Roger & Me Blu-ray Review

Warner Bros. has undertaken an impressive 4K restoration of "Roger & Me" from the original 16mm negative, resulting in a high-definition 1080p Blu-ray presentation that maintains the film's inherent charm. This restoration showcases the detailed and film-like quality of 16mm film with well-rendered grain and vivid colors, which have been precisely timed to enhance the viewing experience. Despite the age of some archival TV broadcasts, newsreels, and stock footage, the restoration job has produced strikingly clear and vivid images, capturing everything from the vibrancy of Flint parades to the desolation of its abandoned factories.

Moore's footage, despite its non-professional origins, is presented with impressive clarity and detail, particularly in facial features and textures such as wrinkles and scars. The Blu-ray image benefits from natural skin tones, deep blacks, and well-saturated colors that lend a raw, real feel to the film. Warner's handling of this material avoids unnecessary digital tampering, preserving the grain and natural look consistent with the film’s documentary style. The average bitrate of 23.94 Mbps ensures that no significant compression issues are present.

Despite occasional flatness in depth and some inherent noise and artifacts due to the age and nature of the original footage, the video quality stands out. Color levels can shift depending on scene content—ranging from vibrant footage to grainy archival clips—but these variations do not detract from the overall viewing experience. With no major black level issues or high-frequency roll-off, "Roger & Me" on Blu-ray offers a faithful and pleasurable visual representation of Michael Moore’s seminal documentary.

The audio presentation of "Roger & Me" on Blu-ray features a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack, delivering a mono mix that plays identically on both channels. Notably, Warner Bros. has opted for a lossy format here, straying from their typical use of lossless audio for Blu-ray releases. Despite this divergence, the audio quality is satisfactory but not exceptional, handling Michael Moore's narration with clarity and robustness though some dialogue during street interviews tends to sound slightly canned. The film's frequent use of music, including the significant Beach Boys' track "Wouldn't It Be Nice," suggests the potential for richer sound if presented in a better format such as a lossless 5.1 mix. However, the soundtrack avoids detrimental artifacts like pops, cracks, or hissing.

Technically, the release includes multiple language options—English, German, and Spanish—all in Dolby Digital 2.0. The choice to present the audio this way raises questions, particularly given the unused GB space on the BD-25 disc. Some purists might argue that older soundtracks don't benefit significantly from higher definitions, but a fuller audio experience could have been achieved here. Notably absent are low-frequency and surround sound extensions, making it clear this remains a dialogue-driven documentary with its sonic focus maintaining Moore’s voice and other spoken elements without any get drowned out during playback.

Overall, while "Roger & Me" presents decent audio given its budget constraints and age, the lack of a lossless audio track is a noticeable shortcoming. The technical specifications align well with the film's origins, but the experience hints at missed opportunities for a more robust auditory presentation, particularly given ample disc space and advanced audio formats available today.

The Blu-ray edition of "Roger & Me" for its 25th anniversary comes with a noteworthy yet minimal set of extras that will particularly interest fans and documentary enthusiasts. The highlight is the new audio commentary by director Michael Moore, which provides a riveting look back at the making of the film. Moore shares insightful anecdotes and reflections on both the technical challenges he faced as a novice filmmaker and the memorable individuals he interviewed, including discussing the notable controversy of the “pets or meat” seller. While the addition of only a single trailer may seem sparse, the high-quality and engaging commentary compensates, offering a valuable perspective for both casual viewers and film students.

Extras included in this disc:

Commentary with Director Michael Moore: A comprehensive and entertaining retrospective by Michael Moore, discussing the film's impact and production experiences.

Trailer: The original theatrical trailer narrated by Moore, emphasizing the film's blend of humor and social critique.

Michael Moore's debut film, Roger & Me, is a striking examination of his hometown, Flint, Michigan, during its economic tailspin following the closure of General Motors' factories. Moore's distinct style – characterized by humor, provocation, and a touch of narrative – renders the documentary not only informative but highly engaging. Roger & Me doesn’t just recount the events; it immerses viewers in the palpable crisis with vintage clips juxtaposed against scenes of contemporary desolation. Moore's storytelling unfolds through his futile three-year quest to interview GM chairman Roger B. Smith, revealing the broader economic havoc with a sharp, satirical lens.

At its core, Roger & Me meticulously documents Flint's rapid decline. The closure of GM's factories leads to widespread unemployment, skyrocketing crime rates, and an overall disintegration of the local economy. The film portrays a series of increasingly desperate measures by city officials attempting to revitalize Flint through grandiose projects and tourism initiatives -- all in vain. Moore’s interviews capture varied personal responses to the economic fallout, from the struggles of evicted families to the contrasting indifference of Flint’s affluent residents. These interactions underscore the disconnection between corporation decisions and their devastating community impacts.

Moore's contribution extends beyond this immediate narrative, encouraging viewers to ponder deeper economic and social questions. His approach is to catalyze public discourse about corporate responsibility and the long-term effects of prioritizing shareholder profits over employee and community well-being. Roger & Me not only presents Flint's plight but also presages similar crises across other U.S. towns, questioning the sustainability of such business practices under a free-market system. Moore’s debut stands as a profoundly memorable work that remains relevant, offering vital commentary on economic disparity and corporate accountability—a conversation that persists to this day.

The 25th Anniversary Blu-ray edition of Michael Moore's groundbreaking documentary "Roger & Me" delivers a remarkable viewing experience, despite a somewhat minimal offering of extras. Featuring an enhanced video presentation and an updated audio track, this edition brings renewed clarity to Moore's sobering exploration of Flint, Michigan's economic struggles. While purists may lament the lack of lossless audio, the included new commentary by Michael Moore adds significant value, providing fresh insights into a film that remains as relevant today as it was upon its original release.

The film itself is a testament to Moore's pioneering style in documentary filmmaking, blending passion, humor, and hard-hitting investigative journalism. "Roger & Me" stands out for its balanced portrayal of Moore as both a storyteller and a documentarian. Unlike in some of his later works, Moore's presence in the film serves to enhance the narrative without overshadowing the subject matter. The enhanced visuals on this Blu-ray release bring out the raw emotion and stark reality of Flint's plight, making for an engaging and impactful watch.

There are many people for whom the very name Michael Moore is anathema, but I doubt that any of them are reading this review. At the opposite extreme are Moore's devoted fans, who hardly need a reviewer's recommendation to acquire this presentation of Roger & Me in the best home video format to date. Somewhere in the middle are people with mixed feelings, of whom I'm one. Moore's passion is admirable, and his flair as an entertainer is undeniable. No one, not even Errol Morris, has done more to move the documentary format into the mainstream by making it fun to watch and removing its stigma as something vaguely medicinal. The question remains, though, whether Moore's popularization of documentaries has really been a good thing, since, especially in his later films, he's done it by making himself as much a star of the show as the subject he's supposed to be investigating. If you want to see the Michael Moore show, you can watch Capitalism: A Love Story, but if you want to understand the 2008 financial crisis, you should watch Inside Job, whose director never appears on screen and whose name (Charles Ferguson) most people wouldn't recognize.

But Roger & Me is different. In Roger & Me the familiar Moore persona hadn't fully developed, and there was still enough of the reporter left in Moore to fulfill the traditional documentarian's role. Besides, he already knew his subject inside and out. This was his home. Despite the lack of lossless audio, highly recommended.