Yet another DVD version, though with "nothing new" apparently. This article talks about the new DVD on page 2.
http://dvd.ign.com/articles/787/787270p1.htmlBrokeback Mountain (HD DVD/DVD Combo)
Forbidden love looks even better in HD
by IGN Staff
May 10, 2007
[first part is a (very good) review]
The Video
The disc is a two-sided combo format, featuring a 1.85:1 widescreen picture in 1080p on one side and a standard-definition version on the other, also presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This version does a fine job of conveying the beautiful scenery of the mountains and landscapes captured by Lee's lingering camera and the excellent cinematography. The colors are suitably muted and soft, but the picture is anything but. Sharp details are consistent, even in the distance. There's some light grain, especially in the nighttime scenes, but it's not bothersome enough to get in the way.
The Audio
The Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround soundtrack is available in English and French. For some reason, there are more audio options available on the standard-definition side of the disc, which features an additional DTS 5.1 track and a Spanish-language one in 2.0. The sound is consistently modulated and the mix is uncrowded. The dialogue comes cleanly through the front channels, while ambient sound effects are filtered through the remainder of the system. Santaolalla's sweet, lyrical score plays a big part in the tone of the film and is almost inseparable from the collective impression of it. Appropriately, every swell and bend comes through with intensity and fidelity.
Extras and Packaging
This double-sided combo disc comes in the standard red case with one of those flimsy latching mechanisms. Included inside is Universal's standard paper insert. There have already been two editions of the film on DVD, and this one incorporates the combined bonus features of both of them, though nothing new has been added. The full list of extras includes:
Featurette: "Music From the Mountain"
Featurette: "A Groundbreaking Success"
Gallery: Impressions From the Film"
Featurette: "On Being a Cowboy"
Featurette: "Directing From the Heart: Ang Lee"
Featurette: "From Script to Screen: Interviews with Diana Ossana & Larry McMurtry"
Featurette: "Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain"
The features on this DVD practically scream "future Double Dip:" not one of them runs more than ten minutes, and they offer facile insights at best about the making of the movie. Such has been the case of late with Focus, whose last Special Edition DVD was the anemic Big Lebowski disc from last year, and whose interim efforts - including Pride and Prejudice and Broken Flowers - were equally light on substantial extra material (though the latter of these did indeed feature one of the best five-minute featurettes I've ever watched).
"Being a Cowboy" is one of those now-boilerplate "boot camp" docs (a term I'm growing sick of), but it does at least highlight the character development that went into each actor or actress' training for the film (Gyllenhaal, for example, used his novice status as part of his character). The "Directing From the Heart" featurette, meanwhile, is a love fest for director Lee - deserving though his collaborator's affection may be - that repeats some of the material used in other featurettes (including a description of the obtuse direction Gyllenhall received during one scene) and basically reminds us after some ten movies that the Taiwanese director is, yes, a great filmmaker.
The interview material with McMurtry and Ossana further highlights the challenge the filmmakers faced adapting the short story into a full-length feature, but hardly offers any major production insights, especially if you've seen, well, any other "making of" doc in recent months. But its focus on the two screenwriters gives it an edge over the "Sharing the Story" doc, which again repeats some material, observations and insights, but really doesn't provide anything to folks for whom Brokeback is not only a great film, but a manifesto, an epochal movie moment, or a long-overdue coming-out celebration.
Even with all these treats, the lack of a commentary track is still a glaring omission. There has been a lot of innovation in the HD realm in terms of picture-in-picture video interviews and behind-the-scenes experiences for films not half as good as this one. It would seem logical that a multiple Oscar winner would merit similar treatment.
As far as new features go, they're limited to Universal's standard interactive HD interface, which can be accessed while the film is playing, and the "My Scenes" option, which allows the user to build a collection of favorite scenes to return to at any time.
The Bottom Line
One of these days, consumers are going to become conditioned to hold off on their DVD purchases until the "definitive definitive" version comes out. Maybe this third time is the charm for Brokeback Mountain, maybe it's not. But for those who don't know how to quit this film, it's a pretty nice release.
(Special edition DVD review by Todd Gilchrist; HD review by Cindy White)
