Good Shepherd, The [DVD Combo]

Video:
Thanks to the technical advances in HD-DVD authoring and the plentiful availabilities of the HD-30/DVD-9 discs, this lengthy film is presented as a Combo Format release with DVD on one side and HD-DVD on the other. You certainly could not have placed this film on a single layered side. "The Good Shepherd" is mastered with the VC-1 codec and presented in 2.40:1 widescreen. The transfer is clean, detailed and colorful. As I stated in the above paragraphs, director Robert De Niro is a stickler for details and "The Good Shepherd" paints every detail of its time period in excruciating detail. This is a beautifully shot film that recreates the historical periods it represents, from the early party where Edward Wilson sees his father die, to the final moments when the halls of Langley are being dry walled.

The colors are warm and natural. The film has slightly muted color scheme that helps deliver the feeling of the 1930s through the 1960s. Blacks are properly presented and detail is not lost during the darkest scenes. Detail is strong, but does not rank among the best efforts by Universal. Some scenes do show off the textures and surfaces of the film, but the film never possess that three dimensional look delivered by a fine high definition transfer. The picture quality is extremely clean and the source materials used for the high definition mastering were flawless. I do not remember any digital artifacts or problems with the transfer. This is a visually competent release, but it is not as vibrant and lively as other releases from Universal.

Sound:
Dull and boring, but competent is a pattern with this HD-DVD release. The film is technically magnificent, but a boring affair. The visuals are clean and technically solid, but lack that next-generation feel. The soundtrack is another technically strong aspect of the release, but the Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mix lacks any strong punch or aggressive moments to stand out. The nature of the mix is that of a very quiet sounding film. Marcelo Zarvos and Bruce Fowler´s musical score plays softly in the background and adds to the film, but is most definitely a background presence. Vocals are soft and considering the film details the beginnings of the CIA; there is quite a bit of whispering. The whispering does become problematic at times, as I had to turn the volume up and replay at least two scenes so that I could hear what was said. The soundtrack presents a few nice rumbling low moments in the Low Frequency Effects channel, but the usage of the subwoofer is sporadic. The film doesn´t sound bad. It is clean, but it suits the nature of its story – dull.

Extras:
In addition to providing the Combo Format that allows for a DVD transfer to piggyback on the reverse side of the disc, Universal throws in their patented U-Control feature that includes Picture-in-Picture capabilities. This feature combines numerous interviews and behind-the-scenes moments that are interwoven into the film and activated by pressing a button. I would prefer an option that would allow these picture-in-pictures to self activate, and it was a tedious affair to sit through and watch much of the film a second time to discover the juicy tidbits contained within U-Control. The downside of this feature for "The Good Shepherd" is the film´s length and the long voids of material during the film´s running time. In addition to the U-Control, there are a number of deleted scenes. These seven scenes fun for fifteen minutes and fifty five seconds and features more lengthy pieces of historical information that have been thankfully left from this rather long film. They had the same tone as the film and are mastered in high definition.

Closing Thoughts:
Robert De Niro did a wonderful job of providing a highly detailed historical lesson on Edward Wilson, a character based upon the real life James Jesus Angelton and the beginnings of the CIA. The names have been changed, but the film is accurate in the story it tells. This film is so heavy on details, that it is difficult to sit through and fully digest everything thrown at you. What makes the film seem even longer than its 168 minute length is the utterly dull and boring characters that populate the film through its every turn. Matt Damon´s character is as wooden as it gets. This isn´t the fault of the actors, but the nature of the people they portray. This is one of those rare films that is a technically good film, but just a tedious affair that is so serious in nature, that it is no longer entertainment, but a lesson in history. The HD-DVD release is visually and audibly competent, but its subject matter again bogs the film down and its period look hinders the color palette and its level of detail is just not as brilliant as the top-notch HD-DVD releases. The U-Control feature is nice, but requires a second viewing with full attention to capture everything. There is sixteen minutes of deleted scenes that provides even more dull information to the story. "The Good Shepherd" is a great history lesson, but a tedious film.

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