Quality to them, as if the film was largely shot on overcast days, but it appears There is not a blemish orĭropout to be found, and blacks are pure and deep. The results are quite comparable, really - if nothing else, it makesįor an interesting assessment of the differences (or lack of them) between theįirst, the basics. Magnolia opted to go 1080p/MPEG-2 for Blu-ray, instead of VC-1 (which they used on HD DVD). Interestingly, this Blu-ray release differs slightly from its HD DVD counterpart, which we reviewed earlier. I love the wide 2.35:1 frame, but I am not going to argue with the filmmaker.Īlso, the compositions here look pleasing to me, and I was never distractedīy any apparent cropping or constraining of the image. So what we are getting here is more information on the topĪnd bottom and a bit less on the sides. The film was shot in the Super35 format, and exhibited theatrically at 2.35:1, but director Roger Donaldson decided to "open up the matte" for the film's video Technical specs for 'The World's Fastest Indian' are somewhat unusual. From the Americans at Salt Lake, who are an eccentric but believable community of speed freaks, to the natural rhythms of Munro's daily life back home, Donaldson and Hopkins don't take a single wrong step.
Worlds fastest indian dvd releases movie#
Instead, it's a wonderfully-realized biography, an inspirational underdog story, and a road movie that depicts a mingling of cultures that is both authentic and winning. I've heard the film described as both "a chick flick for guys" and "'Cool Runnings' for the geriatric set," but either does it justice. That 'The World's Fastest Indian' has been all but ignored in America is tragic, but not entirely surprising. Here, Hopkins somehow manages to craft a performance that is kind of a cross between Albert Einstein and Doc from the 'Back to the Future' movies, yet he is never "zany," setting aside the usual arm-waving mannerisms a lesser actor might have resorted to. Silence of the Lambs'), and it is hard to argue with him. Hopkins has stated several times that he feels 'Indian' is his greatest performance (topping even his Oscar-winning turn as Hannibal Lecter in ' The While the climax is a foregone conclusion, the film still manages to generate a surprising amount of nail-biting tension. Finally, the third and final section focuses on Munro's attempt to break the world record in Utah. The wonderful central portion of the film focuses on his journey to the U.S., and the surprising cast of diverse characters he meets along the way. In the first part, Munro discovers his love for his rebuilt 1920 motorbike and becomes obsessed with taking it all the way to America to clock its speed at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah - ultimately he will mortgage his land just to barely make the trip. 'The World's Fastest Indian' is a story in three parts. Scenes out of a bad Hollywood biopic, but instead, Donaldson - himself a man with a dream - wisely focuses entirely on Munro's journey.
Worlds fastest indian dvd releases series#
The film could have easily turned Munro into a cliche, or degenerated his story into a series of fist-pumping, melodramatic New Zealand native Roger Donaldson and Sir Anthony Hopkins have made a wonderful film out of Munro's story in 'The World's Fastest Indian.' It was a project that was a labor of love for Donaldson, who had spent the past three decades trying to bring the story to the screen. And while his exploits may not be as well-known to those of us here in the States, in the land of Kiwi he's a real-life Rocky Balboa, known for living life the way he raced - with the pedal all the way to the floor, living deep and sucking out the marrow of every moment.
In 1967, (at the age of 68), he self-modified a 40 year-old Indian motorcycle and rode it to break the world motorcycle land speed record - a record which still stands today. New Zealand legend Burt Munro seems to typify that blustery, good-natured competitive spirit perfectly. And so my impression of New Zealanders is that they are of the Crocodile Dundee variety - a healthy, forthright, and quite competitive bunch. As a result, my only "experience" with most other cultures has been through movies and television. I'm ashamed to admit that (like many Americans) I haven't traveled much farther outside the bounds of my country than, say, Canada.