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Inspector De Luca: The Complete Series AKA Il commissario De Luca (TV)
R2 - United Kingdom - Arrow Films Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (8th April 2014). |
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The Show
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the show from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** As seen on the BBC. Between 1938 and 1948, from the height of Italy’s Fascist regime to the end of the tumultuous post-war period, Chief Detective De Luca investigates and solves crimes in the City of Bologna and along the Adriatic coast. With little or no regard for those in power, whoever they happen to be, his solitary, uncompromising character often lands him in trouble, but his respect is reserved for the truth and justice alone. In the four TV movies of the series - “Unauthorized Investigation”, “Carte Blanche”, “The Damned Season” and “Via Della Oche” – each taken from a novel by best-selling mystery Carlo Lucarelli – Chief Detective De Luca always ultimately gets to the bottom of his cases, though what he finds leaves a bitter aftertaste. *Episodes 1-2 on disc one, 3-4 on disc two.
Video
Independent British distributor Arrow Films have released all four episodes of the Italian detective show "Inspector De Luca" onto DVD using the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer uses an anamorphic transfer, and is distinctly average. With the show being set in Italy during wartime, the colour scheme really makes use of the Adriatic settings by using many light shades with a slightly soft feel, which sets the tone well. Unfortunately, the transfer doesn't showcase the best detail for a show which is less than ten years old. A lot of background details do not have particularly great clarity, and small items can often look fuzzy or blocky. Blacks are generally deep, but on occasion feel a little washed out. If you've ever seen the countless repeats of "Miss Marple" or "Poirot" episodes on ITV4, you'll have an idea of how "Inspector De Luca" looks. As far as damage goes, I didn't notice anything apart from the occasional speck, and some very minor aliasing / edge enhancement. There are no major blemishes or scratches. It might not be as good a transfer as one would hope, but it's certainly adequate. I imagine it looks as good as the source material allows. The discs are region 2 encoded, and according to the BBFC website, the episodes are uncut.
Audio
Arrow Films have provided a single audio track in the show's original language; Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. It's not going to win any awards, but it sounds fine. As is usually the case with television shows which have been given a simple 2.0 track, channel separation is kept to a minimum, but when it is utilised, it is done well. Dialogue is clear at all times, and volume levels are consistent throughout. There are no surprises with the track - it sounds just like it did during the original British broadcast on BBC4. As to be expected, there are no scratches or drop outs, and I noticed no signs of background hiss. English subtitles are included, but they are hardcoded and not optional.
Extras
Just a couple of start-up trailers on disc one: - "Nordic Noir" range (0:40) - "Salamander: Season 1" (1:30)
Overall
If you enjoy period detective dramas, then this is likely right up your alley and worth picking up.
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