‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’ Blu-Ray Review – An Ambitious Ode To Storytelling From George Miller

Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic…a creature of reason. While in Istanbul, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. At first, she doubts that he is real and she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. But the Djinn pleads his case, and eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both!

For in-depth thoughts on Three Thousand Years Of Longing, please see my colleague Payton Coelho’s review from its original theatrical release here. 

Video Quality

Three Thousand Years Of Longing comes to Blu-Ray in its original 2.39:1 with a stunning transfer that is no slouch even knowing that there is a 4K version on the market. The resulting image is truly a wonder to behold. While certainly not as flawless as the 4K UHD likely is (this format was not available for review), there is a grand amount of depth and clarity to the picture with subtle details coming through clearly. There is some really amazing production design featured in the film with the various stylized locations, which you can really appreciate with this transfer. 

There are a variety of landscapes presented here with each location providing something exciting to explore. Every location is handled with precision as you get an accurate representation of the environment. The film employs a warm color palette for large portions of the movie with vibrant bursts of color. Skin tones look very natural and provide a good amount of facial detail in close ups. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of black crush or noise. The few very brief instances of compression artifacts and banding are likely cleaned up on the 4K UHD Blu-Ray, so if you are capable you should likely go with that as an upgrade. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a dynamic Dolby Atmos audio mix that is completely enveloping and ready to make an impact. Dialogue is clear and well balanced when compared with the competing sounds, which is key to a film about storytelling. There is nearly always something going on in the surrounds, but there is never that much difficulty hearing what everyone is saying. This is an incredibly powerful track that provides all manner of unique sound effects and an atmospheric score from Junkie XL to keep you on edge. There is a ton of activity in the low end that pulses through you in a way you will not soon forget. The height channels are used to considerable effect in some of the more kinetic sequences. All of the sounds are coming from the appropriate directions, and there are absolutely no technical issues with the track. This one delivers by every conceivable metric. There are optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided. 

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc. 

Final Thoughts

Three Thousand Years Of Longing is not the blood-pumping epic that many may have wanted from Geroge Miller, but it exemplifies the creativity we have come to expect from the director. Through a compelling exploration of storytelling, we are taken on a journey the likes of which we rarely get to experience in cinema these days. Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton have a palpable chemistry together that Miller does not take for granted. There may be elements of the filmmaking that could be a bit more exciting, but overall this is a git from George. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a very fetching A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. In an era where so much is the same, this feature is worth checking out for something a little different. Recommended 

Three Thousand Years Of Longing is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital. 

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

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. 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.