In 1800s England, acclaimed but unrecognized fossil hunter Mary Anning (Winslet) works alone on the rugged Southern coastline. With the days of her famed discoveries behind her, she now searches for common fossils to sell to tourists to support herself and her ailing mother. When a wealthy visitor entrusts Mary with the care of his wife Charlotte Murchison (Ronan), she cannot afford to turn his offer down. Proud and relentlessly passionate about her work, Mary initially clashes with her unwelcome guest, but despite the distance between their social class and personalities, an intense bond begins to develop, compelling the two women to determine the true nature of their relationship.
For in-depth thoughts on Ammonite, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Ammonite comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is truly stunning. This is a visually rich film with beautiful shots of nature and the coastline throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The film is not bursting with vivid colors, but there are specific moments that really pop from the orange of the candlelight to some of the costumes on display. The interiors are typically a more dour and dark environment that presents with a cooler tone that the presentation represents perfectly with a pleasing richness. The white levels are handled beautifully, along with the intensely deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. This presentation is definitely a knockout on the Blu-Ray format.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that conjures a very specific mood that transports you back to this era in history. The luscious score from Dustin O’Halloran and Volker Bertelmann is showcased beautifully here with a gently enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really nice soundscape of wildlife and subtle seaside sounds. This is not an action-heavy film, so the activity in the low end is employed sparingly throughout the presentation. This is a lovely sounding release that brings the movie to life in a really beautiful way.
Special Features
- The Making of Ammonite: A six-minute overview of the movie with the cast and crew in which they discuss the characters and what they wanted to explore within the film. It is worthwhile to hear some of the challenges the actors faced in these roles and the way in which they went about preparing for the film. This is brief but quite compelling.
Final Thoughts
Ammonite is a sumptuous portrait of a complicated relationship that is equally moving and heartbreaking. The emotional intimacy and vulnerability on display between the extraordinary Kate Winselt and Saoirse Ronan elevates this narrative to something truly compelling. Francis Lee is a talented director who can convey so much through very economical means. Every scene is such a joy to consume. Universal Picture Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that has an outstanding A/V presentation and an interesting supplemental feature. If you are a fan of either of the two lead actresses, this will only remind you why you love them so much. Recommended
Ammonite is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment 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.