Seven Years in Tibet (Blu-ray)
Studio: Sony Year: 1997 Rated: PG-13 Film Length: 136 minutes Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 High Definition 1080p Disc Type: BD-50 Dual Layer Codec: AVC Mpeg-4 Audio: English Uncompressed 5.1 PCM, Dolby Digital English & French 5.1 Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Spanish, Thai & Portuguese |
Release Date: June 12, 2007
The Movie:
(****/*****) 4/5
Brad Pitt has certainly portrayed his fair share of interesting characters over the past few decades. He’s played a wide variety of roles, from a certified psycho-ward patient, to a innocent country boy. Seven Years in Tibet arrived in theaters in 1997 as a sure-fire piece of Oscar bait for Mr. Pitt. Unfortunately, the film was a flop and went almost completely overlooked. Here, Mr. Pitt dives into the psyche of a very distant man who only seems at peace with himself when he’s at odds with the world.
As the Nazis rapidly engulf Europe in 1938, Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt), world renowned mountaineer and all-around athlete, is set to scale the Himalayan peak of Nanga Parbat. Seven Years in Tibet begins as Harrer abandons his pregnant wife to begin his expedition. While his Nazi handlers believe this to be a propaganda climb, Harrer seems to be climbing for personal pride and not the advancement of the Nazi cause. After only a short bit of climbing, Harrer and his party are captured by British forces and held in an interment camp at the onset of World War II. Upon his eventual escape, Harrer hides out in Lahsa, Tibet while hoping to ride out the war. Harrer's seven years of exile in Tibet puts him in the odd position of tutoring the young Dalai Lama on the ways of the western world while he slowly comes to terms with his own troubled mentality.
I’ve seen Seven Years in Tibet on multiple occasions and have always found the film to be rather exceptional in many ways. The photography is definitely reminiscent of a David Lean epic with vast landscapes occupying the frame and the human element reduced to its most miniscule. Filmmaking like this really does an exemplary job of showing the grand beauty of nature. It is worth noting that the filmmakers smuggled cameras into the actual city of Lhasa, against the orders of the Chinese government. So, this is, perhaps, one of the most recent views of the city that has been put to film. On an emotional level, the film plays out strangely, if not poignantly. We are meant to feel an extreme amount of disdain for Harrer as the film begins. It is a credit to Brad Pitt (despite his sometimes unfortunate “Hanz and Franz” accent) that we begin to warm to his character at all. Seven Years in Tibet is based on the true memoir of Heinrich Harrer.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
The Video:
(*****/*****) 5/5
Sony has given Seven Years in Tibet the grand AVC encoded treatment and the results are nothing short of phenomenal. This is an absolutely outstanding presentation without any noticeable picture artifacts or other pesky distractions. Black levels are extremely solid with an emphasis on exceptional shadow detail. Colors are amazingly rendered and the natural hues of the Himalayan landscape are a true sight to behold. For those of you looking for three dimensional pop, it is here in spades. Fine detail is also strikingly represented with outstanding fine skin and fabric details. Many of the long shots of mountain vistas are simply breathtaking in their detail, smoothness and absolute film-like beauty. There is some light, intended grain in Seven Years in Tibet that adds to the theatrical aspect of this presentation. Once again, Sony has delivered an outstanding transfer that is a true sight to behold.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
The Audio:
(*****/*****) 5/5
While not a show-stopping and action-packed track, the 5.1 uncompressed PCM track on Seven Years in Tibet still amazes with its perfect balance and subtle dynamics. The early mountaineering shots feature plenty of loud, directional activity during avalanches and blizzards, but the track truly shines in its perfect representation of dialog, music and atmospheric effects. There were several occasions during the film where John Williams' majestic score literally had me rewinding the film over and over again to experience just how pristine, clear and powerful it had been represented on this disc. I was once again blown away by just how natural PCM can sound. This is yet another reminder that HD media offers much more than improvements in picture quality. High resolution audio tracks such as this make going back to DVD more and more difficult with each phenomenal PCM track that I am fortunate enough to experience.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
The Supplements:
(/*****) 0/5
Here’s what’s included:
NADA. ZIP. ZILCH.
Come on, Sony. Couldn’t we at least have gotten a trailer or a documentary? Something?
The Final Analysis:
(*****/*****) 5/5
Seven Years in Tibet tells a very unique story with a great amount of beautiful visual information. I found the background on the Dalai Lama to be extremely interesting and entertaining and Harrer, himself, is quite a character study. Audio and Video are, again, first rate and absolutely reference quality. Seven Years in Tibet earns my absolute HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD10 Blu-ray Player
Panasonic PT-AE1000 Front Projector – 1080p
Carada 93” diagonal 16x9 Criterion Series/Brilliant White Screen – www.carada.com
Rotel RSX-1056 Surround Receiver
Rotel RB-1080 Amplifier
B&W Speakers
M&K MX-125 Subwoofer
Interconnects: www.catcables.com
