From director and writer Sam Mendes (“1917” and “Skyfall”), “Empire of Light” is a moving drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times. Set in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, it follows Hilary (Olivia Colman), a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward), a new employee who longs to escape this provincial town in which he faces daily adversity. Both Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship and come to experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.
For in-depth thoughts on Empire of Light, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Empire of Light debuts on Blu-Ray with an AVC encoded 1080p presentation in 2.39:1 that does a phenomenal job of bringing this world to life. Shot on digital and finished in 4K, the visual brilliance of Roger Deakins’ cinematography is immediately clear and stunning. From beginning to end, the disc delivers stable, dazzling colors within the lighting, production design and costumes which really makes an impression. Skin tones appear natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores and within the makeup.
The range of the color spectrum is nuanced within the world Mendes has brought to life with moments of vibrant colors within a veritable palette of different weather experiences and color grading. Elements in the film taking place in the cover of shadows remain vivid and stable. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. The highlights in the film are finely delineated with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found even in the most intense displays. This Blu-Ray release pushes the format to its limits in terms of technical excellence. There is a title that would have looked phenomenal on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but the box office performance did not justify such a release.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a terrific DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that presents this world in a well-balanced manner. From the opening moments, the soundscape announces that you are in for an immersive experience suitable for any lover of cinema. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overshadowed by any of the competing sonic elements. Sounds are rendered with precise directionality from the more active scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the surround channels that stretch around the room. The sterling score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross envelopes the room with such warmth. The low end is engaged when necessary, but it is not a showcase part of the experience. The mix offers up a very pleasing experience that translates the movie with care. The disc provides optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Special Features
- Creating Empire Of Light: An 18-minute piece in which writer-director Sam Mendes and the cast discuss the origins of and inspirations for the film, the expansive nature of the story, the qualities of the various characters, the creation of the cinema, the themes the film attempts to tackle, the visual aesthetic and more.
Final Thoughts
Empire of Light is a film with all of the elements of an emotional knockout, but an overstuffed and unfocused script keeps it from living up to its full potential. Director Sam Mendes seems to want to fit a variety of different personalities and storylines into one densely plotted film, but the narrative would have benefitted from a more targeted approach. The film still works overall due to the dazzling performance from Olivia Colman and star-making turn from Micheal Ward. There are several story points worth further exploration, but Mendes himself might not be the best person to nail the cultural nuances necessary. Searchlight Pictures has given this film a Blu-Ray release featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a decent supplemental feature. A 4K UHD Blu-Ray option would have been nice, but fans of the film should be pleased by the quality of this presentation. Recommended
Empire of Light will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 21, 2023. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Searchlight Pictures 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.
