Look on a map and you won’t find it. Look in your heart and there it will be. Enchantment is a place – and a movie – called Brigadoon when Gene Kelly stars in and choreographs a lyrical film adaptation of the 1947 Broadway musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (My Fair Lady, Camelot).
Vincente Minnelli directs this otherworldly tale of vacationing New Yorkers (Kelly and Van Johnson) who discover a Scottish village that comes to life once every 100 years for one day only. There, Kelly and a town lass (Cyd Charisse) share the love of a lifetime – one seemingly allotted just 24 hours. But fear not, there’s magic and timeless songs hereabouts: “Almost Like Being in Love,” “The Heather on the Hill” and more!
For thoughts on Brigadoon, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Warner Archive brought Brigadoon to Blu-Ray in 2017 with a dazzling 1080p master transfer sourced from a 2K scan of an Interpositive in 2.55:1 which shines in high definition. The film spotlights some vivid colors within the costumes and settings that leap off the screen with an intense vibrancy. Black levels are deep with excellent stability throughout. Highlights are firm without succumbing to any blooming. The level of detail and clarity will astound you with a rich amount of natural film grain intact and resolved without issue. The only momentary downturns are during optical transitions, which is not an issue with the transfer itself. The restoration has eradicated nearly all dirt and damage for a clear canvas. There are no unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such shortcomings. This presentation is a grand effort from Warner Archive on all fronts.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with an excellent DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that respectfully expands the four-track stereo roots. The standard dialogue emerges clearly from beginning to end. Music is a primary element of the film, and the track executes these elements effortlessly. It delineates the heavenly vocals from the dance numbers and the accompanying score with absolute clarity. Fidelity never comes up short even when crowds gather and create a steady din. The surround speakers complement the main thrust of the audio journey without pulling focus. Warner Archive has provided an ideal presentation that does not exhibit any signs of age-related wear and tear. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes
- Come To Me, Bend To Me (3:29)
- From This Day On (4:38)
- Sword Dance (3:00)
- There But For You Go I! (Audio Only) (4:15)
- Trailer (3:45)
Final Thoughts
Brigadoon is a magical little tale that weaves supernatural whimsy into a story of romance and discovery. Despite the larger-than-life premise, the story feels appropriately small to suit the gentle lives of the villagers. There are some really great songs sprinkled in here, but not all of them knock it out of the park. Gene Kelly is the draw here, but Cyd Charisse continues to earn a prominent place in our hearts. If you are a musical fan, you will be more than pleased. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a phenomenal A/V presentation and a small array of supplemental features. Recommended
Brigadoon can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.
