4K Ultra HD – Edit DE – Capelight Pictures – 129 min – 13 Aug 2021
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 4K
• Standard HDR: HDR10+
• Ratio: 2.35
Soundtrack
• Korean DTS-HD MA 5.1
• German DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles
• German
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers as well as the viewing equipment specified and used by each tester of the MaG team, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence the rating. Moreover, the images in the article are not representative of the edition tested.
WORK – Eye for eye, tooth for tooth
Young deaf and dumb, Ryu is ready to do anything to save her sister who desperately needs a kidney transplant. Since he is not a compatible donor and does not have the means to pay for the operation, Ryu turns to organ traffickers, but finds himself with a less kidney and almost more money. His friend, a pure and hard anarchist, convinced him to kidnap the daughter of the rich Dongjim, to obtain the ransom that will finance the operation. This act will mark the beginning of a dark spiral where revenge will call for another...
Social drama to cold violence and disillusioned romanticism, this human tragedy with brilliant narration, high-tenure interpretation and aesthetic staging demonstrates that love blinds when its characters, complex and anchored in our reality, will be guided by pain, despair and revenge by gradually forgetting the consequences of their actions. A black pearl that gets to the throat!
IMAGE – Neither white nor black
This UHD HDR10+ transfer from a 4K master is so much more enlightened, clear, colorful and bold than in the past, that it is completely different from its HD counterpart (the Blu-ray released by HK Video on May 02, 2012) but in the end, dixit Capelight Pictures, more faithful to its director's artistic approach.
Smooth and fads in comparison, the images taken from the old master 1080p find a more authentic 35 mm texture, a lot of details (good-bye DNR) and vibrant colours. Warmer, richly saturated (Ryu's green hair) and covered with an unprecedented cyan colour, they are accompanied by much more contrasts « violent » (ink blacks and bright whites) and incredibly more intense light sources (reflections on the water, night lighting of the city, etc.).
But as before, several digital artifacts (softenings and/or blocks of pixels in the background) make their appearances here from there! However, as they have been there for years, this parasitic presence must be « anchored » at the source. On the other hand, the few vertical features that come « bitch » a particular sequence should have been cleaned.
SON – The strength of the unsaid
A harmonious mix encoded in DTS-HD MA 5.1 that mixes skillfully dialogues (not many), atmospheres (volunteerly stifled sometimes) and music (enveloping even if it is rare).
The spatialization is remarkable (see the noise nuisances of the neighbourhood), the deep low frequencies, the still intelligible voices and the fragrant dynamic range.
CONCLUSION – It's the final fight!
Vertiginous descent to hell where tension and horror go crescendo, the inaugural part of the Trilogy of vengeance sees the bitter impact of his moral choices tenfold in 4K Ultra HD!
Artistic note
9
Video quality
7.5
Audio quality
8.5
0
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