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Journey to Le Mans
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (17th November 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Le Mans, the biggest motorsport event in the world, is truly a spectacle like no other. The twenty-four hour race is considered the most physically and mentally demanding race on earth. Man and machine push themselves to the limits of endurance, many never make it past the finish line, and some never make it home. Yet it still impassions men from all over the world to come and take it on. Jota Sport, a small British privateer team know all too well the cruelty of the race, having unsuccessfully taken on the prestigious event on eight occasions - it remains their nemesis. Upon the start line of Le Mans 24 2014, Jota sits, battle scarred as underdogs. 24 hours of life changing, punishing racing ensues... Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart, JOURNEY TO LE MANS brings to the screen the spectacle that is Le Mans, through the eyes and emotions of the men at the very heart of it...
Video
Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment continue their line of sporting documentaries after the critically acclaimed "Road" a couple of months ago, with "Journey to Le Mans". The transfer here is in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and uses an AVC MPEG-4 encode. This 1080p print varies in quality throughout, but is generally pleasing to the eyes. Like with any documentary that uses archive footage from what I imagine is a variety of sources, the picture quality can vary scene to scene. Older television footage looks okay, but often lacks detail and clarity found in the majority of the documentary. Segments filmed specifically for the documentary, particularly interview footage, look great however. Facial close-ups show every bit of stubble, the inside of cars can show small gatherings of dust, whilst the decals on the sides of the race cars can look incredible, with the natural shine never blooming. In one interview at 10:18, there are some moire patterns on the right hand side of the shirt, but this isn't a recurring problem. Some edge enhancement can be spotted at times, but it does seem to be limited and isn't overly distracting. The same can also be said for the light motion judder at 73:10. Overall, I think Kaleidoscope have worked well with what they have, especially with race footage, where director Charlotte Fantelli is limited at times to footage not filmed by herself. The in-car footage is what looks the worst, but it is still perfectly adequate and watchable. There is no damage to the transfer, and I noticed no obvious issues with compression. A couple of scenes look closer to SD than HD (63:01), but these last seconds at a time. The documentary is uncut and runs 92:20.
Audio
Two audio tracks have been provided: - English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 - English LPCM 2.0 Stereo For my viewing, I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, and for a documentary, it was a very satisfying experience. Virtually all dialogue and natural sound effects such as cars racing is focused heavily towards the front, but the perfect music selection that comes through the surrounds really adds to the atmosphere of races and crashes, and to the overall tone. Although the sounds of the cars racing would have been perfect for the surrounds, and channel separation and direction could have been better, the roaring engines still have pinpoint clarity and sound fantastic. The LFE gives some nice low level rumblings to complement the track. Dialogue is clear at all times, never sounding mumbled, and volume levels are consistent. There are no issues such as background hiss, drop outs or pops. Unfortunately no subtitles have been included.
Extras
Just a couple of start-up trailers: - "Road" (2:02) - "The Short Game" (2:39)
Overall
An enjoyable documentary with a technically sound release, it's a shame that there are no real extras of note. Still, fans of Le Mans - and motorsport in general - will lap this up.
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