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Review added January 13, 2005.
Forrest Gump
:: DVD Review |
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Studio:
Paramount |
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>> Review
Equipment |
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Video:
2.35:1
(Enhanced for 16:9) |
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Length:
136
Minutes |
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Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 (448kbps) En/Esp |
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Subtitles: En/Cro/Gr/Heb/Por/Slo/Esp |
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Dolby
Digital 2.0 (192kbps) Cat |
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Disc Format:
RSDL DVD-9 |
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Video Format:
PAL |
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Disc Capacity Utilised:
X.XXGB |
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Layer Change:
67:00 |
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Region Coding:
2/4 |
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Average Bit-Rate (A+V):
X.XXMbps |
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:: The Film
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>> Skip to
Audio/Video Details
Forrest Gump was one of the most
successful releases of 1994 grossing over US$670 million
worldwide, and raking in six Academy Awards the following
year, including Best Picture. It's a finely-crafted film,
with outstanding performances from Gary Sinise and Tom
Hanks, but its Academy Awards sextuplet is still a matter of
debate and controversy.
Zemeckis and Hanks certainly
deserved their Awards, but Best Picture may have been
pushing things a bit considering the competition: The
Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction and Quiz Show among them.
I have to admit that when I saw Forrest Gump during its
theatrical run its cloying sentimentality didn't really
appeal. At the time some claimed the film was overly
patriotic, or even expounded the virtues of stupidity.
I wouldn't go that far.
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Zemeckis is always willing to expose the warts and foibles
of American history and while the film's main player is no
genius he is merely a hub around which events occur, not a
model we are extolled to emulate. The film begins with
Forrest Gump detailing his life story to that point from a bus stop
bench, starting from his youth in the small town of Greenbow,
Alabama circa 1950, and ending in the early 1980s. Forrest
is not a smart man, but as he drifts through life somehow
manages to to be present during many of the pivotal
historical events of 1950s, '60s and '70s America. The only
constants in Gump's life are his mother (Sally Field), and
his childhood friend and the love of his life, Jenny Curran
(Robin Wright).
Forrest Gump is equal parts love
story, comedy and drama and not at all easy to pin down.
Using Forrest as a vehicle we are witness to some of
America's more turbulent years, and jerked from drama to
humour with consummate ease. Regardless of your opinion of
the film (and they do vary quite surprisingly), Forrest Gump
is at the very least a fine example of cinematic
craftsmanship.
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Video
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Forrest Gump is one of the crown jewels of the Paramount
library, so a superior transfer would seem to be a given
on DVD. Despite these expectations, while this
anamorphically-enhanced 2.35:1 transfer is indeed very
good, it isn't quite up with the best. The print used is
clean but far from immaculate, with minor scratches, dirt
and a few print blemishes present. Even so, this transfer
is very film-like, with a pleasingly clear, sharp image.
Low-level grain is often visible, as it has been on every
other home video format, but the DVD is considerably
cleaner than any previous version, including LaserDisc.
Contrast levels are good, but the picture is
dark, even during exterior sunlit sequences. To see this
transfer at its a best a darkened room is definitely
required. Shadow detail ranges from poor to good, with
darker scenes normally losing fine detail. Black levels
are good, with deep, inky blacks although low-level
digital noise and blur was visible during some darker
sequences. The transfer is otherwise devoid of significant
compression artefacts. Colour saturation was often
subdued, but more vibrant during the film's first twenty
minutes and last ten.
While pleasing to the eye, the film's colour
pallette and skin tones aren't what I would describe as
natural. Edge enhancement is also present in several
sequences, as is some shimmer. The print isn't as clean as
I would expect for a film so relatively young, and the film is a little darker than I
would like, but at its best this is a stunning transfer.
Apart from a few minor problems, there's nothing much to
complain about here.
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| :: Audio
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Forrest Gump's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is a bit of a
mixed bag. During much of the film the front soundstage is
restricted with little creative use of the front channels.
Dialogue-heavy sequences are rooted firmly in the centre
channel, with limited ambient or atmospheric use of the front
and rear channels, producing an almost monophonic effect. When
directional cues are present, no real attempt is made to
create a truly authentic acoustic environment, which is
slightly disappointing given the recent vintage of the
soundtrack.
The film's score and contemporary
rock tracks on the other hand sound very good, spreading
nicely across the front soundstage. The fidelity of the rock
tracks is often poor given their age and source material, but
the score sounds excellent. The surround channels are very
quiet, resulting is a heavily screen-weighted soundtrack. Even
during the film's chaotic Vietnam war sequences the surround
channels remain curiously subdued, with no notable surround
channel pans or directional cues. This was also the case with
the LaserDisc's Dolby Digital soundtrack.
Dynamic range is restricted during
much of the film, as is appropriate for a heavily
dialogue-driven film, although not during the previously
mentioned war sequences when dynamic range is wide from the
front three channels. LFE activity is rare, with no activity
during much of the film, but both the LFE channel and the
front channels contain significant bass content when required.
Dialogue is often very harsh sounding, with some obvious ADR
inserts. If your amplifier includes centre channel re-equalisation
I suggest using it to reduce the high frequency distortion
present. While this is an otherwise admirable soundtrack,
usage of the surround channels seems a lost opportunity and
the fidelity of dialogue is a little disappointing.
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