Argo brings home the goods on Blu-ray

Now that awards season is behind us with the announcement of the 2012 Academy Awards, it’s time to catch up on the winners now out on home video. With the bizarre Oscar nominations this year, it seemed that Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln had the lead for Best Picture after it was released. But when director Ben Affleck failed to secure a nomination for his work, the brilliant Argo suddenly became the front-runner for Best Picture (and Spielberg ultimately lost out to Ang Lee for Life of Pi).

Best Picture winner Argo was released on DVD and Blu-ray a couple of weeks ago, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the perfect time to take in the film for the first time. If you have seen it, it’s definitely worth a second look. Back when the film was originally released theatrically, our own Ivey West gave it a glowing review. I have to concur with his assessment of the film. I don’t really have anything different to say about the story — which is based on the 1979 Iran hostage crisis — except that even though you know how it ends (at least those of us old enough to have lived through that time know how it ends), the film is still packed with the tension of “will they or won’t they” make it out alive. Affleck proved his previous directorial efforts were no fluke, and it really was an egregious oversight that he was not nominated for Best Director (although he managed to win other major awards for his efforts including the Directors Guild and Golden Globe awards).

With Argo now on home video, we have a better chance to see the hard work Affleck and his crew put into the film. The high def transfer of the film on Blu-ray retains the film-like quality of what was presented on the big screen. I really appreciated the use of the 1970s version of the Warner Brothers logo at the beginning of the film, and the way the film was aged with speckles and scratches to make it feel like a film from the time period (the aging process smoothly fades away as the opening “storyboards” explaining the events that led to the 1979 events unfolds, but the film still has the look and color palette of a late 70s production). The Blu-ray accurately represents what Affleck and Director of Photography Rodrigo Prieto were going for. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track really envelopes you and brings you into the story, especially in the scene of the angry mob outside of the embassy. If you have a nice surround set-up in your home, your system will get a nice workout with this audio mix.

What really makes the Blu-ray of Argo worth picking up are the wealth of extras included on the disk. These aren’t your garden variety “making of” extras, instead, the real meat of the special features looks back at the actual events with the participation of those involved, giving viewers a real historical perspective on the events portrayed in the film. First and foremost of the bonus material is a picture-in-picture commentary from the “House Guests,” as the Americans holed up in the Canadian Embassy were known, Tony Mendez and President Jimmy Carter. They each give us some facts that gel with what Affleck and his team have put on screen, and really don’t go out of their way to contradict any of the alterations made to the story for dramatic purposes. There is also an audio commentary with Affleck and writer Chris Terrio, explaining the process of recreating 1979 Tehran and how fact is sometimes made fictional for storytelling purposes without destroying the integrity of the actual events.

Also included on the Blu-ray special features:

• Rescued from Tehran: We Were There (HD, 17 minutes) — The former hostages, Mendez and Canadian ambassador discuss “The Canadian Caper,” confirming the details of the film and giving credit to the Canadians for their part in helping save the Americans.
• Argo: Absolute Authenticity (HD, 11 minutes) — Ben Affleck, the crew and the actors discuss the attention to detail given to making the movie look authentic, from costumes to locations. The biggest coup was getting permission to shoot at CIA headquarters.
• Argo: The CIA and Hollywood Connection (HD, 6 minutes) — A look at makeup artist John Chambers’ contribution not only to the rescue effort, but his involvement with the CIA, and how the idea of the fake movie became the only solution in rescuing the “House Guests.”
• Escape from Iran: The Hollywood Option (SD, 47 minutes) — A 2005 television documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the “Canadian Caper” with input from the Americans who found safety at the Canadian embassy and the Canadians who risked their own lives in the process.

The Blu-ray/DVD combo package includes the DVD presentation of the film, with Escape from Tehran: We Were There as the only extra (also available separately). All formats also include the UltraViolet digital copy which allows you to access a copy of the film on almost any mobile and streaming devices (a digital version of the movie is also available for purchase). If you’re looking for a powerful, engrossing movie about a historical event that is anything but dry, Argo is worth your time and definitely earned its Best Picture Oscar.