Australia (2008/Fox Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B+     Sound: B+     Extras: B-     Film: B

 

 

Just when I thought that all cinematic hope was lost when it comes to director Baz Lurhmann, he surprises me with his 2008 film Australia starring none other than Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman.  Of course who else to star in a film called Australia than this two brilliant leads?  For as annoying as I found Luhrmanns’ work up to this point, his latest effort seems to make up for it in many respects and demonstrates the type of work that he is capable of.  Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, and Moulin Rouge were problematic and tedious to sit through, although all three films have found some sort of a fan base, but with Australia Luhrmann goes all out in putting together a stunning film of both scope and beauty. 

 

The film is set in Australia during the beginning stages of WWII when an English Aristocrat (Kidman) finds herself on an inherited cattle ranch, which was owned by her deceases husband.  She ends up joining together with a local man known as The Drover (Jackman) when she encounters problems with some cattle barons who attempt to take away her rightful land.  Together the two must drive 2,000 cattle across the continent and it is during this journey that other obstacles, such as the bomber pilots from Japan as they destroy Darwin. 

 

The film is particularly strong in its ability to merge story with history and provide entertainment with strong leads and an interesting back story along the way.  It’s also a beautifully photographed film, which is presented here for the Blu-ray release in it’s original 2.35 X 1 framing and sporting a 1080p High Definition transfer that gives depth and life to a film with loads of scenery, remarkable lighting, and unique color throughout to paint one of 2008’s more memorable films.  Hopefully more people become aware of this little gem through this Blu-ray release. 

 

The image is never soft and no matter how wide the shot or how much of a close up the consistency is staggering throughout with great detail and resolution.  Colors are bold, dramatic, and saturated well to give a unique look that we have not seen in quite some time, the gritty landscape and harsh outback are appropriately rough in their appearance, and yet there is detail and definition seen as well. 

 

In addition to a truly fine video performance the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is also quite impressive with great highlights throughout, especially with regards to the low-end, mid-range, and higher range fidelity that is constantly a three-dimensional experience.  Often times we hear mixes that feel unnatural despite great fidelity, but here we get a very life-like imaging and while the film does not boast huge amounts of sonic undertakings, it still presents the naturalness of the films on-stage effects as well as musical underscore. 

 

The Blu-ray is a 50GB disc and it appears that most of the space was utilized for a solid performance in the audio and picture department, yet there are still a handful of extras tagged on as well including several segments on the shooting of the film, the typical behind-the-scenes looks, plus some production aspects that cover a wide variety of details that fans will certainly like to hear more about.  There are a few deleted scenes, several trailers, and other promotional materials that round off the supplements section in true fashion. 

 

There is really little to complain about with this release, it’s solid from top to bottom and is really a film that deserves a wider audience and this Blu-ray delivers the quality we have come to expect with Blu-ray and should find its way to more collections as it is one of the finer films of 2008.

 

 

-   Nate Goss