Traffic [Blu-ray] [Import]

oddly enough, even though i rate this 3 stars, i am preferring this alliance blu-ray xfer of the film over the universal and criterion, which have been altered from it's original theatrical presentation ...... to be sharper and to essentially have more robust colour timing (by possible removal of filters that were used originally)...... all approved by the director.

the alliance disc is interlaced as well. which is inexcusable really. 1080i

so i dock 2 stars off the score, as a progressive transfer is what this, and ALL films deserve.

I saw this film in the cinema, when it opened, and I am most definitely a fan of that particular version ..... when it comes to it's visual presentation for home video.

the segments in mexico are supposed to look that blown out and soft .....

i think it works beautifully. as does the extremely minimal sound design. i say this as sound fx editor ...... the sound of the film promotes contemplation from the viewer , rather than passively being overwhelmed by the 'in your face' sonic detail of typical modern day films ......... the images, the dialog, and the score, are the big players in this film.

YMMV

5 stars for the film
3 for the transfer.

ultimately, it is nice to have a choice .... and so, one can see comparisons of the various HD xfers of this film online

I saw "Traffic" twice in the theatres when it originally came out and I was only 16 years old at the time. It definitely left an impression on me as an act of filmmaking and story telling. To see it again in a luscious new Blu-Ray transfer is to be reminded of what a masterpiece is.

Criterion's Blu-Ray release of "Traffic" offers up this gritty looking film in stunning HD. The movie was intentionally made to look really raw and grainy and that look is preserved here. The original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 has been slightly opened up to 1.78:1 which does not affect the movie whatsoever (in the booklet that comes with the Blu-Ray it says that director Steven Soderbergh prefers this aspect ratio.) The extras are the same as the previous DVD release from Criterion and are all fascinating and really help one's appreciation of the film to grow.

This is a cinematic classic that was hailed by critics and audiences alike. Do not hesitate to buy "Traffic".

Here's my impressions I gave Traffic (first written on the website highdefdigest.com)

25GB Single layer disc
Video: 1080i, 1.78:1 aspect ratio
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby and DTS HD-MA, French 5.1 Dolby

I enjoyed the movie. I hadn't wached it since seeing it on VHS quite a few years back, so it was refreshing to watch again; a truly great film. 4 outta 5

Video quality was tricky on this release. The majority of this movie looked more on the softer side, but even with it looking soft there was a lot of detail in some of those scenes. The opening scene of the movie in Mexico had me worrying about the PQ (since it looked below par), but it gets better thankfully. Most scenes that were done in Mexico looked between mediocre and good. Most scenes that were in the US looked between pretty good and excellent. It's just the way the movie was shot really, but it's very watchable. I'd give it an inconsistently solid 4 outta 5 for PQ

Audio was okay. Nothing special. The DTS HD-MA track is the stronger track, but not by much really. The audio (the voice editing in particular) seemed to be in only the late stages of mixing when it was deemed 'completed' for video release. I found that quite a few times voices would crack and hiss a bit too much, but maybe that's how it was meant to be? I dunno. Other than that the audio, like I said, was just alright. 3.5 outta 5

No extras.
No subtitles
Region 1.

I recommend this release