Gorillas in the Mist Blu-ray Review

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of "Gorillas in the Mist" essentially mirrors the 2014 Universal release, with the same master and nearly identical image centers. However, close scrutiny reveals minor discrepancies from the encoding process—slightly more compression artifacts and less precise grain structure. Despite these, the images are fundamentally sourced from the same master, providing consistency between releases. This release primarily maintains the central qualities of the 2014 Universal release, reflecting accurate performance in color reproduction and overall visual fidelity.

The master suffers from excessive noise reduction and filtering, which significantly diminishes detail, particularly in the film's lush, natural settings. Compression issues and smearing are frequent, further degrading image quality. Although the source retains a significant amount of grain, digital tools' application is poorly executed, causing a pronounced lack of clarity. The print largely remains clean save for occasional dust artifacts and slightly faded saturation over time. Greens in the jungle and various wardrobe choices retain vibrancy, adding some visual appeal. Highlights and contrast are decent, with sunlight creating well-defined highlights, but there's slight clipping. On the downside, black levels exhibit noticeable crush, unkind to shadows and minimally affecting depth perception.

Overall, the transfer struggles with preserving fine details and managing compression and digital interventions. While certain elements like primary colors and some contrast aspects are commendable, the overall image can be described as problematic due to its incoherences, noise reduction artifacts, and inconsistent grain structure.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack for "Gorillas in the Mist" presents a compelling audio experience, comparable to the Universal disc. The late '80s audio retains its authenticity while transitioning into a 5.1 surround format with impressive effectiveness. Notably, the orchestral score enhances the soundstage, delivering a full and expansive resonance that underscores the film's emotional depth. The soundtrack's ability to create width across the front speakers is both spacious and precise, enhancing the overall auditory experience.

Sound effects predominantly populate the front channels, with occasional stereophonic splitting that subtly engages the rear speakers. This distribution ensures a broad yet controlled soundstage that maintains clarity and focus. Despite this, certain moments exhibit diminished fidelity, likely attributable to the original recording conditions rather than deficiencies in the DTS-HD track itself. Overall, this audio presentation enriches the viewing experience by providing a dynamic and immersive aural landscape.

The "Gorillas in the Mist" Blu-ray disappoints in terms of extras, offering no additional content for viewers. Unlike previous releases that included a featurette and trailer, this disc solely provides the film without even booting to a menu. The lack of supplemental material, such as documentaries, interviews, or behind-the-scenes footage, is a missed opportunity to provide further context and depth to the film. The physical release does include Mill Creek's retro VHS slipcover for collectors, but this minor addition hardly compensates for the absence of enriching extras.

Extras included in this disc:

• None: No special features or supplementary content available.

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of the 1988 film 'Gorillas in the Mist' maintains the high caliber video and audio quality found in the 2014 Universal edition, though it disappointingly excludes the supplemental features present in the earlier version. The film itself, starring Sigourney Weaver as Dian Fossey, utilizes a blend of actual gorilla footage and practical effects that seamlessly integrates into the narrative to create a convincing and immersive experience.

The story begins with the idealistic Fossey entering the Congo to study gorillas, portrayed with an almost comedic naivety. This initial tone shifts dramatically as the film progresses into darker themes, particularly surrounding poaching and Fossey’s increasingly violent reactions to it. The script's focus on Fossey's romantic entanglements feels out-of-place and judgmental, detracting from the primary narrative of her groundbreaking research and conservation efforts. This choice weakens the film's overall impact, relegating complex social issues to a secondary position until the final act.

Despite these script missteps, 'Gorillas in the Mist' shines in its portrayal of Fossey’s deterioration and moral challenges. The nuanced depiction of her actions, captured vividly in Weaver's performance, wrestles with the ethical implications of her behavior. The film's willingness to delve into Fossey's imperfections presents a raw, humane portrait rather than a sanitized biopic. However, this complex character study is undercut by the simplistic characterization of poachers as one-dimensional villains, missing an opportunity for a more nuanced exploration of conservation conflicts.

In summary, 'Gorillas in the Mist' is beautifully shot and offers a deep dive into Fossey's character and mission. Yet, its effectiveness is somewhat blunted by misplaced emphases and underdeveloped supporting characters, ultimately leaving a mixed impression.

Gorillas in the Mist is a poignant film that chronicles the life of Dian Fossey, the zoologist renowned for her work with Rwandan mountain gorillas. The Blu-ray transfer maintains a faithful representation of the original film, offering viewers impressive visual and auditory experiences. Minute details from the lush Rwandan scenery to the stirring score by Maurice Jarre are preserved with high fidelity, ensuring an immersive rewatching.

However, the film itself falls into a conventional biopic narrative, often struggling to delve deeply into Fossey's intricate character and motivations. While Sigourney Weaver delivers a compelling performance, the screenplay occasionally sidesteps the complex ethical and moral issues intrinsic to Fossey's work, opting for a more surface-level storytelling approach. Despite these flaws, the biopic remains an essential viewing for those interested in conservation and wildlife.

Minus a couple of brief extras and microscopic fluctuations in the video transfers, the old Universal and this new Mill Creek disc appear to be identical. At time of publication the Universal disc is slightly cheaper but the retro VHS slipcover is, here, a nice touch. The movie is well worth watching and owning. Recommended.