Allonsanfàn appears in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The image seemed largely appealing.
Sharpness usually worked fine. Despite a few slightly soft wider or interior elements, the majority of the movie appeared accurate enough.
No issues with jagged edges or shimmering appeared, and I saw no edge haloes. Grain felt natural, and no print flaws materialized.
Colors went with a natural vibe that leaned amber but also came with some stylized greens and reds. The disc replicated the hues in an appropriate manner.
Blacks felt deep and dense, while shadows looked smooth and clear outside of a few somewhat murky interiors. Even with some softness, this was a pretty good presentation.
I thought the film’s DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack seemed typical for its era and origins. Music lacked a lot of range, but the score seemed fairly full and well-rendered.
Effects followed suit, with tones that came across as acceptably accurate, if a bit thin and occasionally rough. The dubbed nature left the lines as a bit unnatural, and speech tended to sound somewhat sibilant and edgy. I felt this was a mediocre mix for an Italian flick from the mid-1970s.
A smattering of extras appear, and we find an audio commentary from critic Michael Brooke. He delivers a running, screen-specific look at story/characters, cast and crew, themes and interpretation, symbolism and cinematic techniques, music, historical elements, and the movie’s reception.
Although we don’t get a ton of specifics about the film’s actual production, Brooke nonetheless offers a strong view of the movie. He covers an appropriate mix of subjects and turns this into a fast-paced and engaging chat.
In addition to the movie’s trailer, we find a circa 1966 audio interview with filmmakers Paolo Taviani, Florestano Vancini, Nelo Risi and Anna Gobi. Conducted by critic Gideon Bachmann, this chat spans 57 minutes, 11 seconds.
Here we get the participants’ thoughts about their art in that era as well as issues related to directing, Italian films and where they felt cinema would go in the future.
Given this conversation occurred almost a decade before the movie’s creation, obviously we get no specifics about Allonsanfàn here. Indeed, few film-specifics occur, but we find a spirited discussion that touches on its topics well, even if those involved to engage in nonsense like the belief bad movies always make more money than good ones.
One might expect a tale of rebellion and revolution to offer some excitement, but instead, Allonsanfàn turns into a sluggish character piece. If it provided real introspection and depth, I wouldn’t mind, but the final product simply drags and fails to connect. The Blu-ray brings pretty good picture, mediocre audio and a few bonus materials. Given its potential, Allonsanfàn disappoints.