Home Entertainment: ‘Belfast’ Blu-ray review

Kenneth Branagh’s celebrated semi-autobiographical tale wings its way to the home formats following a celebrated festival run, and subsequent release success. The films remains one of the best of the year and, despite not quite grabbing as many Oscars as it deserved, remains a completely absorbing, reflective piece from one of Britain’s greats.

Most of my praise for Belfast can be read in my original festival review, captured all of the way back in October following its TIFF success, where it won the prestigious audience award. At the BFI London Film Festival, where we caught it just a few weeks later, the film went down almost as well, the jump-off to a very successful campaign, culminating in its BAFTA crowning, where is was awarded the gong for Outstanding British Film. What makes Branagh’s monochrome masterpiece so great is its personal touch, complete melancholic love for its setting, and the overwhelming sense of being that has it tugging at every emotion one can experience.

The Blu-ray, from which we reviewed the film once again, allows the viewer to go deeper into proceedings, its key asset being Branagh’s personal input yet again, this time through a very informative feature commentary, the actor and filmmaker spilling more over the material from his own unique viewpoint. He spills love for the cast and crew that he assembled for this, arguably his best work away from adapting Shakespeare over the film’s enjoyable 100 minutes, but doesn’t just limit himself to the main feature.

Branagh too can be heard adding his voice over the three deleted scenes from the film, also included in the disc’s bonus material, as well as an unseen alternate ending in which he features on-screen. Branagh offers his thoughts on the different conclusion and why it was excluded from the final version of the film – the right decision, we hasten to add.

There’s also a brief ten minute ‘making of’ titled ‘A City Of Stories – The Making of Belfast’ which features brief interviews with Branagh and his cast, as well as key crew including production designed Jim Clay and costumer designer Charlotte Walter. It’s all too brief to have any depth, the makers sprinkling soundbytes from the film which pad it out even more. There’s also an additional, throw-away featurette ‘Everyone’s Inner Child’ where Branagh and cast relate their childhood experiences to that of the main character in the film, Buddy.

As a rewatch, Belfast delighted almost as much as it did the first time around. It remains the brilliant, reflecting, melancholic work of art we said it was in original review and despite the lacking of any substantial bonus stuff other than Branagh’s commentaries, is worthy of a place in anyone’s collection.

Belfast is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.