In a small, remote village in the Outer Scottish Hebrides, Kirsty (Hermione Corfield) yearns for adventure and another life across the ocean. Though she finds comfort in time spent with her mother and younger sister, she sees hope and a future with Murdo (Will Fletcher), an intelligent, curious poet. The two fall in love as World War I looms, and Murdo is soon conscripted to join the other men of the village to fight. As a gesture of farewell, the village hosts a road dance, a celebration attended by every resident, but this sense of community is soon shattered by an unspeakable incident that changes Kirsty’s life forever. Sensitively adapted from John MacKay’s 2002 novel, this sweeping tale of adversity and resilience captures the attitudes of the time while offering a moving melodrama for audiences of any time period.

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

Video Quality

The Road Dance comes to DVD with a 480p transfer that is decently pleasing for the format. The cinematography of the film captures the beautiful locales with bright colors. Skin tones look natural, and there are some favorable facial details present, especially in close-ups. This DVD offers a solid amount of detail from the environments to the clothing. Compression artifacts are a small part of this transfer without being detrimental. Black levels could be stronger, but there is only a minimal amount of blocking. Colors are fairly vibrant, especially in brighter environments and locations. This presentation is about as good as you can hope for from a DVD. While we hope a Blu-Ray release is forthcoming, this movie is worth checking out no matter the format.

Audio Quality

The DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio track which suits the film within its sonic limitations. Dialogue is mixed well and comes through clearly without ever being overshadowed by the score or any sound effects. Directionality is rendered impeccably so that sounds originate from all the natural spots. Environmental sounds are an important part of the soundscape which adds a dynamic touch to the proceedings. This is more of a gentle outing, but there are moments that wake things up with the crashing waves and flashes of war. There is a slight loss of power without a lossless track, but it holds up well overall. The disc includes optional English SDH subtitles.

Special Features

First Look On The Isle of Lewis: A two-minute promotional piece that takes a look at the village that served as the setting for the film.

Live Fiddle Solo by Alasdair White: A three-and-a-half-minute performance from a screening of the film is provided.

Theatrical Trailer: The nearly three-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Road Dance is an earnest drama that tackles some sensitive subject matter, yet it does not always find the avenues to transcend into greatness. What may call for nuance instead veers into more cliche territory that undercuts some of the more vital ideas. The performers are terrific and make the most out of their roles. This also goes for the cinematography, which more often than not leaves you in awe. The movie does make you care about these characters, even if it feels more traditional than we may want. Music Box Films has released a DVD featuring a pretty good A/V presentation for the format along with a couple of special features. If you are a fan of stirring period melodrama, this is worth your time. Recommended

The Road Dance is currently available to purchase on DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.

Disclaimer: Music Box Films 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.