A LIFE ON THE FARM celebrates the odd life of an eccentric farmer in rural England named Charles Carson whose bizarre home movie has become a cult phenomenon around the world. Carson’s life and work are remembered by those who knew him best, and a new generation of fans reflect on the inspiring legacy he left behind.
For thoughts on A Life On The Farm, please check out my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
A Life On The Farm comes to MOD Blu-Ray in its original aspect ratio from a great high definition master. The film is a mixture of new footage with excerpts from the Charles Carson archival footage interspersed for context. The footage of the old videotape material seems to be the strongest version of it that would be possible, but VHS quality is nothing that is going to make you jump for joy. The new interview footage looks as technically excellent as it can look in high definition, and it does look wonderful.
The transfer appears to have plenty of room to breathe and there are no issues with compression artifacts, banding or other digital nuisances. The colors featured in the film are natural and vibrant as they provide a nice visual pop on screen. Interview segments look crisp and clear depending on the filming conditions with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to a nice amount of detail in any darker moments. I do not see how this disc could have been improved visually. It’s a striking transfer for those who decide to pick it up.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a top notch DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures the content perfectly well. Dialogue is the spotlight of the film, and it appears to be balanced well with competing sounds. While some filming locations are not always the most ideal, the track rarely lacks when it comes to clarity. The occasional nuances of the locations they chose to film in provides a nice base texture to the proceedings with ambient sounds placed well in the rear channels. The lovely music is well resolved here as it flows through the room with impeccable fidelity. The audio track is not stretched to its limit with this content, but it delivers the information clearly enough to provide a terrific time. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided on this disc.
Special Features
- A Skeleton’s Journey: A minute-long journey home for a special figure.
- Interview with Cinematographer Edward Lomas: A 15-minute virtual conversation between Director Oscar Harding and DoP/Producer Edward Lomas which explores the motivations behind shooting the material to reflect certain narrative needs, working with natural light, the attempts to match up certain static shots with vintage footage, the production woes caused by the pandemic, the ways in which the project evolved from the initial concept and more.
- Interview with Composer Sam Paul Toms: A 15-minute virtual conversation between Harding and composer Sam Paul Toms in which he explains some of his background, getting involved with this project, the ideas behind certain themes and more.
- Interview with David Rock Nelson: An 11-minute unused interview from cult filmmaker David Rock Nelson which is a bit chaotic but fun to explore his colorful personality.
- Interview with Editor Hannah Christensen: A nearly 16-minute virtual conversation between Harding and editor Hannah Christensen who discusses her background, discovering Charles through the archival footage, the challenges of editing a very British film as an American, her favorite moments from the film and more.
- Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
A Life On The Farm is a very compelling documentary which explores a singular figure who, for better or worse, left an impact that has reverberated around the globe for a certain audience. The film is funny, occasionally creepy, and even a bit emotional. Director Oscar Harding does a really great job of balancing all of these elements in a way that feels authentic to the subject while never losing its function as entertainment. Drafthouse Films has released a new MOD Blu-Ray that features a very strong A/V presentation and even some cool supplemental features. If you are a documentary fan, this is an under-the-radar gem that you shouldn’t let pass you by. Recommended
A Life On The Farm can be purchased on Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers. The release will be available beginning July 18, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Drafthouse Films 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
