WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Germinal
Genre:Drama

Reviewed In Issue 12 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Miou-Miou, Renaud, Jean Carmet, Gerard Depardieu.

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 3.5
Sound Rating: 3.5
Download WSR Review
Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Columbia/TriStar Home Video
(Catalog Number): 72676
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $$39.95
(Running Time In Minutes): 160
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): No
(Theatrical Release): 1994
(LD Release Date):
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Claude Berri
(Screenplay/Written By): Claude Berri & Arlette Langmann
(Story): NA
(Music): Jean-Louis Roques
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Thanh At Hoang & Christian Marti
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Herve De Luze
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Pierre Grunstein
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): Patrick Bordier

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo A
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Claude Berri’s epic Germinal is based on the novel by Emile Zola and tells the story of a miners’ strike that destroys one family but sets the seed of change for future generations. Gerard Depardieu stars as Maheu the miner, who in the late 19th century, with his wife Maheude, played by Miou-Miou, and their seven children are trying to exist on the meager pay of a northern French coal miner. Their life is bleak, with women and children adding to the underground work force in order to keep the family alive. We see the mine owners in contrast, whose prosperity is fuelled by the misery of the poor. An active socialist Etienne Lantier, played by Renaud Sechand, is the newcomer who talks to the miners about their grievances, giving them the hope of a new day and persuading them to strike. With desperation they seek to force better conditions and fair pay but with the tragedy of starvation and death, the miners finally return to work.

LaserDisc Picture:
The scope 2.35:1 picture has a natural look with incredible cinematography.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The sound is riveting and captures the depressions of life revealed.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: