Disclosure Day – The Spielberg You Don't Expect in 4K

“If you found out we weren't alone, would you be scared?” The question at the heart of Disclosure Day contains an extraordinary possibility: how would humanity react if extraterrestrial presence became public knowledge? It's not just about looking to the sky, but about questioning beliefs, institutions, and the very idea that humans do not hold a central place in the universe.

The story intertwines the destinies of Margaret and Daniel: she is a TV meteorologist who, during a live broadcast, begins to speak in strange guttural sounds, while he is a young man in possession of evidence that could expose a secret kept for too long. As a powerful organization tries to prevent its dissemination, the two become the focal point of a revelation destined to change humanity's relationship with the unknown.

Spielberg's dream gets lost in a fragile screenplay

Steven Spielberg chooses to address the issue without focusing entirely on an alien invasion. The world is already gripped by tensions that threaten global conflict, and the revelation could change every perspective. Just when the narrative should open up to the unknown, the storytelling progressively loses its grip, and the ending resolves nothing; in fact, it complicates matters. The questions raised often remain sketched out, just as the characters struggle to transform them into authentic conflicts.

The limitation also emerges in the details of a screenplay that doesn't shine, despite being written by the director himself along with David Koepp (Jurassic World: Dominion, Black Bag, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, War of the Worlds among many). For example, when Daniel gets so close to a fence that he's practically in front of the sentinels near the cottage where he was hiding without being detected, the suspension of disbelief falters. This isn't a simple oversight: it's a symptom of a dramatic construction that doesn't always support its own ambitions.

This is no longer the Spielberg of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, who managed to transform contact with extraterrestrials into an experience full of mystery and wonder, especially in the theatrical version. In Disclosure Day, which has been decades in the making, the disruptive potential of the discovery largely remains on paper: the screenplay fails to delve into the consequences of the revelation and ends up trivializing questions that would have deserved greater courage.

One question remains: what film would Spielberg have made in 1977 with the idea for a story like this, but the dreamer's heart of Close Encounters combined with modern technologies? Perhaps precisely the one he failed to make this time. Here is Andrea Giordano's artistic review.

Primarily shot analog on 35mm film (250 and 500 ASA, Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2) with high and very high light sensitivity, thus with more background grain, some digital footage at variable resolution (4.6K, 5.8K, 8.6K - Arri Alexa 35, GoPro, Sony CineAlta Venice 2) and a final 4K master. Original image format 2.39:1 (3840 x 2160/23.97p), HEVC encoding on a triple-layer BD-100. Convincing rendition with deep but not absolute blacks, a cool color palette consistent with the choices of the usual cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.

Skin tones remain natural, while clothes, faces, and surfaces render realistic textures. The intelligibility of background elements is also good, although some text on screens is too small to decipher. Dolby Vision brings the viewing experience closer to the cinema, with the image benefiting from richer colors, more accurate nuances, and a more precise light dynamic, contributing to a more incisive sense of three-dimensionality. Includes a BD-50 with the 2K version.

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 (754 kbps) offers a decent rendition that accompanies the entire narrative with rich dialogues, front-to-back effects, subwoofer engagement, and the unmistakable musical score by Maestro John Williams. Overall effective even via soundbar + sub, the rendition through true discrete channels provides superior immersion. The spectacle further elevates, without reaching reference peaks, when switching to the original Dolby TrueHD 7.1.4 (16 bit), with dynamic richness and scenic presence that do not fail to increase the tension of the moment: an energetic and enveloping mix that transforms the viewing into a high-impact experience. The USA edition even has an extra gear due to its 24-bit resolution.

The main documentary (54') traces the making-of through interviews with the director and part of the cast and crew, delving into inspirations, the alien language, creatures, and action sequences. The second extra (4') celebrates Spielberg's thirtieth film made with John Williams, with brief images of the composer conducting the orchestra. Collector's Steelbook.