This is a landmark event for DVD, not only because it represents a strong show of support by Mr. Spielberg for the format, but because the disc itself is such a potential powerhouse in terms of audio and video presentation. Initially, I was a bit intimidated on how to discern the quality of the image. To explain, the film purposely canvasses a wide range of cinematic styles, using an arsenal of photographic tricks to achieve a kind of heightened realism. The film is meant to be a visual and aural assault during key segments, and these stylistic choices are entirely appropriate to the material. I started by focusing on the non-battle scenes, which are shot more straightforwardly.
Colors are rich and vibrant, black level is perfect, and shadow detail sharp.
And the print used is pristine, with no scratches, nicks or dropouts. Again, the film has been intentionally stylized to achieve a intended documentary-like affect. What I looked for most here was compression artifacts. Since the DVD format utilizes MPEG compression that works by comparing frames and discarding redundant data, the fact that the film drops frames randomly, employs incredibly fast cuts and contains lots of motion means it is a probable nightmare for a compressionist. Pixelization and breakup of the picture can all result if not enough time and effort is expended to ensure a solid presentation.