Sense and Sensibility - 30th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

It’s only been about four years since I last reviewed Ang Lee and Emma Thompson’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, and my feelings haven’t changed about it. I still think it’s a magnificent film and I love it to bits. As I have nothing to add to my thoughts, here’s what I wrote when this film was an exclusive piece of the now sold-out Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 2 collection: 

When the head of the household passes away, Mr. Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson in a very brief role) can only leave the bulk of his inheritance to his first-born son, leaving a pittance for his second wife and three daughters to live on. Cast out of their home, Elinor (Emma Thompson), Marianne (Kate Winslet), Margaret (Emilie Francois), and their mother (Gemma Jones) are forced to live on the generosity of their cousins, endangering the three girls’ chances of marrying well. As the women adjust to their new lives, they’ll experience all of the trials and tribulations of genuine love, betrayal, loss, and absolute happiness. 

I was all of thirteen years old when my mom more or less dragged me to see Sense and Sensibility in theaters. I have no idea why my dad didn’t go on a date night, or my older sister, or any of my aunts weren't available to go. But there I was next to my mom with a bag of popcorn and a box of Milk Duds, expecting Sense and Sensibility to be a boring slog. But after several theatrical outings to Masters of the Universe and Superman IV as a child, it could be argued I probably owed her one. Regardless of the circumstances that got me into that theater, I found myself enjoying this film. As a red-blooded teenage male, I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, but the circumstances of the plot, the excellent writing, and the wonderful performances won me over. 

And in the following years, I’ve remained a fan. As Ang Lee’s first English language film, he shows that steady hand behind the camera of a director confident in the screenplay. He's not adding "style" to make up for substance. It’s not full of wild camera flourishes, it’s even-handed and designed to capture the emotion of each moment, letting his terrific cast do their best work. Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice are the only two Austen novels I enjoyed and they’ve both earned impressive film and television adaptations. But Sense and Sensibility remains my favorite film. Emma Thompson did a hell of a job capturing the essence of the novel and distilling it down into a manageable theatrical runtime. She dutifully deserved that Oscar, making her the first person to win Academy Awards in Acting and Writing (although not in the same year). 

The rest of the cast is lovely in their respective roles. Hugh Grant may have still been in his floppy-haired era, but he’s an affable Edward Ferraras. Kate Winslet began her awards streak with her first nomination before becoming a household name two years later with Titanic. Alan Rickman deserves a shout-out for his wounded portrayal of the lovelorn Colonel Brandon. Prior to this film I only knew him from Die Hard, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and Quigley Down Under. I wasn’t used to seeing him as anything but a villain. He may not have a huge role, but Hugh Laurie is a hoot as the perpetually annoyed Mr. Palmer. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Sense and Sensibility is the latest film from the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 2 to break out of the box set for a solo single-disc 4K UHD release from Sony. Pressed on a BD100 disc, the disc is housed in a standard black case with identical slipcover art. A Movies Anywhere-compatible digital code is included. The disc loads to a static image main menu with basic navigation options along the bottom, and the bonus features list along the left side of the screen.

As has been the case with most of the single-title re-releases from Sony, Sense and Sensibility returns to 4K UHD with a Dolby Vision upgrade. For some of the past re-releases, I felt like the Dolby Vision grade was a nominal improvement. Certainly better, but maybe not an essential pickup. While I wouldn’t say this update is on the scale of what Sony delivered for Gandhi, this is an appreciable upgrade. This film relies heavily on natural lighting with several dark candle-lit scenes, and the additional control that Dolby Vision affords gives these moments a stronger appearance. I felt like there was a better balance for the various light sources and the degree of shadows and deep inky blacks. Primaries see a little better care, especially for blues, while skin tones remain pretty close to the same. Details are just as sharp, the bitrate of this new disc runs a bit higher on average, but not significantly so. So, for those who missed out on the Columbia Classics set, you’re getting the better release. If you already have that HDR10-only disc, it’s still great and should be perfectly satisfactory, even if I do have to give this new disc a slight edge. I gave the previous disc a 4.5/5, but I’m compelled to go the distance here. 

Once again, Sony keeps the same Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio tracks available for this release. Here’s what I had to say a few years ago.

This release also comes with a pair of audio mixes to work with - the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, which I found to be a bit on the limp side, and a new Atmos track that is surprisingly immersive. This isn’t a loud and active film, so the extra channels are mostly used to set the scene. Old houses with creaky floorboards, people opening and closing doors, the gentle swish of the fabric in large dresses, all carry more impact throughout the channels as do gentle breezes and gusts of wind through leaves and grasses.

When Ellinore and Marianne go to the ball, the mix really picks up, offering near-constant surround activity with the height channels capturing the expansive mumbling of a packed crowd of people. Most of the time, height channels really are mostly used for extra atmosphere and space to a given location, but rainstorms and thunder rumbles get some key overhead placement. The fantastic score by Patrick Doyle fills out the mix nicely without feeling overworked or shoehorned in to add sound to a relatively quiet movie. Again, this isn’t an action movie with wall-to-wall action, but this Atmos track is a notable improvement over the relatively flat DTS-HD MA 5.1 track.

DTS-HD MA 5.1 - 3.5/5
Dolby Atmos - 4.5/5

The same set of extra features returns, but since there isn’t an included Blu-ray disc, everything is here, including the archival audio commentaries.

• Audio Commentary featuring Ang Lee and James Schamus
• Audio Commentary featuring Emma Thompson and Lindsay Doran
• 25th Anniversary Reunion: Back To Barton Cottage (HD 27:37)
• Adapting Austen (SD 11:18)
• A Sense of Character (SD 8:14)
• A Very Quiet Man (SD 12:03)
• Locating the World of Sense and Sensibility (SD 5:42)
• Elegance and Simplicity: The Wardrobe of Sense and Sensibility (SD 3:57)
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailers

Long before Ang Lee got caught up with HFR films and action features or the Hulk, he directed what is among the best adaptations of Jane Austen’s works. Thanks to Emma Thompson’s Oscar-winning screenplay, a wonderful cast, and excellent performances, this film remains a wonderful piece of filmmaking. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, Sony finally sets Sense and Sensibility apart from the now long out of print Columbia Classics Vol 2 collection for a solo 4K UHD disc release. Complete with a Dolby Vision HDR grade, this new disc offers a slight improvement over the previous release for those looking to add this film to their collections at a more agreeable price point. Highly Recommended