The Lure Blu-ray Review
C�rki dancingu
Score: 77
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Agnieszka Smoczynska's 'The Lure' captivatingly blends surreal political history with a unique and wild narrative, making it a highly recommended Criterion release.
Disc Release Date
Video: 79
The Lure arrives on Blu-ray with a stunning 1080p transfer in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, featuring impressive sharpness and rich colors that excel in both vibrant cabaret scenes and darker, intricate underwater-themed visuals. Color correction was performed in 2K, ensuring remarkable detail and depth throughout.
Audio: 79
The Blu-ray's Polish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track delivers a clean, sharp, and dynamic range, especially excelling in musical numbers with robust bass and vocal clarity. Dialogue is clear and well-integrated, though the sound mix leans front-heavy with occasional ambient reverb.
Extra: 66
Extras for 'The Lure' Blu-ray include a revealing 42-minute production documentary, two early shorts by director Agnieszka Smoczynska, useful deleted scenes with alternate openings and endings, the original trailer, and an insightful illustrated booklet with technical credits and an essay by Angela Lovell.
Movie: 86
The Lure is a wildly imaginative film set in 1980s Warsaw, blending mermaid folklore with horror, burlesque, and avant-garde musical elements. Agnieszka Smoczynska's debut feature is bold and entrancing, showcasing her ability to make the absurd genuine. Criterion's Blu-ray release offers rich supplemental features.
Video: 79
Criterion’s Blu-ray release of Agnieszka Smoczynska's "The Lure" is presented in its native 2.39:1 aspect ratio using a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer. Shot with an ARRI ALEXA camera in ARRIRAW format (3.2K), the film underwent a fully digital workflow, color-corrected at 2K resolution on an Audiodesk Lustre. The result is a visually compelling presentation that stands as an excellent reference for high-definition content. The film notably benefits from vibrant, richly saturated colors and striking sharpness, especially evidenced in the cabaret scenes where the stage lights amplify reds, blues, and silvers to dazzling effect. Even darker sequences exhibit commendable depth and stability, with no detectable encoding anomalies.
Overall, the picture quality is remarkable, showcasing extraordinary detail and a dynamic range of colors that enhance the underlying themes of the film. The production balances bright, vivid scenes with more muted, gritty tones, creating a visual dichotomy between the glamorous world of cabaret and the seedy undercurrents of big city life. Detail retention is excellent throughout, from the intricate textures of mermaid tails and sequined dresses to the facial close-ups revealing wrinkles and makeup effects. Skin tones are rendered naturally under appropriately lit conditions, and deep black levels maintain a robust image quality. Importantly, the transfer exhibits no technical flaws such as banding, aliasing, or video noise, making this Blu-ray release a must-have for enthusiasts seeking superior high-definition visual experiences.
Audio: 79
The Blu-ray release of "The Lure" features a Polish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, accompanied by optional English subtitles that are neatly placed inside the image frame. This fully digital soundtrack, mastered at 24-bit from the original audio master, ensures that the lossless track retains the exact properties of its initial recording. The audio quality is exceptional, marked by crystal-clear sound and a broad range of nuanced dynamics.
Where the soundtrack truly excels is in the musical numbers, which are imbued with powerful bass and a full-bodied presence, showcasing each instrument and vocal to its fullest. The action sequences benefit considerably from dynamic intensity and robust sound effects with clear directionality, making these moments particularly engaging. Conversely, some sections of the film appear to be more front-heavy, with ambient noises adding a sense of space through reverb in specific settings. Throughout the film, dialogue remains clear and easy to follow, devoid of any pops, cracks, hisses, or digital distortions. No instances of audio dropouts were noted during playback.
Extras: 66
The Blu-ray edition of "The Lure" offers a compelling suite of extras that enrich the understanding and appreciation of this unique film. The 42-minute documentary, "Off the Hook," provides an in-depth exploration into the production, riveting interviews from the director to the choreographer, and a comprehensive look into its audacious style and score. The two additional short films, "Aria Diva" and "Viva Maria!", showcase director Agnieszka Smoczynska's earlier works, enriching the viewing experience with her developmental artistic approach. The deleted scenes, including alternate openings and endings, offer intriguing insights into what could have been, while the original trailer provides a neat snapshot of the film’s promotional appeal. The inclusion of an illustrated leaflet featuring an insightful essay by Angela Lovell tops off this well-rounded collection.
Extras included in this disc:
- Trailer: Original trailer for The Lure.
- Deleted Scenes: Six deleted scenes with optional English subtitles.
- Off the Hook: Documentary on the production history with extensive interviews.
- Aria Diva: Agnieszka Smoczynska's first short film.
- Viva Maria!: Documentary short about Polish opera diva Maria Foltyn.
- Leaflet: Illustrated leaflet with an essay and technical credits.
Movie: 86
Agneszka Smoczynska's debut feature "The Lure" offers an audacious fusion of genres, contributing to one of the most original narrative structures emerging from the former Soviet Bloc. The film, set in 1980s Warsaw, juxtaposes the city's contrasting aura of economic revival with its inherent post-communist gloom. Within this backdrop, an aging cabaret owner employs two sirens, Srebrna (Marta Mazurek) and Zlota (Michalina Olszanska), whose unique allure quickly propels the cabaret into a popular hotspot. These mermaids, who reveal their true nature through their scaly tails, plunge into the human world’s seedy underbelly, encountering love, desire, and grave consequences that challenge their survival on land.
"The Lure" intricately blends horror, musical, and dark comedy elements. The film is noted for its surreal yet coherent storytelling, marked by visually captivating music numbers, charming performances, and convincingly staged horror sequences. Comparable to Tsai Ming-liang's "The Wayward Cloud", Smoczynska’s film adds depth through its unique mix of absurdity and genuineness, creating a symbolic narrative that explores themes of love, identity, and adaptation. Each musical number is meticulously choreographed, enhancing the darkly whimsical atmosphere while maintaining a gripping narrative pace.
Smoczynska’s skill in transforming outlandish concepts into relatable emotions underscores her directorial prowess. "The Lure" is a cinematic experience that is not universally palatable but is immensely rewarding for those who embrace its unconventional approach. With multi-layered storytelling imbued with symbolism and capable performances, it stands as a testament to the evolving landscape of Eastern European cinema. Criterion’s Blu-ray presentation further enriches this unique viewing experience, complemented by extensive supplements including a documentary and early short films by Smoczynska. This package ensures that viewers not only witness the film's narrative marvel but also appreciate its technical and artistic significance.
Total: 77
Agnieszka Smoczynska's "The Lure" stands out as a mesmerizing debut that combines a myriad of genres into an unforgettable cinematic experience. Set against the backdrop of Poland's haunting communist history, this film navigates through a fantastical narrative featuring mermaids, human organs, cabaret, and disco-musical numbers. What could have easily been a disjointed mess becomes an extraordinary cohesive tale under Smoczynska's masterful direction. The film’s audiovisual presentation on Blu Ray is commendable, providing rich detail and clarity that enhances the surreal and atmospheric quality of the story. The supplementary materials are invaluable, offering deep insights into the director's vision and journey, further enriching the viewing experience.
The technical specifications elevate the film's unique style, with both video and audio being finely tuned. The visuals are sharp, with strong color grading that complements the whimsical yet dark tone of the narrative. The audio mixes are equally impressive, encapsulating the energetic musical numbers and the eerie silences with precision. Moreover, the inclusion of documentaries and short films by Smoczynska offers an in-depth look at her creative process and her inspirations, adding layers to the understanding of her work. This not only provides context but also magnifies appreciation for her debut feature.
When Agnieszka Smoczynska mentions in one of the documentaries included in this release that the two sirens in "The Lure" essentially represent her generation, which experienced the ugliness and absurdity of communism as well as the unbearable frustration and anger that were inseparable parts of it, I know exactly what she means. Her brilliant directorial debut is a reminder of that almost surreal reality of extreme contrasts that Poland was forced to endure while being part of the now defunct Soviet Bloc, and in a way a very unique warning not to forget it. Of course, it is also one utterly wild and entertaining film that has introduced to the world a young director with an incredible imagination and style. "The Lure" is one of my favorite releases this year, and I will definitely be placing it on my Top 10 list in December. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Blu-ray.com review by Dr. Svet AtanasovRead review here
Video: 100
The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release: "The film was shot with an ARRI ALEXA camera in ARRIRAW format (3.2K) and the production was completed in a fully digital...
Audio: 100
I think that the music numbers benefit the most, but there are a few action sequences where dynamic intensity is also impressive....
Extras: 80
Aria Diva (2007) - presented here is Agnieszka Smoczynska's first short film, which she directed while attending the Wajda School in Warsaw....
Movie: 100
The main story about the two sirens and their experiences inside and outside of the cabaret continues to evolve, but now there are numerous very interesting music numbers that would be perfect for an avant-garde...
Total: 90
When Agnieszka Smoczynska mentions in one of the documentaries that are included on this release that the two sirens in The Lure essentially represent her generation, the thirty-somethings, which experienced...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
The detail is also outstanding here with every piece of intricate sequins standing out in the cabaret dresses and great textures in the mermaid tails....
Audio: 80
Instead, this is more of a front heavy mix with some sporadic ambient noises that come with reverb in certain locales....
Extras: 60
The key actors, filmmaker, and crew members talk about making the film that focuses on the production, the themes, characters, music, and editing....
Movie: 80
She is completely aware of the subject she is tackling and can make mermaid problems relatable to all of us, better than The Little Mermaid ever could....
Total: 80
With mermaids, human organs, a cabaret, and disco-musical numbers, you might be tempted to stay away from all the wacky genres mixed in, but Agnieszka Smoczynska perfectly blends in every genuine moment...
Director: Agnieszka Smoczynska
Actors: Marta Mazurek, Michalina Olszanska, Kinga Preis
PlotIn a vibrant, neon-lit night club in 1980s Warsaw, a family of musicians discovers two mysterious mermaid sisters, Silver and Gold, who have come ashore. Captivated by their enchanting voices and alluring presence, the family takes them in and incorporates them into their musical act. As they rise to fame in the bustling nightlife scene, the sisters' true nature and their complicated feelings about the human world begin to emerge. Silver develops romantic feelings for a bassist in the band, while Gold remains focused on their original purpose for venturing onto land.
As Silver becomes more entangled in her human love interest, the tension between her mermaid instincts and her desire to assimilate into human life intensifies. Meanwhile, Gold grows increasingly wary of the dangers and compromises inherent in this new world. The sisters' bond is tested as they navigate the complexities of love, identity, and survival in an environment that is both alluring and perilous. The story beautifully contrasts the enchanting allure of the mermaids with the harsh realities of human nature, leading to a poignant exploration of desire and otherworldly existence.
Writers: Robert Bolesto
Release Date: 25 Dec 2015
Runtime: 92 min
Rating: Not Rated
Country: Poland
Language: Polish