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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Elizabeth
    Genre:Drama

    Reviewed In Issue 33 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 3.5
    Sound Rating: 4.5
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals
    None

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): PolyGram Video
    (Catalog Number): ID5710PG
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Retail Price): $39.99
    (Running Time In Minutes): 123
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1998
    (LD Release Date): 04/99
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Shekkar Kapur
    (Screenplay/Written By): Michael Hirst
    (Story): NA
    (Music): David Hirschfelder
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): John Myhre
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Jill Bilcock
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): NA
    (Co-Producers): Debra Hayward & Liza Chasin
    (Producers): Alison Owen, Eric Fellner & Tim Bevan

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.82:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Digital Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): DTS, SDDS & Dolby Digital
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital): No
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Nominated for eight Academy Awards®, Elizabeth stars Cate Blanchett as the self-proclaimed Virgin Queen who ruled England in the mid-1500s after the death of her half sister Mary Tudor. Elizabeth was faced with the daunting task of pulling England out of its poverty and ending the blood shed in the name of religion. A vivacious young woman, it became clear to her that she must forsake her own needs and feelings in order to protect her people and rule England—which she did for 44 years.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The LaserDisc is wonderfully rendered and filmed with mostly natural lighting. The opening titles on appear slightly out of focus, but otherwise images are generally sharp. This is a masterful period drama, with naturally rendered colors, accurate fleshtones and deep blacks. Artifacts are apparent, but noise is only occasional. The LaserDisc is matted at 1.82:1.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital soundtrack is a full scale SPL dynamic powerhouse with an aggressive split surround presence, phantom center surround and deeply powerful .1 LFE enhancement that delivers a solid sonic foundation. By comparison, the Dolby Surround PCM soundtrack is absent an octave of bass. In the matrix version, there is an aliveness in the reverberations heard in the dialogue and Foley effects that is blunted in the discrete version. While both soundtracks deliver excellent holosonic spatial dimensionality, the discrete excels at low frequency 25Hz impact and split surround dimensionality. The music score sounds expansive, wrapping into the surrounds, and is well recorded.The LaserDisc and anamorphically enhanced DVD are wonderfully rendered and filmed with mostly natural lighting. The opening titles on the LaserDisc appear slightly out of focus, while completely sharp on the DVD. Viewed in component video and in a completely darkened room, the DVD exhibits excellent shadow delineation. This is a masterful period drama, with naturally rendered colors on both versions, with truer blacks on the DVD. Video artifacts are apparent on both versions, but noise is only occasional on the LaserDisc. While the LaserDisc is matted at 1.82:1, the anamorphic and letterbox DVD measures 1.90:1. The DVD and LaserDisc discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital soundtrack is a full scale SPL dynamic powerhouse with an aggressive split surround presence, phantom center surround and deeply powerful .1 LFE enhancement that delivers a solid sonic foundation. By comparison, the LaserDisc Dolby Surround PCM soundtrack is absent an octave of bass. In the matrix version, there is an aliveness in the reverberations heard in the dialogue and Foley effects that is blunted in the discrete version. While both soundtracks deliver excellent holosonic spatial dimensionality, the discrete excels at low frequency 25Hz impact and split surround dimensionality. The music score sounds expansive, wrapping into the surrounds, and is well recorded.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): Yes
    (Aggressive System Surround): Yes
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): Yes
    (Deep Bass Challenging): Yes
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): Yes
    (Aggressive Split Surround): Yes
    (Center Back Surround Imaging): Yes
    (Directionalized Dialogue): No
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    		 No
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    		 No
    Superb Cinematography:
    		 Yes
    Reference LaserDisc:
    		 No
    Collector Edition:
    		 No
    DVD To LaserDisc Comparison: