Wolf
Totem (2015/Sony Blu-ray 3D w/Blu-ray 2D)
3D
Picture: B+ 2D Picture: A+ Sound: B- Extras: A Film:
A-
Chen
Zhen (Shaofeng Feng) is sent to live in the Mongolia grasslands for 2
years and to teach the children, but it is he who becomes the student
when he learns about wolves and the balance of between man and
nature. The Mongolian nomads understand and respect nature and over
thousands of years learned how to co-exist with it, but when
modernization comes in, Zhen steals a wolf cub, the balance is
disturbed. But who will win, man or nature; can he tame the wolf or
will nature show it's true colors?
In Jean-Jacques Annaud's
Wolf Totem (2015), Zhen was a teacher from the city, but out
in the country he learns that wolves are a part of the ecosystem
during China's 'cultural revolution' (the one against all culture by
Chairman Mao) in 1967. When human poachers over kill the wild
gazelles for profit, they takes away the wolves major food source and
forces them to hunt human cattle. Science and modernization begins
to replace nature. Wisdom is ignored for convenience. Zhen believes
man can control nature, but soon discovers nature isn't about laws or
rules, it is survive or die ...and they are the ones who are really
dying.
This movie was about nature and the people live with
them, and the nomads who respect it. It would not be wrong to say
people in government and those who are in charge are usually the last
ones who should be deciding on how to saving the environment. More
likely humans use science to abuse nature, in the end is there more
honor following nature solutions and it would have been better to
just shoot those in government for making poor decisions because less
lives would be lost that way. My only one small critique was all the
CGI used in the scenery, while the film was beautiful it made you
wonder... what else was fake?
Which
brings us to The 1080p 2.35 X 1 MVC-encoded 3-D - Full Resolution
digital High Definition image, using Arri Alexa, RED Epic and 5K 3D
in its production, this all-HD production has the problem of needing
to show nature as it uses all-electronic means to do so, thus nature
is celebrated and a bit denatured at the same time. Annaud has made
nature a key of his filmmaking (The Bear, Seven Years In
Tibet, Quest For Fire, even Name Of The Rose)
giving him the credibility, but as good as the 3D itself can be, your
better off with the fine naturalistic 2D presentation that makes
demotes the CGI and lets the actual scenery shine.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is good, but on the quiet
side often throughout, so only expect so much activity. Extras
include four solid featurettes in The Nature of the Wolf, The
Director's Adventure, A Look at the Cast, and
Respecting the Environment.
-
Ricky Chiang & Nicholas Sheffo
