The Devil's Backbone - StudioCanal 4K UHD Collector's Edition (UK Import)

In the world of ghostly terrors, 25 years is a lifetime, but for The Devil’s Backbone, it feels like it was just yesterday that I saw Guillermo del Toro’s ghost story. One of his first true defining cinematic achievements (I love you Mimic and Blade II, but you two just don’t compare), del Toro left a defining mark on horror. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, the film is extravagant but not indulgent. A simple location and a keen focus on character offer a moody tale of horror that never sacrifices for a cheap gag or simple jump scare. As I said in my review of the Sony Pictures Classics 4K release, the film lets mood and atmosphere build tension and suspense with a horrifying payoff. And as del Toro continues to add more grand achievements to his catalog of films, The Devil’s Backbone remains one of his very best. As Mr. Duarte already wrote an excellent review for the Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition, I strongly suggest you give that one a look.

Here’s Mr. Duarte’s 2013 The Devil’s Backbone Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The Devil’s Backbone returns to haunt our 4K UHD Physical Media collections with a new two-disc 4K + Blu-ray limited edition release from StudioCanal UK. The first solo 4K release of this film, the 4K is pressed on a Region Free BD100 disc with a Region B BD50 disc serving the 1080p edition. Both discs offer the same set of extras. The discs are housed in an artful paper-backed digipak case with individual trays. The set comes with two reproduction posters and a 64-page booklet featuring a slew of excellent essays. The whole package is housed in a beautiful hardstock slipcase with new artwork by Krishna Bala Shenoi. The discs load to an animated main menu with standard navigation options. 

As this disc offers the same Dolby Vision restoration as the Sony Pictures Classics disc, I see no need to update my views here. Aside from slight bitrate differences from scene to scene, I saw no outward differences that would sway the score one way or the other. It’s a beautiful piece of work - here’s what I had to say in the previous 4K review:

In 2013 the Criterion Collection dropped an immaculate Blu-ray release. Nine years later, Sony gives the film a fitting and quite simply astoundingly beautiful 2160p Dolby Vision HDR transfer. The film’s rich cinematic qualities instantly come to vivid life in this transfer. Facial features, clothing textures, and the bleak but still oddly pretty locations all get amazing care and attention. Close-ups, middle shots, and the eerie dark spaces of the orphanage simply look fantastic. Grain structure is intact and well-resolved without appearing too noisy, nor does it look smearily scrubbed or wiped.

Dolby Vision HDR really works some wonders here as the film favors golden amber tones with bright blue skies and deep dark creepy shadows. The careful HDR grading properly enhances all of these qualities without blowing out primaries. Black spaces and shadows are cleanly cared for with deep inky spaces and lovely light gradience giving the image a fantastic sense of three-dimensional depth. White sheets and shirts are crisp and strong without blooming with some strong spectral highlights.

Just as before, we have what sounds to be the same exceptional DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix as the past Sony 4K and Criterion Blu-ray with English subtitles. Again, there is not an English-dubbed option (I don’t recall there ever being one, or at least if there was, I never listened to it). I’ll let my previous thoughts stand:

On the audio front, we’re given what sounds like the same impressive Spanish with English Subtitles DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio mix we heard on the Criterion Collection edition. Which, I’m not going to complain about at all - it’s a practically perfect audio mix. When this set was announced I was hoping this would pick up an Atmos mix for all of the spooky creepy audio effects peppered throughout the film, but even still I’m more than happy with this track. It hits all of the right notes with clean dialog, great music, and the surround channels always feel engaged. Even when things are at their quietest there’s something moving around those channels. The DTS Neural:X function on my receiver offered up a little more spacing and dimension but not enough to say it was a fundamentally necessary way to experience the film.  

Now, differentiating this release a bit is a very effective Spanish LPCM 2.0 track. While I love the spacing and openiness of the 5.1 and that eerie, subtle feeling that something is lurking in one of the surround channels, this 2.0 option is no slouch. It’s certainly a bit tighter; it doesn’t quite feel as expansive, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think it was almost as effective an auditory experience - just delivered a little differently. Dialog is clear without issue, and music cues are well prioritized, and it maintains that looming feeling of dread and danger as the story progresses. I’m still more supportive of the DTS track, but this one is worth experiencing as well.

Where the tires meet the road for this release from StudioCanal is with the incredible assortment of extra features. I believe this set essentially collects all of the extras from previous foreign and domestic releases, including three commentary tracks, a new introduction, and enough behind-the-scenes material and expansive featurettes to stab a sharp stick at. Truly, you’ve got hours of excellent content to dig into - as someone who doesn’t usually listen to a commentary more than once, I have to say each of the del Toro tracks is valuable time well spent listening to a master explain his art. 

• Audio Commentary featuring Guillermo del Toro (Sony Commentary)
• Audio Commentary featuring Guillermo del Toro (Optimum Commentary)
• Audio Commentary featuring Guillermo del Toro and Guillermo Navarro
• NEW Introduction from Guillermo del Toro (HD 6:09)
• Video Prologue - Intro by Guillermo del Toro (HD 00:48)
• Behind the Scenes (SD 18:40)
• Of Ghosts and Fauns: Del Toro’s Spanish Civil War (HD 19:06)
• Original EPK Featurette (SD 12:57)
• Que es un Fantasma? - The Making of The Devil’s Backbone (SD 27:17)
• Enchanted Horror Tale (SD 3:23)
• Insects Trapped in Amber (SD 2:52)
• An Adult Approach (SD 2:02)
• Realizing Del Toro’s Vision (SD 5:55)
• A Director Like No Other (SD 2:57)
• Anchoring Fantasy in Everyday Life (SD 7:41)
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary:
• Carmen and Conchita (SD 1:03)
• Carlos and the Principal (SD 00:51)
• I’m Coming with You (SD 00:30)
• Encounter in the Plaza (SD 1:11)
• Sketch Storyboard Screen: Multi Angle:
• Main Title Credits
• The Bomb
• Sleeping Quarters 
• The Ribbon
• Keyhole
• Who Are You?
• Special Effects:
• Aerial Bombardment (SD 6:56)
• The Ghost (SD 6:19)
• Director’s Notebook
• Picture Gallery
• Trailer
• Booklet

Ever since I blind-bought this film from my local (and sadly long-gone) Media Play store, The Devil’s Backbone has been a favorite film - plain, pure, and simple. After the disastrous time he had making Mimic, this is Guillermo Del Toro’s redemption picture. This is the film where he again reasserted himself as a visionary talent and reignited his creative spark that has burned bright for the last 25 years. What better way to celebrate that anniversary than with an excellent new disc release? Thanks to StudioCanal UK, The Devil’s Backbone is graced with its first solo 4K release. While it delivers essentially the same excellent A/V experience as our domestic disc, it comes packed with hours of insightful extras, and, perhaps best of all, you don’t have to buy 12 other films to enjoy this fantastic feature with the best picture and sound quality available. There will probably be another domestic 4K disc down the line at some point; I'd put a bet down for Criterion issuing it in October, but honestly, it’s going to be a tough contest to match this set. Gotta call this release for what it is, a Must Own, especially for 4K collectors who need this film on the shelf. 

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