The Post appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a satisfactory presentation.
Overall sharpness seemed solid. Any softness remained negligible, so the vast majority of the flick was accurate and detailed.
No issues with jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and I noticed no edge haloes. Source flaws were absent, as the movie looked consistently clean.
The Post gave us a teal-tinted palette. Some amber appeared as well, but the blue-green feel dominated. Within those parameters, the hues were positive.
Blacks seemed deep and dark, while shadows showed good smoothness and clarity. I felt happy with the transfer.
Given the movie’s scope, I didn’t expect much from its DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack, but the end result fared better than anticipated. Actually, the mix started with a literal bang, as the opening scenes in Vietnam placed in the combat well, with helicopters and warfare from all around the spectrum.
The rest of the movie lacked the same sonic intensity, but Post still managed a surprisingly active soundscape. It used sequences in newsrooms and on the street to positive effect, as those moments created a lively, involving sense of place.
Audio quality was strong. Speech seemed natural and concise, without edginess or other issues.
Music offered good clarity and range, and effects worked well. These boasted nice accuracy and showed deep, full low-end when necessary. All of this ended up as a surprisingly impactful soundtrack for this sort of movie.
Five featurettes appear here, and these start with Layout: Katharine Graham, Ben Bradlee and the Washington Post. It runs 21 minutes, 51 seconds and involves comments from director Steven Spielberg, producers Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Katharine Graham’s grandson Will Graham, former Washington Post Managing Editor/consultant Steve Coll, former Post publisher/Katharine’s son Don Graham, Washington Post Senior Associate Editor/Katharine’s daughter Lally Graham Weymouth, former Washington Post Executive Editor/consultant Len Downie Jr., journalist/author/Ben Bradlee’s wife Sally Quinn, former New York Times editorial page editor/current op-ed columnist/son of Abe Rosenthal Andrew Rosenthal, author/former US military analyst Daniel Ellsberg, former Washington Post Metro Editor/consultant RB Brenner, executive producer Tim White, screenwriter/co-producer Liz Hannah, editor/researcher archivist Evelyn J. Small and actors Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.
“Layout” looks at some of the facts behind the movie’s story. It delivers a pretty tight overview and sheds a lot of light on these background areas.
During the 15-minute, 56-second Editorial: The Cast and Characters of The Post, we get info from Spielberg, Hannah, Streep, Hanks, Krieger, co-writer/executive producer Josh Hannah, casting director Ellen Lewis, director of photography Janusz Kaminski, and actors Carrie Coon, David Cross, Alison Brie, Sarah Paulson, Bruce Greenwood, Bob Odenkirk, Jesse Plemons, Bradley Whitford, Tracy Letts, Jessie Mueller, Stark Sands, and Michael Stuhlbarg.
As indicated by the title, this one examines the actors and their roles. Though it occasionally devolves into happy talk, it delivers enough useful information to become worth a look.
Next comes The Style Section: Re-Creating an Era. It goes for 17 minutes, two seconds and delivers material from Krieger, Spielberg, Coll, Downie, Brenner, Kaminski, Hanks, Letts, Streep, Coon, Odenkirk, Pascal, Greenwood, Paulson, production designer Rick Carter, property master Diana Burton, set decorator Rena DeAngelo, and executive producer Trevor White.
“Style” discusses various elements used to replicate period details circa the early 1970s. It boasts solid details about these aspects of the production to turn into another solid featurette.
Stop the Presses: Filming The Post lasts 25 minutes, 34 seconds and presents notes from Spielberg, White, Hannah, Pascal, Hanks, Streep, Singer, Paulson, Mueller, Sands, Brie, Greenwood, Coon, Kaminski, Krieger, Odenkirk, Plemons, Rhys, and stunt coordinator Mark Fichera.
Via “Presses”, we get a general production overview that touches on a mix of relevant topics. It can veer into a little too much praise for Spielberg and the leads, but it still throws out a nice selection of thoughts.
Finally, Arts and Entertainment: Music for The Post spans six minutes, 45 seconds and features Spielberg, Krieger, and composer John Williams. Unsurprisingly, we get notes about the movie’s score. It’s a short but efficient piece.
A second disc provides a DVD copy of The Post. It includes three of the five featurettes: “Style”, “Presses” and “Arts”.
As much as I admire the goals and ambitions of The Post, I can’t claim it turns into a classic. While it offers a professional, engaging affair, it lacks the punch it needs to become a great film. The Blu-ray boasts excellent visuals as well as surprisingly impressive audio and an informative collection of featurettes. I think The Post offers a “B+” movie, which makes it a minor disappointment due to “A+” hopes and expectations.