The Power of the Dog appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The film boasted fine visuals.
Sharpness worked well. Virtually no softness emerged in this precise, tight presentation.
No issues with moiré effects or jaggies occurred. I saw neither edge haloes nor source flaws.
In this Western setting, the film favored an often amber/dusty palette, with a fair amount of teal thrown in as well. Within the stylistic constraints, the Blu-ray reproduced the colors in a favorable manner.
Blacks came across as deep and dense, while shadows appeared smooth and well-developed. The movie offered pleasing picture quality.
In addition, the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio satisfied. Music showed nice stereo presence, while effects added immersive material. The various sequences boasted fine use of the side and rear speakers, all of which brought us into the story well.
Audio quality seemed strong. Music was full and rich, while dialogue seemed natural and distinctive.
Effects offered clear elements, with warm, tight lows. Though not a consistently active affair, I still liked the soundtrack for Dog.
A few extras appear, and Behind the Scenes with Jane Campion runs 17 minutes, 31 seconds. This offers an interview with writer/director Campion interspersed with shots from the set.
Campion discusses the source novel and its adaptation, story and characters, and some notions about the production/personal reflections
We hear surprisingly little from Campion. She adds some good thoughts but doesn’t comment as much as expected.
Still, “Scenes” becomes a worthwhile program. Campion tells us enough to give us some useful material, and the material from the shoot helps.
Reframing the West goes for 28 minutes, 14 seconds. It offers notes form Campion, producer Tanya Seghatchian, cinematographer Ari Wegner, editor Peter Sciberras, costume designer Kirsty Cameron, production designer Grant Major, makeup artist Noriko Watanabe, producers Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, supervising sound editor Robert Mackenzie, composer Jonny Greenwood and actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirtsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
“West” looks at the novel and its path to the screen, story/characters, cast and performances, Campion’s impact as director, photography and production design, sets and locations, costumes, editing, and score/sound.
Expect a pretty good show here. “West” offers a fairly positive overview of the flick’s creation.
Next comes The Women Behind The Power of the Dog, a 23-minute, 30-second reel with comments from Campion, Seghatchian, Wegner, Dunst and filmmaker Tamara Jenkins.
They chat about story/characters, cast and performances, visual design, photography, and other aspects of the production. Some new notes emerge here, but we also find repetition from the prior programs. We also find too much praise, so this becomes a spotty discussion.
Anatomy of a Score spans 13 minutes, 25 seconds and features info from Campion and Greenwood. They relate aspects of the movie’s score in this fairly informative piece.
In addition to the film’s trailer, the disc finishes with Annie Proulx, a 13-minute, 18-second interview with the novelist behind Brokeback Mountain.
She tells us of her encounter with Dog novelist Thomas Savage as well as the book’s reception/legacy and her thoughts about the novel and the movie. Proulx offers some intriguing notes.
The set concludes with a booklet. It offers photos, credits and an essay from critic Amy Taubin. It completes the package on a positive note.
As a variation on the Western, The Power of the Dog offers a fairly compelling tale. While it takes some time to get into a groove, it proves winning in the end. The Blu-ray offers excellent visuals and good audio as well as a decent array of bonus materials. I recommend this rich character drama.