- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Video Codec: AVC MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit), English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 (48kHz/24-bit), Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0, French Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: ABC (Region-Free)
- Rating: R
- Run Time: 131 Mins
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Digital Copies: None
- Studio: 20th Century Fox
- Blu-ray Release Date: May 7, 2013
- List Price: $29.98
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(The below TheaterByte screen captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray Discs and losslessly compressed in the PNG format. There should be no loss of picture quality with this format. All screen captures should be regarded only as an approximation of the full capabilities of the Blu-ray format.)
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Brubaker tells the real life story of Tom Murton (Robert Redford), the prison superintendent who exposed scandalous abuses and murders in an Arkansas state prison. Posing as a new prisoner, Brubaker, he quickly discovers a vast world of corruption, all before revealing himself to the new warden. Along the way, his desire to shed light on these crimes, just may place him in a level of danger he may have never have expected. What results is a well-made thriller highlighted by a strong performance by Redford.
Tackling not only the physical drama of a prison based film, but also social issues such as abuse in our prison systems, Robert Redford skillfully delivers one of his best performances (outside of Three Days of the Condor and, of course, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.) Redford remains true to his character, never flinching despite the abuse his character takes. Dealing with the subject of prisons, this time in Arkansas, is not an easy task for Director Lalo Schifrin. Politics, corruption of power, and other topics are brought up. Despite these subjects, Schifrin never paints a set result. Instead, leading to the film’s strength, he lets the viewer digest everything, allowing them to make their own decision. Simply put, Schifrin is able to film one of the finest prison thrillers/dramas I’ve ever watched (slightly below the highly excellent The Shawshank Redemption.)
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Brubaker creates havoc with a 1.85:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer. Detail, for a film over 30-years old, is quite strong. Facial close-ups result in both accurate flesh tones, as well as spot on contrast levels. Black levels are strong too, with no notice of black crush, or smearing of any color. Grain levels are kept to a minimum, only adding in that nice, thin layer of film grain. Everything has a natural, clean look and feel to it.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio-wise, Brubaker hits with both a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, as well as a DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono mix, both of which work quite well. Dialogue is well reproduced throughout, with no real instance of dropout. Atmosphere can (obviously) be restricted in the 1.0 mix, but the 5.1 mix always a few discrete effects (gun shots) that creep their way into the sound field. The film’s score by Lalo Schifrin is given more room to breathe in the 5.1 offering, so that might be the preferred choice for music lovers. Personally, I found the 1.0 option to be the better of the two, as it remained true to the source material.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]
All included features are presented in Standard Definition:
- Trailer – The film’s trailer (1:34) is shown.
- TV Spots – 3 TV Spots (1:39) are shown.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Even though 20th Century Fox included virtually no extras (trailers/TV spots don’t count) based on the strength of Robert Redford’s performance (as well as the film’s subject matter), Brubaker comes highly recommended.
Additional Screen Captures
[amazon-product]B00BN3ECRA[/amazon-product]
Best Buy:
Purchase Brubaker on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles on Amazon.com
[amazon-product]B00BN3ECRA[/amazon-product]
Best Buy:
Purchase Brubaker on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles on Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]