Considered one of the "great" epic directors, David Lean's "last" film, "A PASSAGE TO INDIA" is being released on blu-ray and dvd by Sony.  While it has much of the underpinnings of an "epic," it never really achieves that aspiration. Set in India, a very young Judy Davis embarks on a trip to see her fiance, along with her future mother-in-law.  Along the journey, they meet a Indian doctor, and when joining him on a picnic, something happens with reverberations that echo the bigger problems of British dominance in the area, and the cry for justice. Unfortunately, just as certain important questions to a mystery are left unanswered, there's much of the narrative that feels empty as well.  Just because a plot touches the edge of important social issues, doesn't mean that it treats them with any real care, and while "A PASSAGE TO INDIA" is certainly a good film, it's baffling to realize it was nominated for 11 Oscars!  Yes, Lean creates some beautiful imagery and there are some splendid sequences popping up throughout the film, but "A PASSAGE TO INDIA" should've been titled "A SLOW PASSAGE TO INDIA." At 163 minutes, long, it feels much longer, and fails to give the kind of payoff one expects after having devoted so much time to the story to unfold. While imperfect, it never feels as patronizing as "CHARIOTS OF FIRE," at least, and it does feel that Lean was trying to tell a smaller, intimate story than in his other work. However, when hearing the name "LEAN" attached to a film dealing with "INDIA," one has a right to expect a "big" film with "big" payoff. There will be many appreciative of the film, and fine acting, decent direction and, of course another great score, make "A PASSAGE TO INDIA" well worth watching, but questionable as an addition to one's library.

SONY has provided the correct 1.78:1 aspect ratio with AVC MPEG-4 for the 1080p blu-ray and 16:9 enhancement for dvd.  As mentioned before, for a Lean film, one expects a wide canvas, but he shot the film with a much narrower ratio. Sure, it looks better than a full-frame image, but due to the locations, it's hard not to feel as if there's much more that needs to be seen, as is the problem with the film as a whole. Much that's needed to make the film feel complete appears to be completely overlooked by this great director!  The colors are generally pleasing, although never as rich as one would anticipate from the exotic locations onscreen. Colors are only slightly deeper on blu-ray than on the dvd, but neither ranks with the best of either format. Detail is exquisite on blu-ray, offering startling images that have the "pop off the screen" impact in numerous sequences.  The dvd offers decent contrast, but darker scenes pale in comparison to what's achieved in high definition, due to so much information appearing subdued by shadow.  The dvd is notably better in terms of color stability and sharpness than the previously available dvd.

SONY has provided a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix for the blu-ray. While there are some great surround and discrete effects, most of this mix is focused on the front soundstage, and, even then, directed to the center channel. Full advantage of TrueHD capabilities feels like it's been missed, but the fidelity is certainly enhanced when compared to the dvd. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix offers the same surround focus, but limitations in fidelity, especially in regards to the Maurice Jarre score. Dialogue is perfectly intelligible and well presented on both formats.

An insightful commentary from the film's producer is offered, as are several engaging featurettes. A trivia track is offered on blu-ray only, and it actually makes the film more enjoyable, at least in this reviewer's opinion.