Baraka (Blu-ray Review)

21 Sep, 2008 By: John Gaudiosi

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Prebook 9/22/08; Street 10/28/08
MPI
Documentary
$29.98 DVD, $34.98 Blu-ray
Not rated.

When it comes to visual fidelity, Baraka sets a new standard on Blu-ray Disc. Although this 70 millimeter documentary was originally released in 1992 and later released on DVD in 2001, director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson (creators of the Imax film Chronos) turned to FotoKem Laboratory to scan and restore every frame of film. This first-of-its-kind HD transfer (2.21) has resulted in a breathtaking, flawless visual tour of the world.

Without a word of dialogue, Baraka takes viewers from Nepal to Kenya, from Australia to Brazil and around the globe. Shot in 24 countries on six continents over a stretch of 14 months, this film is a technological marvel.

This film brings you places you’d likely never experience in life. And it’s an experience you’ll likely want to view again and again, taking in every last visual detail of this spectacle of sight and sound. It’s remarkable how the high-def visuals, natural sound and emotional music (all restored in uncompressed DTS HD Master Audio 5.1) can provide such narrative scope.

The disc also comes with 80 minutes of exclusive new bonus content in the form of two making-of documentaries that explore how the filmmakers made the movie and how the film was upgraded to BD.

Even if you own the DVD version, this HD upgrade and the new bonus materials make it worth the price. It also comes with eco-friendly packaging.
 

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