Video:
The Twilight Samurai is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85.1 and is enhanced for anamorphic television sets. The picture is nice and sharp with great color definition and rich, deep black levels. Flesh tones look lifelike and natural and there is a high level of detail throughout. Compression artifacts are never a problem and there is only a slight hint of edge enhancement that peeks out in a few scenes to complain about, and one or two interior scenes that look just a shade too dark. Having seen this title before via a ‘gray market’ release last year, there’s no comparison and the difference in picture quality alone makes this release well worth the upgrade for those of you out there who may also have acquired the aforementioned bootleg.
Sound:
There are three audio tracks on this release – Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1, and Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1. Optional subtitles are available in English (typo free), and Cantonese but they can only be selected from the menu screen, not during the film itself. As long as you’ve got the hardware to support it, the Japanese 5.1 track is the way to go on this release. The 5.1 mix on this release is damn near perfect. It’s not too aggressive and the surround channels are used more to add depth to the presentation than to show off your speaker setup, but when they’re needed, you know they’re there. Dialogue is crystal clear and plenty of nice channel separation makes this DVD a treat to listen to.
Extras:
Trailers are included for A Class to Remember, The Yellow Handkerchief, Tora-San Our Lovable Tramp, Tora-San's Cherished Mother, Tora-San, His Tender Love, Tora-San's Grand Scheme Tora-San's Runaway and Tora-San's Shattered Romance. There is also a filmography for Yoji Yamada included on the DVD as well.
Final Thoughts:
The DVD from Panorama looks and sounds great, and despite the thin extra features, comes highly recommended. |
Technical Notes:
