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Natural Born Killers
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Studio: Warner Brothers
Packaging/Materials: Hard cover book/case with attached booklet
Year: 1994
Rating: R
Running Time: 1h59m
Video: 1080p high definition 16x9 1.85:1
Audio: Dolby TrueHD: English 5.1; Dolby Digital: English 5.1, French (Parisian) 5.1, French (Quebecois) 2.0, Spanish (Castilian) 5.1, Spanish (Latin) Mono, German 5.1, Italian 5.1, Japanese 2.0
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Swedish
MSRP: $34.99
The Feature: 5/5
Bonnie and Clyde got nothin' on Mickey and Mallory Knox (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis). Beginning with Mallory's white trash parents, the couple rack up 52 victims over a three-week binge of murder and mayhem. And America seems to love them for it - or at least can't look away from the spectacle. Chumming the waters is Wayne Gale (Robert Downey, Jr.), host of the TV tabloid program "American Maniacs." Mickey and Mallory have given his show it's highest ratings since covering Charles Manson, and Gale wants the cherry on top - a live prison interview with Mickey himself. The only people standing in his way are a "hands-on" prison warden (Tommy Lee Jones) and the detective who originally captured the couple (Tom Sizemore). They have their own plans for the Knoxs, but Mickey and Mallory are nothing if not survivors, more than capable of having the final word.
Oliver Stone's satirical and sometimes scathing critique of modern culture pulls no punches in both its content and its message. Employing an almost kitchen sink approach to the shooting, lighting and editing of the film, Stone creates a frenzied and disorienting visual tapestry that reflects and accentuates his core message: We are all natural born killers. We may not personally commit murder, but our complacency and failures as a society create and enable the monsters who do. None of us are innocent.
Agree or not, Stone makes a compelling argument or at least poses the question loud enough to give you pause. What role DOES our glamorization of violence and prurient interest in true crime play in the perpetuation of those things in society? Since "Natural Born Killers" came out we've had four iterations of "Grand Theft Auto," six seasons of "The Sopranos" and a continuing stream of non-fictional serial killers and school shootings. I tend to believe in a less direct relationship than Stone presents, but after 14 years the answer either way is no clearer.
But questions define us; that the question is being asked is in small part a comfort, suggesting that other things - better things - also come to us naturally. Stone's cinematic phrasing of the question (and answer) may not sit well with everyone, may not even be considered "a good movie" by some, but it is important simply for the challenge it presents. More than an entertainment piece but a work of art (in its most debatable and controversial sense), "Natural Born Killers" is highly recommended viewing.
Video Quality: 5/5
The film is correctly framed at 1.85:1 and the 1080p high definition transfer beautifully presents the varying aesthetic qualities that come from the use of multiple media formats and shooting styles. The grain structure - more noticeable in the smaller film formats - is perfectly preserved with no hint of noise reduction. Blacks are deep, inky and rock solid throughout. Colors are equally impressive, the occasional tints and fades to primary colors being especially startling in their sheer depth and boldness. This is an excellent transfer of a visually and technically challenging film.
Audio Quality: 5/5
The audio mix mirrors the often-chaotic visuals, providing aggressive and near-constant surround activity. Despite the sometimes frenzied activity dialog is always clear and intelligible, though even in the more quiet moments there is a spaciousness and palpable quality to the audio. The Dolby TrueHD track is far and away the best way to experience the mix. By contrast the Dolby Digital track sounds harsh and constrained.
Special Features: 3.5/5
The special features package is not as robust as one would hope. The commemorative booklet and Stone's commentary are the only features of considerable substance. The rest seems rather perfunctory.
Packaging: The commemorative booklet attached to the hard cover packaging includes cast bios, director's notes and a brief analysis of the film.
Audio Commentary by Oliver Stone: Despite Stone's tendency for scene description, there's a fair bit of technical and analytical content to satisfy listeners. His even-keeled manner also makes for an interesting contrast to the surreal imagery.
Theatrical Trailer (1m47s)
Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Oliver Stone (24m08s): Scenes range from a different introduction of the shaman to a couple of completely excised characters and scenes.
Charlie Rose Interview (11m38s): Excerpt from Stone's appearance on the Charlie Rose show, where he tries to explain the point of the film.
Alternate Ending (3m30s): A less "happy" ending for Mickey and Mallory.
Recap
The Feature: 5/5
Video Quality: 5/5
Audio Quality: 5/5
Special Features: 3.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
A challenging film in both content and visuals gets excellent audio and video transfers. The special features are less impressive and I can't help but wonder if a collector's edition is somewhere waiting in the wings, if not from Warner Brothers, then Lionsgate, who is the distributor of the director's cut. Regardless, this Blu-Ray release is recommended.
But actually the grainy stuff looks "clean" too, in the sense that it looks uncorrupted or unmanipulated. The HD format does a lot for showing us the beauty of film grain.
