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Diana (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Entertainment One Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (22nd March 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Celebrated and adored by millions, she was the Queen of people’s hearts, yet the bittersweet story of the last man to truly capture hers has never before been told. Princess Diana (Watts), at one time the most famous woman in the world, inspired a nation with her generosity, compassion and kindness - and in her final years she would meet the man who, in turn, inspired her. In a story that until now has remained untold, DIANA introduces a time in the Princess’s life that was uniquely important in shaping her final years, fulfilling her search for true happiness and sealing her legacy.
Video
Entertainment One have released the Lady Diana biopic (of her final few years) onto Blu-ray in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer receives an AVC MPEG-4 encode, and is 1080p. Overall, the transfer is good, but not great. Shot on 35mm film using an Arricam ZT camera, the feature maintains a film like look with minor grain visible throughout the run time. The transfer does seem a little warm at times, with skin tones perhaps a smidge darker than they should be, and although the majority of colours look good, sometimes the blacks aren't as dark as required. These minor issues make the film lack that bit of extra depth, though outdoor scenes, such as when Lady Diana walks across the landmine field to the reporters, look better than those shot in more enclosed spaces. Details are generally strong providing the figures are in the forefront, though background details sometimes lack clarity. As should be expected for such a new feature, there's no noticeable damage and only the occasional speck in the print. I noticed no aliasing, edge enhancement, digital noise reduction or banding. It's a solid, if slightly disappointing transfer. The feature runs 102:38.
Audio
Three audio options have been provided for this release: - English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 - English LPCM 2.0 Stereo - English Audio Description LPCM 2.0 Stereo For my viewing, I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which was solid. "Diana" is a film which is very much dialogue driven, and most of the scenes take place in enclosed spaces, so because of this, the surrounds take a little bit of a back seat. Still, they are well utilised for the score by Keefus Ciancia and David Holmes, and during the opening scenes, the score also makes subtle use the LFE. The surrounds are also used for some occasional crowd chatter, footsteps and other minor effects. There are no problems with the track such as drop outs or scratches, and background hiss was non-existent. Optional subtitles are available in English for the hard of hearing.
Extras
The only substantial extra in the package is a series of interviews with various members of the cast and crew which are available individually without a play all option: - Naomi Watts (9:17) - Naveen Andrews (5:48) - Douglas Hodge (3:55) - Charles Edwards (2:46) - director Oliver Hirschbiegel (8:46) - producer Robert Bernstein (6:37) - production designer Kave Quinn (3:24) - costume designer Julian Day (4:57) To be honest, these interviews don't really offer much. They aren't particularly in-depth, and the questions answered are pushed towards the promotional side of things, when it would've been nice to hear why certain things were given more weight in the story than others (we focus on relationships and the personal life, rather than her humanitarian work). Producer Robert Bernstein offers the most insight, but at six and a half minutes, its just not enough to satisfy. We also have some start-up trailers: - "Divergent" (2:23) - "Vampire Academy" (2:00) - "12 Years a Slave" (2:27) - "Dallas Buyers Club" (2:10)
Overall
Unfortunately, the film is a missed opportunity, playing out like a Mills & Boon novel and pushing aside many important aspects of Lady Diana's life. The disc itself features a solid technical presentation, but the extras packaging is limited and disappointing.
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