‘A Bronx Tale’ 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – De Niro Explores New Layers Of The Crime Genre In Directorial Debut

As he grows into a teenager on the streets of the Bronx in the socially turbulent 1960s, Calogero (Lillo Brancato) gets taken under the wing of neighborhood mobster Sonny (Chazz Palminteri). Sonny initiates the boy into the ways of gangland life, in direct conflict with his straight-arrow bus driver father (Robert De Niro). But when Calogero falls for his African-American classmate, Jane (Taral Hicks), the repercussions threaten the entire neighborhood.

For thoughts on A Bronx Tale, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/Kzb-KRvQnOg?si=rmU2hP1QqO6v5pmd&t=880]

Video Quality

A Bronx Tale debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Tribeca with a beautiful 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer derived from a 4K restoration conducted for the film’s 30th anniversary. This release does not come with a Blu-Ray disc (which is being sold separately) and does not appear to have been released on Blu-Ray previously in the United States, making this a huge upgrade for fans stuck in the DVD age. The lovely natural film grain remains intact while always resolving naturally free of clumping and swarming.

Cinematographer Reynaldo Villalobos captures the era and location with great care, and every detail within the frame is carefully realized here. You bear witness to so much texture and character within the transfer which brings out new dimensions to the feature. Skin tones are pretty consistent, and the clarity of the transfer gives you a fetching amount of facial detail. The deft hand over the contrast and overall clarity is carefully wielded, especially in unique details within the production design and the clothing. 

The new transfer delivers remarkable detail and delineation with only occasional moments that take a slight downturn due to the source. Throughout the majority of the runtime, you do not have to worry about softness or fluctuation. The locale may not provide the candy-colored hues of certain other features, but the Dolby Vision provides very accurate, deep colors throughout which unlocks the complexity within the environment and lighting choices. Black levels are deep and allow the image to maintain a great amount of depth and detail in the numerous shadowy environments. Highlights are stable while maintaining their brilliant brightness that never succumbs to blooming. Even with the restoration, there remain some small bits of damage that pop up, but overall the source looks to be in good shape. Tribeca has thankfully delivered with this transfer. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the movie with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio lossless track that does a capable job of bringing this one to life. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear which works well with other sonic elements. The track utilizes the rear channels to provide some immersive texture to the world, allowing the neighborhood to feel three-dimensional. The directionality of all sounds is precise throughout with careful placement. The low end is not a tremendous force but it adds a bit of baseline texture which helps accentuate certain moments. The score from Butch Barbella establishes an inviting atmosphere which emanates with flawless fidelity. This audio presentation executes this film exactly as needed. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Revisiting A Bronx Tale – New Interviews

• • Robert De Niro: A new 15-minute interview with the director/star who discusses taking on directing duties for this project, working with the young actors, his feelings about the script, the music in the picture, balancing acting and directing, the legacy of the picture, and more. 

• • Chazz Palminteri: A new 46-minute interview with the writer/star who discusses the semi-autobiographical nature of the story, his personal history, his work as a playwright, working with Robert De Niro, the importance of family in the story, memories of the non-actors in the film, the legacy of the picture, and more. 

• Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here. 

• Original Making-Of Featurette: A seven-minute vintage featurette that takes a look at the story, bringing together mostly unknown performers, the direction of De Niro, and much more. 

Final Thoughts

A Bronx Tale is a very effective take on the crime drama subgenre thanks to its unique perspective through a young man’s eyes. The film is not sanitized due to this approach, but it does cause the narrative to have a different relationship with morality and consequences. Robert De Niro does a great job behind the camera while still delivering what he needs to on screen. The rest of the ensemble is equally committed to this material, especially the nuanced performance from Chazz Palminteri. This one deserves to be better known. Tribeca has given this one a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade with a great A/V presentation, not to mention new and archival special features. Recommended 

A Bronx Tale is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Tribeca has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.