The Film
"That rug really tied the room together."
After a few cool, cult-worthy films, the Coen Brothers hit critical pay dirt with 1996's Fargo. Despite the accolades and Oscar nominations, the brothers didn't even consider a mainstream follow-up. Instead, they delivered The Big Lebowski.
Lebowski is, by far, the Coens' most quirky, most quotable film. It's even inspired its own annual festival. That's quite an accomplishment. What can we say? The Dude abides.
The Dude in question is Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), an avid bowler, a stoner, and a fan of Creedence (and certainly not The Eagles). He isn't the big Lebowski, but he's a Lebowski nonetheless. That name leads to a case of mistaken identity and The Dude's not-so-busy day gets interrupted by a couple of thugs, one of which whizzes on his rug. This is not just any rug, however, but the one that really tied the room together. So when The Dude goes in search of a little payback, he ends up getting his car stolen, getting drugged, getting arrested, and getting a little coitus.
People can (and do) spend all day analyzing and quoting The Big Lebowski. Without a doubt, the film is one of the Coens' best, but it's also the most bizarre -- which says a lot. Also, in his 61 years, this has to be Bridges at his absolute best (which says even more). However, the film is also filled to the brim with stellar performances, most notably from John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Peter Stormare, and John Turturro.
The Picture
The Big Lebowski is one magnificent beast. Bunny's toes notwithstanding, there's nothing particularly pretty in The Big Lebowski. However, this 1.85:1 transfer is downright beautiful. There are a few soft shots here and there, but overall, it's quite sharp. Colors are both bright and very bold, and there are some wonderful details throughout the film. Inside the bowling alley, in particular, you'll find a wealth of visual goodies, from the foam on the MGD to the shine on the alleys to the bright bowling balls. Also, of course, everything about "the Jesus" is awesome -- both in the movie and this image. His outfits, his tongue and his hairnet are all so bright and insanely detailed. Also, The Dude is a walking spectacle, from the shine on his hair to the texture of his sweater. Fans should be frothing at this presentation.
The Sound
The Big Lebowski comes packing a very front-heavy DTS-HD Master Audio track. First and foremost, the main focus here is certainly the dialogue. It comes through absolutely perfectly so that you never miss one rambling analysis, one joke or one F-word. Despite being a dialogue-driven track, there are plenty of moments that tie the room (and all of the speakers) together. The film definitely has atmospheric sounds, which are most evident in the bowling alley. Those dream sequences, Maude swooping down on her artwork, and even the bag drop offer a lot of rumble to get both the surrounds and the bass involved in this excellent audio presentation. Also, the film's soundtrack has also been quite a standout over the years, thanks to T-Bone Burnett. That soundtrack stands out here, too, right from the initial Bob Dylan ("The Man in Me") to the full sound of The Gipsy Kings covering "Hotel California" to Townes Van Zandt closing with "Dead Flowers."
The Extras
Universal delivers a set that should make Lebowski fans giddy with excitement. First, the disc comes packaged in a 28-page digibook. The book features quotes, photos, a cast listing and other info about the movie. Most fans have probably memorized this information from front to back at this point, but it's a nice way to package up a nice set.
On the actual disc, there's a ton of other goodies. Under Universal's exclusive U-Control feature, there are three separate options for in-film entertainment. The first is Scene Companion, which offers picture-in-picture tidbits about the film and its production. "The Music of The Big Lebowski" is self-explanatory, and offers very basic pop-up info every time a song appears in the film. The last is sort of a fun party gimmick called "Mark It, Dude." This features a series of on-screen tickers to count every F-word, every "Dude," every "Man," and every "Lebowski" throughout the entire film.
You can kick off a viewing of the other extras with the faux "Exclusive Introduction." This short, which is a funny poke at PBS, was ported over from the 2005 Collector's DVD. From there, check out Jeff Bridges' photography work (he's good), as well as a piece on the film's funky dream sequences, two making-of featurettes, and a very interesting (but short) retrospective titled, "The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later." There's also a must-see item on the annual Lebowski Fest, which includes interviews with the super-fans that actually make the pilgrimage.
Once you whip through all of the extras, test your knowledge of the movie's dialogue with the in-film "What's My Line Trivia" feature. It's another cute party game, which allows viewers to play as The Dude or Walter, with 1- and 2-player options.
Final Thoughts
The Coen Brothers have had many wonderful films over the years, but none have been as weird as The Big Lebowski. We say that with love, of course, and with our highest recommendation. Besides the awesomeness that is the actual film, Universal has treated The Dude with the utmost respect, giving it quite the stellar Blu-ray package.
Product Details
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