David Byrne meets America’s fractious political moment with the transcendent power of song in this ecstatic documentary of the Broadway adaptation of his acclaimed American Utopia tour. Captured with immersive immediacy by director Spike Lee, this uplifting spectacle interweaves twenty-one songs, both new and classic, with Byrne’s singular observations on the state of the nation—its perils, promises, and possibility for transformation. Choreographed by Annie-B Parson with the inventive minimalism that has become a signature of Byrne’s live performances, David Byrne’s American Utopia moves between moments of communal exuberance and hymnlike grace, making the case for music as an agent of protest, change, and above all unity.

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Video Quality

American Utopia arrives on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in 2160P SDR courtesy of a magnificent transfer from The Criterion Collection supervised by director of photography Ellen Kuras. While some may be disappointed by the lack of HDR for this title, this format allows the film to look like the best version of itself without any real estate taken up by special features, like on the Blu-Ray disc, which strains the encode a bit more. The film features a parade of expertly captured numbers from this Broadway production that is straightforward yet captivating in its execution. This footage looks incredibly crisp and clear within the carefully composed filming conditions.

The documentary concert film is presented in color, which progressively makes more of a statement as the concert moves along and lighting choices come alive, even with attire being plain, grey suits. There is a world of detailed textures within the clothing and stage design of the metal chains surrounding the open performance area. The movie is choreographed to work within a stable environment that allows for a more consistent viewing experience. The footage looks as technically pristine as you can reach from the digital master. The Criterion Collection 4K UHD disc handles the encoding with ease and allows the film plenty of room to flourish. There are no hiccups with compression artifacts or other digital nuisances. The Criterion Collection has rescued this one from the land of streaming-only.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a glorious DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that processes this material perfectly. It feels somewhat surprising that this was not mixed for Dolby Atmos, but the results do not feel diminished in any capacity. This feature is entirely about the performance of these moving compositions, and every piece transports you to this theater in a visceral manner. The music is resolved pleasantly here as it saturates the room from the appropriate directions. The layered sound design makes the space feel more three-dimensional. Crowd noises are given ideal placement within the soundscape. There is not one area where this track comes up short. The audio track is a peerless representation of the film. Optional English SDH subtitles are included for those who desire them.

Special Features

The Criterion Collection 4K UHD Blu-Ray of American Utopia includes a leaflet featuring an essay by critic K. Austin Collins and an appreciation by critic Jia Tolentino, which provides some good insight into and analysis of the film and its iconic subject and how it acts as a culmination of his life’s work. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Making American Utopia: A new 55-minute documentary featuring interviews with director of photography Ellen Kuras, musician-producer David Byrne, dancer-vocalist Tendayi Kuumba, director Spike Lee, choreographer and musical stager Annie-B Parson, lighting designer Rob Sinclair, and bassist Bobby Wooten III. There are some great discussions about the origins of the project, the production design and lighting of the set, the choreography, the story that is being told, and more.

A Conversation with Spike Lee & David Byrne: A great 14-minute conversation with director Spike Lee and artist David Byrne in which they discuss how this collaboration came about, determining how to make this a proper feature, deciding on the camera placement, how their artistic inspiration impacted the setlist, the larger thematic context of the show, and more.

Trailer (1:11)

Final Thoughts

American Utopia is a special concert film that captures an iconic artist performing a show that combines indelible music with a thrilling production conceit and an overall message that is much more profound than it may appear from the onset. The direction of Spike Lee could not be more instrumental in harnessing the kinetic nature of the live piece and translating that to impeccable effect on screen. While it would certainly help if you have a preexisting love for The Talking Heads or David Byrne, the music is so powerful on its own that you should be able to get sucked in by its beauty regardless. It is one of the best of its kind. The Criterion Collection has provided this film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports a fabulous A/V presentation and engaging additional features. If the subject piques your curiosity, be sure to check it out. Essential

The Criterion Collection edition of American Utopia is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD.

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

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection 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.