THE DUKE is set in 1961 when Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), a 60-year-old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government agreed to provide television for free to the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge — a startling revelation of how a good man set out to change the world and, in so doing, saved his son (Fionn Whitehead) and his marriage to Dorothy Bunton (Helen Mirren).

For in-depth thoughts on The Duke, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The Duke comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation in the original 2.39:1 that is quite stunning. The film has a vibrant, natural color palette on display with the bright daytime environments radiating off the screen along with some occasional flair from the costumes. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. White levels are handled beautifully, along with deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. This is a lovingly composed film with many nuanced shots where you can see an incredible amount of detail and texture in the production design and clothing. There are numerous interior sequences featuring the period-accurate set decoration which provide a nice reference to showcase the depth at play in the image. There are no obvious signs of any noise or other such digital nuisances. This presentation is a top-notch affair.

Audio Quality

The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in the original English that has quite a bit of depth and is well balanced. The charming score permeates the room in a really wonderful way that settles you right into the mood of the story. Activity in the low end is mostly a non-factor but what is there adds texture to the proceedings such as automobiles rumbling by. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being trounced upon by any of the other sounds. Environmental effects imbue the film with a sense of life which this track handles with expert precision. The use of the rear channels to create a three dimensional experience works quite well when it comes to transporting you to this era. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Sony has delivered a standout track for the film. There are optional English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Making The Duke: A three-minute featurette which briefly discusses the larger-than-life true story, the warm dynamics between performers and more.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Duke is a gentle story that both delights with its spirited eccentricities while simultaneously inspiring with its heartfelt message of honor and dignity. Jim Broadbent delivers one of his most fully realized performances of his career, and Helen Mirren is every part his equal. The film is not flashy, but it is the type of movie we wish had a bigger life in the cinematic landscape where we could get more of its ilk. Spectacle can be a lot of fun, but rich, character-based stories are the ones that stick in our mind. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a couple of brief special features. This one is worth supporting if you appreciate moving stories. Recommended

The Duke 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: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 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.