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Silent Night
R2 - United Kingdom - Odyssey Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (29th October 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.*** Linda Hamilton stars as Elizabeth, a German woman spending Christmas with her young son in the Ardennes. However, her plans are interrupted by three escaped American POWs seeking sanctuary. When the Germans chasing them also turn up, all parties are forced to spend the night together and discover that they have more in common than they thought.
Video
Independent British distributor Odyssey previously released "Silent Night" way back in 2003. This 2014 re-release appears to be identical in every way apart from menu design and cover art, with the transfer provided in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. It's an average effort. The opening scenes of the film have a number of jagged edges, but this is a problem that seems to target only a couple of scenes taking place outside of Elisabeth Vincken's Ardennes home - most notably around soldiers in the snow, and the trees in the background. Details vary wildly, but for the most part, are quite good. Close-ups of the army uniforms reveal stitching and anomalies, whilst the fluff protruding from Fritz Vincken's jumper also makes itself clear. The feature has quite a heavy grain structure, which can become noisy in some of the darker scenes and the level of grain is quite inconsistent, with surprisingly variable levels - even between camera angles in the same segments. Skin tones are natural throughout, though the heavy use of various greens and blacks do fall victim to some minor colour bleeding from time to time. There are a couple of flecks in the print at times, but nothing disastrous. The film is uncut, and runs 86:11.
Audio
Odyssey have provided us with a single audio option here; English/German Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (224kbps). To be honest, it may as well be a dual mono track as there isn't really much in the way of noticeable channel separation at all. Dialogue isn't always quite as clear as it perhaps should be, with the occasional line sounding slightly mumbled. The film doesn't really utilise the score, letting the silence often speak volumes. Sound effects, such as wind, and the jingle of Christmas decorations as they are put on the tree, tend to sound flat, not adding much depth to the track. There's no damage noticeable at any time such as scratches or pops, and no background hiss is present. English subtitles are available, but for German dialogue only. They are burnt-in to the print.
Extras
None.
Overall
"Silent Night" is good TV-movie-of-the-week daytime fodder. If you're a fan of any of the cast, it's worth giving a go, but don't expect technical brilliance when it comes to the A/V.
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