Walk The Line Blu-ray
Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon star in the story of one of the most famous country stars and his not so glamorous career and life.
Film making 23/25
Video 23/25
Audio 23/25
Bonus Features 22/25
Total 91/100
You don’t have to be a country fan to love Johnny Cash or his music and a story about his rise to fame and rather lackluster life is just as interesting and entertaining. Before many of his shows Johnny Cash would actually announce who he was, which was rather ironic because he soon became a household name.
Not only in lovers of country but soon after his arrest for drugs he became a household name and an icon of the bad influence money and fame could have. He also atoned for his mistakes and made an example of what not to do and even gave back in a way that only he could.
Singing at Folsom Prison was a statement not only that he could reach even the people who had made serious mistakes in our society but he could also understand their situation. Walk The Line follows the life of Johnny Cash from his upbringing and loss of his brother due to an accident at a saw mill to his later life as a world renowned country and western singer.
Joaquin Phoenix is perfect for the part of Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon plays his second wife June Carter in what has got to be some of the toughest roles of their careers. Both actors not only did excellent jobs at their parts but also sang all the songs of their parts during the filming which was sure to help them with nominations for the Oscars.
While Joaquin Phoenix did not win Best Actor Reese Witherspoon did win her Oscar for Best Actress which she more than deserved for her part in Walk The Line. Johnny Cash may have made some mistakes but he also did some things that helped others after and Joaquin did an excellent job of portraying this in the film.
The music is of special note in the movie as both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon not only sang the parts themselves but played their instruments. It takes a lot of personal ambition to take an acting job where you have to not only sing but play some instruments well enough to film the movie.
Walk The Line has both excellent video and audio with great color, a superb transfer to Blu-ray and pristine quality gives the film that true to life look. There really is not much more that could be done to the Blu-ray video quality without going almost overboard and this is one film that is a must for any film collection.
The video and audio in Walk The Line is fantastic as you would expect for a movie about music and the life of a feature of the industry. The DTS-HD Master Audio is near flawless with great front speaker use and clear voice throughout the film that gives a depth to the performance that rivals music videos.
The jail scene may be the highlight of the music in the film but every time Johnny/Joaquin hits the stage your sure it’s going to be an entertaining show. Only once as part of the story does he falter but the audio continues to show how well it keeps up with the moment as Johnny collapses on stage from the drugs.
The music turns from the clear and crisp deep baritones that are Johnny Cash’s hallmark voice to a confusing jumble of notes that intensify the drug inducement he is feeling. The film has done a great job with all the scenes for an entertaining musical film and the audio just does not quit from beginning to end with great entertainment.
Walk The Line also has some very good bonus content on the Blu-ray edition with several features including some deleted scenes with commentary, a making of features and a few features on Johnny Cash. The bonus content gives a great look at the film and the man behind the story for a great set of features that highlight the film and are what Blu-ray films and the bonus content are all about.
Walk The Line is a great movie about one of music’s great artists and is a very entertaining movie that is a must have for any film collection.