Joseph Fiennes gives a dazzling performance as Will Shakespeare, making him every bit a lusty young man who just happened to become the greatest playwright of all time. Every detail of every ornate set and costume is clearly visible in this marvelous transfer. Even within the shadowy recesses of the image, details brim to the surface. Color reproduction is equally superb, especially the natural looking flesh tones. All of the hues maintain a respectable saturation throughout the film, without a bit of chroma noise or distortion.
Blacks are perfectly recreated and contrast is sublime.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack has a sumptuous mix that recreates the film's wondrous dialogue with astonishing clarity. There are intricate sound effects within the mix, however they never outshine the dialogue. Within the mix, Stephen Warbeck's lush, Oscar winning score is given equal import with the dialogue, which allows it to wash over the viewer. Subtitles are provided in English. The basic interactive menus are nice looking and offer access to the standard scene selection feature.