The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

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General		Extras
Category	Action	Theatrical Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	1996
Running Time	105:24
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (63:31)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Programme
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Stephen Hopkins
Studio Distributor	Paramount Home Entertainment	Starring	Michael Douglas Val Kilmer
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	$39.95	Music	Jerry Goldsmith

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s) French Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.15:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English French Hebrew Greek	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Based loosely on the book 'Manhunters of the Tsavo' by Colonel J. Patterson, it was originally turned into a less-than-memorable movie called Bwana Devil, from the sounds of it a lamentable effort filmed in 3D in 1952. The current incarnation adds a few extra dramatic elements to it, removes the more tenuous 3D option and ends up with a more 'Hollywood' feel. The most notable inclusion is that of a 'great white hunter' (if Patterson's account from his novel is to be believed, this supplants Patterson's character in part), in the form of Michael Douglas and his character, Remington. The actual lions that terrorized the area around Tsavo were quite real as evidenced by the fact that they can be seen on display at the Field Museum in Chicago Illinois. There are conflicting numbers attributed to the rampage the lions undertook, but it would be fair to say over 100 dead (estimates ranged from 100 to 140+ depending on the source).

    The movie opens with Colonel Patterson (Val Kilmer) being commissioned to build a bridge in Africa, across the river Tsavo, ostensibly for humanitarian considerations but in effect to maintain the British lead in securing the ivory trade over the Germans and French. Accepting the commission, he bids his wife farewell and heads off to Africa with the belief that his commission will take less than 6 months so he can return in time to see the birth of his first child.

    Cut to shots of wide open landscapes and rolling vistas during a languid train ride to the camp in which Patterson displays his innate knowledge of all things African. Once there we are introduced to all the main characters (barring Michael Douglas who doesn't appear until 44 minutes in) including John Kani as Samuel, the site's co-ordinator, Henry Cele (who you might recognize from the mini-series Shaka Zulu) as the site foreman Mahina, Bernard Hill as Dr Hawthorne and Brian McCardie as Starling, the resident missionary.

    Before even being allowed to settle in, Patterson must solve a problem with a rogue lion which has attacked one of the workers and killed a donkey, so, settling into a tree he speedily dispatches the beast with a single shot earning a reputation and the respect of the workmen. For a period of time we are treated to Patterson building his bridge across the river, but soon problems arise when another lion begins attacking and killing workmen, including Mahina (in one of the more memorable scenes from the movie) creating angst amongst the workers. Again, seeking to resolve this problem quickly, he sets traps and tries to lure the lion (or as you might have guessed, lions) out but they outsmart him and the death toll amongst his workforce rises causing delays and problems.

    A lightning visit by his employer (played with a nice touch of sadistic malice by Tom Wilkinson), Beaumont, brings on the last character in the movie, Remington. His job is to resolve everything by speedily killing the lions, with the help of his accompanying Masai warriors and Patterson, stop the delays in building the bridge and allow the British to win the race for the ivory trade.

Video

    Originally shot on 35mm stock at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 it is presented here at 2.10:1 and is 16x9 enhanced, not 2.35:1 as stated on the packaging.

    In general this is a very sharp transfer, but there is a noticeable amount of edge enhancement (eg: 8:07 on Val Kilmer's face) that detracts a little, however overall it was within tolerance. Shadow detail was mostly excellent with only the more darkly lit scenes losing any fine detail. Grain was noticeable at a fairly low level except in some stock outdoors shots which tended to be be a lot grainier. Low level noise was almost non-existent as you would expect of a movie of this recent vintage.

    The biggest problem with this transfer was the colour. The colour palette was bright and bold with a high degree of saturation offering some stunning scenic shots at times. Unfortunately, the reds were oversaturated, although there was no colour bleed noticed, and skin tones had a reddish tinge. Two typical examples can be seen at 7:41 with the wildebeest running across a grassy plain (so obviously red saturated) and with the start of the hunt for the two lions at 53:50, the Masai warriors stand out unnaturally against the green of the background.

    There were few artefacts on offer fortunately. There was some light flecking noticed during the opening scenes, and throughout the movie but they were mostly unobtrusive and easily forgettable. There was some slight aliasing, mostly unworthy of mention but an example would be at 34:20 on the railway lines near the station. At 34:25 on Val Kilmer's collar there is some very minor pixelization. All-in-all a superior transfer overall.

    There are four subtitle tracks on offer; English, French, Greek and Hebrew (an interesting selection). They were reasonably located and easily readable.

    This is an RSDL disc with the layer change occurring at 63:31, right at the transition of a scene. Nice location although there is a noticeable pause during the change

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The dialogue is clear and well-articulated, with only a slight problem with some of the accents, although that can't be blamed on the transfer. The audio sync was perfect with no detectable problems.

    The music, by Jerry Goldsmith, is quite outstanding. A mixture of electronic music and orchestration (performed by the National Philharmonic of London) blends together some unique sounds and singing, along with a plethora of subtle undercurrents to produce a quite memorable soundtrack experience.

    The true beauty of this audio can be found in the superb use of the surround channels. When not offering a magnificent enveloping sound for the music, they are full of sound effects, whistles, bangs, roars, booms, ricochets, and anything else you might reasonable expect to find coming from your rears. A truly exceptional use of the surrounds in all facets of the movie and rarely idle for more than a few seconds.

    Although not as well utilized as the surrounds, the LFE comes in for some nice work as well. Although silent for appreciable moments, there is enough underlay to the music and bass effects to offer a nice solid (although never overdone) workout for the subwoofer. You may not overly notice the subwoofer, but it's always there feeding the bass to you in a most appreciable manner.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Theatrical Trailer

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall