Source Japan | Publisher : GAGA Communications | Release date 31 March 2023
Video format
2160p24 – Ratio 2.35
HDR10 / BT.2020 – HEVC encoding
Master intermediate 4K
Soundtrack
English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles
Japanese
Rated 4 out of 5
Artistic : 9 | Video : 8.5 | Audio : 9
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers that, in addition to the specified and used viewing equipment, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence notation. In addition, the images (extracted from a free-of-rights image bank and the site caps-a-holic) serve as an illustration and cannot be considered representative of the edition tested.
Test equipment and condition (Config. HP: 5.1.4)
Video broadcaster : Sony Bravia XR-65A95L (Professional HDR)
Sources : Oppo UDP-203 Audiocom Reference | Zappiti Reference
Pregnant : Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar (DTS Neural:X), SVS SB-4000
WORK - Face to face
Autumn 1942. A single city still separates Hitler from the total victory in Europe. Let it fall and the war will be won. Vassili Zaisev, a young Russian soldier with an amazing shooting address, becomes the hero of a flaming propaganda. The German staff sent his best sniper, Major König, to shoot him. Between these two men engages a merciless duel...
Despite some clichés, this harsh, harsh and humanist war drama that avoids easy manicheism approaches the Battle of Stalingrad From the angle of the snipers... Then by means of a patient and silent hunt absolutely exciting, plunges us into the heart of the conflict while relaying backstage propaganda not without probe the torments of the human soul.
The means follow, the staging is remarkable (the composition of the plans is superb), the decrepy atmosphere of the city is well restored, the action scenes are intense, the romance is beautiful and the actors (Jude Law, Ed Harris, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz) deliver a solid score. Big movie!
« Bavarian aristocrat hunting the deer against the little shepherd of the Urals bracing the wolf. It is more than a duel between two men, it is the symbol of class struggle. »
IMAGE - Eye in viewfinder
From a new 4K scan of the original 35 mm negatives initiated by Paramount, this UHD HDR10 transfer supported by a resistant bitrate of 63.49 Mbps seems to better reflect the vision of the director and his chief operator Robert Fraisse (Ronin) that its aging counterpart 1080p. And if he doesn't try to get us full of it, it's to better immerse ourselves in the muddy, concrete hell of the Stalingrad battlefields...
Occasional dirt is from ancient history, the definition leaps forward (from sharper backgrounds), the plans recover many details (the pores of the skin, the fibers of uniforms, the walls of bricks), and the wrapping of mist and smoke no longer to endure the whims of compression (video noise is no longer fighting). As for the silver texture, it displays with a certain refinement even though it seems obvious that a light DNR has been applied (because far too discreet for a Super 35 format).
The colorimetric palette, less grossly desaturated (invasive snow grey tones are now under control), takes advantage of revived primary (red flags and yellow sand are so much more saturated that they seem to use the Technicolor process) and a warmer carnation. As far as contrasts are concerned, still a little weak here and there, the increased density of blacks contributes to a better demarcation of shadows and the higher intensity of light sources brings a lot of realism to the high luminances (starting with flames).
SON - Duel of the Fates
More likely to favor the frontal scene despite the subtle atmospheres (the decomposition of the ruins) and the expected warrior effects (machine gun fire) that the surrounds diffuse, this VO encoded in DTS-HD MA 5.1 avenges us from its anemic during Dolby TrueHD 5.1 enlisted by the Blu-ray US. On the ground, much more spectacular than in the past, it delivers a mixture that is generally fished...
The voices are well integrated and delivered with clarity (even when the protagonists whisper), the solemn score both sensitive and bitter of James Horner benefit from a serious presence, immersion is done quietly thanks to a good directivity and pyrotechnics, which makes the walls tremble by the impact of the shots and explosions (cf. the blast of the bombardments), using regularly charged bass (in particular during the last battle).
CONCLUSION - Everything is ruined
In the city of Stalingrad, forever marked by the brutality of armed conflicts, two nations clash through the reduced sight of two hunters bearing the hope of their camp. Bullets whistle, romance is born and ideologies cross, under the expert objective of a Jean-Jacques Annaud who on the eastern front delivers his We have to save Private Ryan.... Even more intensely immersive on 4K Ultra HD support (a/V combative)!
[...] in this major work by Jean-Jacques Annaud (L