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The Truffle Hunters Blu-ray Review

“The Truffle Hunters” is an insightful look at all manners of the truffle hunting business.

Directed, shot and produced by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, “The Truffle Hunters” is a documentary film that turns the lens on the truffle hunting world in Piedmont, Italy. Among the people spotlighted here are an elderly married man (Carlo) whose wife wants him to stop hunting for truffles day and night, the music loving Sergio, the 84 year old truffle hunter Aurelio and his beloved dog Birba, a truffle broker named Giancarlo, and Angelo (a former acrobat and former truffle hunter who hates how greedy the truffle biz is).

Despite running short (it would have been nice if the film ran at least 10 minutes longer), “The Truffle Hunters” is nevertheless a captivating documentary about the strange world of truffle hunting. Through the passive, observational direction by Dweck and Kershaw (and even some nifty camera on a dog action), the audience gets a sort of real time look at all aspects of the business whether it be the hunters and their dogs scouring forests, the shady brokers, or the wealthy buyers. We even learn about the dark side of the business with the heated competition, greed, and the sick, deranged people setting poison traps for dogs. 

There are no interviews here nor is there any context about Piedmont, the people, the history of the truffle business or what have you. What you see is what you get, but within these frames you still learn so much about the subjects and the truffle world whether it be the financial disparity between the hunters and the buyers, the male dominated hunting world, the bond between the dogs and their owners, and the aging hunters coming to terms with their own mortality. Would it have been nice to learn a bit more about the people and the truffle scene? Sure, but there’s plenty of material to sink your teeth into here.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? There are some print defects (especially during night scenes) but otherwise this is a quality transfer.

Audio Track: Italian 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Everything from the dialogue to the sounds of sniffing sounds crisp here.

Extras include Sony trailers, “The Truffle Hunters” theatrical trailer and the brief 4 ½ minute “The Story Of The Truffle Hunters” featurette which contains filmmaker comments.

August 28, 2021 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | documentary, The Truffle Hunters Blu-ray Review, The Truffle Hunters Documentary, Truffles