DVD DETAILS:
Vision
The non-anamorphic widescreen transfer preserves much of the film’s textures. The print used, however, does display some signs of wear. Still, the almost documentary-like physical realism that was a hallmark of Frankenheimer’s style is carried well here. Notable of course is his visual emphasis on the notion of confinement and thus on the interplay of the shadows of the cell bars. Indeed, much of the film stresses how Stroud moves behind bars, with judicious point of view shots conveying his delight in his birds as almost transcending his confinement. He can observe and touch them, finding comfort in such tactility. Frankenheimer’s delight in fragmenting the image is clear in the use of birdcages, endless variations on the notion of confinement within confinement and Stroud’s awareness that what he has attained may be ultimately an illusion of freedom. He thus stresses the gradual transformation of the barren cell into an aviary as the transforming cage functions as a metaphor for Stroud’s reform. The visuals measure the passage of time through small details – the accumulation of birdcages, Stroud’s subtle aging and the growth of new birds (the cycle of birth and death allowing Stroud a connection with life outside solitary). There is some instability to the backgrounds, however, with frame edges at times lightening and darkening in a wavy pattern. Despite the moments of instability it is a clear transfer.
Sound
The Dolby Digital mono sound transfer is true to the film’s intention in several key uses of sound. Of course for a film about solitary confinement it makes much use of silences, the absence of sound being key moments in Stroud’s movement towards contemplation rather than violent defiance. Thus it too holds out for smaller details (the weather, footsteps, natural prison sounds, voices breaking the silence), judiciously using the score to heighten the sense that Stroud is in some ways escaping from silence. To this end the sound of the birdsong is paramount. From silence comes a single bird, its chirping the beginning of freedom and life. Gradually this birdsong dominates, capturing Stroud’s imagination, intellect and desire for life. Just as important is the absence of birdsong and the return to an oppressive silence. Stroud’s dedication restores life and ends the oppressive silence once again – he becomes the master of his limited environment through discipline and intellectual perseverance. Thus, Alcatraz is the enemy of humanity because of its enforced code of silence. In its revelation of how gentle birdsong becomes indicative of a man’s spirit Birdman of Alcatraz is remarkable in its quiet exactitude. There is no major hiss evident. The film offers a careful interplay of silence, the freedom in birdsong and the emotional mediation of a film score to emerge a superb example of subtle craftsmanship in service of a central theme. read more
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