Watch this on Blu-ray and you'll be amazed to find yourself getting high blood pressure all over again.
Co-authors Peter Elkind and Bethany McLean appear in a number of clips to talk about their research, but the fact that Gibney was able to get so many insider video clips after the shredding of evidence began is nothing short of astounding. Though we know what happened and know the outcome, the information is presented within a narrative structure that sustains our interest, while the details of the collapse (and fraud) are so incredible that it seems straight out of Ripley's. Maybe that's why "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" is still an effective documentary to watch.
Video:
It initially struck me as odd that Magnolia would release this in Blu-ray, since so much of the footage is actual, vintage clips ranging from secret tapes of Skilling performing for employees to Congressional hearings after the Enron collapse. There's plenty of graininess on some of the clips, and so it's not exactly the kind of film that would tempt Blu-ray addicts to buy it for the mind-blowing picture quality. But maybe what it shows is that the shift from DVDs to the new HD media has begun. The film is presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio, and the 1080p picture is sharper than the DVD--mostly the scenes shot of the Enron building exteriors and the talking heads.
Audio:
The audio isn't specified, and it doesn't sound all that spectacular, so it could be the same 5.1 soundtrack as on the standard disc. Even with the musical backdrops it's hard to tell if there's much of an improvement on the first release.
Extras:
The only extra is the feature commentary with writer-director Gibney, who serves up a better-than-average blend of observations, filmmaking revelations, anecdotes, opinions, and indictments. Gibney feels that a documentary like this can be more powerful than fiction if it borrows techniques of fiction, because the facts in a case like this are capable of more surprises and twists and turns. I'm not sure that I agree with the sentiment, but that was his basic approach, and there's no arguing with success.
Bottom Line:
So you thought you were tired of Enron and corporate scandals, that it's old news? Watch this on Blu-ray and you'll be amazed to find yourself getting high blood pressure all over again.
Video:
It initially struck me as odd that Magnolia would release this in Blu-ray, since so much of the footage is actual, vintage clips ranging from secret tapes of Skilling performing for employees to Congressional hearings after the Enron collapse. There's plenty of graininess on some of the clips, and so it's not exactly the kind of film that would tempt Blu-ray addicts to buy it for the mind-blowing picture quality. But maybe what it shows is that the shift from DVDs to the new HD media has begun. The film is presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio, and the 1080p picture is sharper than the DVD--mostly the scenes shot of the Enron building exteriors and the talking heads.
Audio:
The audio isn't specified, and it doesn't sound all that spectacular, so it could be the same 5.1 soundtrack as on the standard disc. Even with the musical backdrops it's hard to tell if there's much of an improvement on the first release.
Extras:
The only extra is the feature commentary with writer-director Gibney, who serves up a better-than-average blend of observations, filmmaking revelations, anecdotes, opinions, and indictments. Gibney feels that a documentary like this can be more powerful than fiction if it borrows techniques of fiction, because the facts in a case like this are capable of more surprises and twists and turns. I'm not sure that I agree with the sentiment, but that was his basic approach, and there's no arguing with success.
Bottom Line:
So you thought you were tired of Enron and corporate scandals, that it's old news? Watch this on Blu-ray and you'll be amazed to find yourself getting high blood pressure all over again.
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[release]20527[/release]