Israel’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards®, and an official selection at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Sami lives in Jerusalem with his wife and child, and an invitation to his brother’s wedding forces him to return to the Arab village where he grew up. After the wedding, with no warning or explanation, the village is put under military lockdown by Israeli soldiers and cut off from the outside world. Chaos rises overnight amongst those stuck within the walls. Director Eran Kolirin (The Band’s Visit) brings Sayed Kashua’s bestselling novel to life, exposing the absurdist world of Palestinian reality while highlighting human stories of being trapped in an unexpected situation.

For thoughts on Let It Be Morning, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/Yu2JUdAc27w?t=4682]

Video Quality

Let It Be Morning comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is simply lovely. This takes place entirely within the confines of one town which features a city center and some outlying open fields, which yields a visually rich experience where you can spot an incredible amount of detail. Skin tones are consistent and natural all around. While primarily earthy in tone, there are some gorgeous colors featured in some of the clothing and lighting choices. There is nothing candy colored here, but the natural world is captured in a way that leaves an impression. Highlights are handled well with no instances of blooming, and the blacks that do not suffer from crush, banding or compression artifacts. The transfer allows for some rich texture within the environment that adds depth to the frame. This presentation is a real winner.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Arabic that bring this narrative to life seamlessly. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being overshadowed by the sound effects or the music. The sound design is not notably complex, but it remains pinpoint accurate with sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really discreet soundscape of nature that makes the location feel more lived-in. The film uses music in really engaging ways, especially in a bit with the taxi drive, and all of these moments fill the room appropriately. This is not an especially kinetic film, but activity in the low end adds some texture to certain moments. This is a great audio presentation from Cohen Media Group. There are forced English subtitles provided, and it is a bit of disappointment that there is not an option to remove the subtitles for those who do not want them.

Special Features

Trailer: The nearly minute-and-a-half trailer for Let It Be Morning is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Let It Be Morning is a terrific look at life under oppression and the ways in which it manifests hopelessness, uncertainty and anger. This situation is just realistic enough to become totally invested in this character who cycles through a myriad of emotions the longer he is subjugated. The performances are incredible, and director Eran Kolirin offers up enough levity to keep the story from becoming cold and clinical. This is one of the better movies of the year thus far. Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have provided a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation but practically nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of international cinema, this is one not to be missed. Recommended

Let It Be Morning 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: Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.