jonathon is a curious young gull, bored with life in the flock and looking to explore. His passion for flying (unlike the other gulls) and attempt to fly higher than the rest of the flock arouses the wrath of the elders and he is subsequently banished. This suits him fine, and he takes off to explore life away from the confines of the pack. Being made in 1973 (although it seems dated now) has its advantages for this film. Being pre-computer animation, it actually features real footage of real birds. The cinematography is actually quite stunning....so much so it got itself an Oscar nomination for it. Apparently Bach fought with the studios to keep them from animating the gull's mouths to make them "speak" (thankfully). But, unfortunately the voice actors still fail in this. It's all a little too earnest, and comes across like a bad radio play. It's a pity today's kids have had so much sub-par cg animation thrown at them by the big studios (who have been pumping half arsed films out for a while now) as I'm sure any self respecting young-in would these days balk at this film, which is unfortunate given the themes at play. I suspect a film which is really about an unwillingness to conform to the rules of the pack, escaping the flock and seeking out knowledge unapproved by the elders, may have been softened somewhat by Disney or any similar studio (can't encourage those kiddies to have any independent thought) although I would not be surprised if this was given a turgid Disney makeover complete with animated seagull mouths, just in time for next Christmas, especially in the wake of (shudder) "Happy Feet" (2006). Despite being a little too jaded to fully appreciate "the message" (written in the 1960's, it's full of hope and optimism and wonder and all that s**t) it actually penetrated my hardened bitter shell and appealed to the loner in me. Although I get the feeling it was designed to appeal to my inner child? I think (ultimately) my inner child (being alive and well) may have just flipped this film the bird... The Neil Diamond soundtrack (you can pick up a copy in any good second hand shop for around 50 cents) may be a little grating to some, but having actually attended the last Neil Diamond concert and witnessing so many elderly people so happy in one place I could definitely appreciate its cheese covered charm. So: Is this movie for children? I guess it was intended for children when it was made...but now those who were children/young adults when the book was written will probably be its biggest audience. May be a good Christmas present for your Mom...or your Grandmother...
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 this anamorphic widescreen transfer is very good for a film made 34 years ago. The image is quite sharp with only a few instances of softness, detail is solid and really brings out the striking features of the photography especially the ocean vistas captured. Colors are vibrant and well represented and the only problems I encountered was some minor dirt the occasional speck and some film grain which isn't too much of big deal. Overall it's a good transfer that presents the film quite well.
Audio
Two audio tracks are included in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono as well as French Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its English soundtrack. There isn't much dialogue in this film even the narrated voices aren't as frequent, the same can be said for sound effects although some ambient sound is included the main driving force behind this soundtrack is the score which comes across quite well considering the limitations of a 2.0 Mono mix, while a 5.1 track would have been a welcomed addition to this release the Mono track actually does a decent job and the music is mixed with enough impact to make its mark. Optional subtitles are included only in English.
Extras
None!
Overall
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