Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli, thieves of ancient grave goods and archaeological wonders, the Chimera means redemption from work and the dream of easy wealth. For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina. To find her, Arthur challenges the invisible, searches everywhere, goes inside the earth – in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak. In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera.

For in-depth thoughts on La Chimera, please see my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Decal Releasing brings La Chimera to MOD Blu-Ray with a sumptuous 1080p video presentation. Director of Photography Hélène Louvart captures the feature through a combination of 35mm and 16mm film which imbues a vintage quality that fits the narrative. The natural grain is delineated well without anything ever appearing clumpy or otherwise unsightly. The image retains a soft look within the vibrant natural palette that never fails to impress. We can only imagine how dynamic this would look with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release.

The antiquated production design and the memorable clothing provide exacting textural details that render perfectly on screen. The makeup work with some of the grime comes through nicely, and flesh tones are natural with a significant amount of detail such as stubble present in close-ups. The presentation delivers a significant amount of depth on display in the locales, even when it comes to darker environments being excavated. Black levels are decently deep with no serious instances of digital noise. You will spot some brief banding and other minor digital hiccups in fleeting moments. This movie deserved better than a MOD disc, but we are glad it did not skip an HD release altogether.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a formidable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in its original collection of languages that brings the movie to life without issue. Dialogue always comes through crisply and clearly without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The soundtrack emerges from the speakers with excellent fidelity. Environmental sounds steadfastly saturate the surround speakers. Ambient sounds are deftly placed in the rear channels for a completely three-dimensional experience. This is not a movie that engages the low end on a consistent basis, but it comes alive when it needs to. The audio track delivers in every way. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc.

Final Thoughts

La Chimera is a narrative experience unconcerned with traditional pacing, but you always feel safe in the hands of director Alice Rohrwacher. The filmmaker has made a story that feels timeless in the best way, and the way everything builds upon one another before blossoming into its final form is beautiful. The performances are first-rate across the board, especially the bold work from Josh O’Connor. The film is stunning to gaze upon, and the complexity of the narrative marries it perfectly. Decal Releasing has released a Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation but no special features. If you consider yourself a cinephile, you owe it to yourself to spend time with this one. Recommended

La Chimera will be available to purchase directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers on June 4, 2024.

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

Disclaimer: Decal Releasing 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.