The Man With The Iron Heart (DVD) : Review

Film

It’s 1942, and German fascists are expanding their borders, and The Third Reich is at its peak. Two young recruits, Jozef Gabcik (Jack Reynor – Detroit, Free Fire) and Jan Kubis (Jack O’Connell – Money Monster), of the Czech resistance in London are tasked with travelling to Prague and assassinating Nazi leader, Reich-protector Reinhard Heydrich (Jason Clarke – Everest, Terminator Genisys), head of the SS, the Gestapo, and the architect behind the “Final Solution”.

Despite Hydrich’s stoic outer appearance, life at home mirrors his inner turmoil. He all but ignores his wife, Lina Von Osten (Rosamund Pike – A United Kingdom), and he is under ever more pressure to please Hitler.

The Man with the Iron Heart is a harsh look at the hatred and ideals of the time before and during World War 2. The hardened hearts and mislead minds of those seeking to rid the world of an entire population group. The film takes a close look at both the emotions and actions of everyone involved, showing both the perpetrators and victims of these evil deeds, and while not sensationalising the violence, it does not shy away from the pain it caused, nor the emotion involved.

With all the drama, there are some scenes of tension, and some of action, which are delivered with just the right balance each time, rounding up a plot that sucks the viewer in as the characters develop and become better known to us.

A gritty war film, focusing on the drama of a small part of that time, presented by talented filmmakers and actors. An engrossing tale, that evokes both emotion and debate. Well worth watching.

Disc

Over all the disc is of a good technical quality, with an engrossing main feature to watch.

The Man with the Iron Heart is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.

Video

Video is encoded at a high average bitrate, with no visible artefacts on-screen, nor any colour bleed evident. Detail is good in darker scenes.

Viewers with the relevant hardware or software could scale up to a larger screen, or higher resolution, should they wish.

Audio

Main audio is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, with a stereo 2.0 downmix available. Dialogue is clear via the centre speaker, with much of the weight of the soundtrack carried via the front channels, and music taking front left and right. The surround channels serve to expand the front channel sound stage, with not much discrete audio being sent to them, but allowing them to expand the on-screen action, helping to further draw the viewer into the story.

Navigation

Navigation is simple, and easy to follow. The main menu is static, with accompanying background music. There are text links to play the main feature, and to access a scenes sub-menu. Yellow highlights the current selection, should viewers wish to know.

The scenes sub-menus each contain six small, motion, colour thumbnails, for a total of twelve chapters. While these are numbered, they are not labelled, nor is there any chapter listing insert in the disc packaging, making navigation to a particular part of the main feature a bit of guesswork. Viewers would be better off using their own hardware or software to create bookmarks.

Bonus Features

There are no bonus features on the disc, apart from trailers for I, Tonya, Final Portrait, and 24 Hours to Live.

While these trailers can be fast-forward or skipped individually, they can not be accessed again via the disc menu system.

Packaging

Packaging is pretty standard, with a poster on the front of the case, with title and main cast. The rear of the casing has a few stills from the main feature, a short synopsis, and the usual technical information.

There are no package inserts, such as chapter listings, included in the packaging.

 

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb

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