WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Paradise Road
Genre:Drama

Reviewed In Issue 28 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Glenn Close, Frances McDormand, Pauline Collins, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Ehle, Julianna Margulies, David Chung & Sab Shimono

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 4.5
Sound Rating: 5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number): 604185
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $39.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 122
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1997
(LD Release Date):
(THX® Digitally Mastered):

Credits Information
(Director): Bruce Beresford
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DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.32:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Digital Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Dolby Digital
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(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
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WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Based on a story by David Giles, Paradise Road is an important and neglected true story of the civilian women who became prisoners of war at the Japanese jungle camp, Sumatra, in World War II. When Singapore is invaded by the Japanese in 1942, a group of Western women dining at the elegant Raffles Hotel are bombed as they evacuate aboard refugee ships. The survivors swim to an unknown shore where they are captured and made POWs in almost unbearable living conditions. Despite great danger to their lives, two remarkable women, Margaret Drummond (Pauline Collins) and Adrienne Pargiter (Glenn Close) form an ambitious choir among the prisoners. Singing gave these women the ability to endure the darkest time of their lives (and interestingly some of the original sheet music survived the war).

LaserDisc Picture:
The Panavision® Scope 2.32:1 picture is rich in color fidelity and successfully captures the look of the times. Colors are rich and warm with natural fleshtones and deep, solid blacks. Images are sharp and detailed with good shadow detail and contrast. The picture occasionally appears plugged-up in the darker scenes, however, the exterior scenes look extremely natural. Noise and artifacts are minimal.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The Dolby® Digital 5.1 discrete soundtrack sounds dramatically different when compared to the matrix PCM version which sounds to be veiled and suggests that they are derived from two different master sources. The Dolby Digital version is quite articulate and aggressively discrete sounding, but often loses the surround envelopment and low level effects heard on the matrix version. Dialogue sounds absolutely natural with excellent spatial integration. Most pleasing is the attention the sound designers put on environmental sound effects, which are wonderfully resolved, especially in the matrix rendering. Bass extension is deep during the combat scenes, with power focused in the .1 low frequecy effects channel. The orchestral scoring and female chorus is wonderful with a soundstage imaging that is superb.
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(Aggressive System Surround):
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Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: