The DVD

Video:
The Woodsman is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 format that could have used a nice clean up. Some leeway should be given to this independent film, but a quick once-over by Columbia/Tri-Star (now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) could have fixed most of the problems with this transfer. The major problem is the amount of grain that appears at times throughout the film. Some grain is surely inherent in the source elements, but there are some low-light situations that are simply riddled with it to the point where it's slightly distracting. There are also a fair amount of dirt, spots, and scratches on the print that could easily have been cleaned up. On the other hand, flesh tones are accurate and certain colors do come across as vibrant and bright (the red ball Walter picks up comes to mind). The film itself, however, has a very dark tone and muted color palette that is nicely represented here. Detail is a bit soft at times, but blacks are usually deep and rich. There are no signs of edge enhancement or halos to speak of, and overall this is an adequate visual presentation that could have been much better with a little more care.

Sound:
The audio on this disc is presented in both DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 formats, which both do a fine job of handling the demands of the dialogue-heavy soundtrack. The DTS track has a bit more ambience and a more enveloping feel to it, while the Dolby Digital track sports slightly higher levels in the center channel's dialogue. Either way, the differences are negligible, but my track of choice is the DTS 5.1. Aside from clear, crisp dialogue, the surround channels mostly work to help bolster the soundtrack. There aren't really any surround effects to speak of, and the low-end is mostly quiet throughout, but overall this is a nicely balanced soundtrack that is more than adequate for a film like The Woodsman.

Extras:
Along with some great menus on this disc, there are also a few nice extra features.

The first, and best, feature is an audio commentary with Director Nicole Kassell. She's very chatty and provides a lot of information about the making of the film and some of its influences. Kassell stays mostly screen-specific but does take the time to talk about a few anecdotes from the set. Kassell has a bit of a monotone voice that makes the track slightly less entertaining than it probably could have been, but for her first commentary track, she provides a great deal of useful information. While she spends a bit too much time simply explaining what's on the screen, Kassell does a good job of talking about many different aspects of the film. Nevertheless, this track is still a worthwhile that ends up being more informative than entertaining.

Also included on this disc is a 5-minute featurette called "Getting it Made," which is basically just an interview with Producer Lee Daniels mixed in with a few brief behind-the-scenes clips from the film. Daniels tells the basic story of how the film came together, how it got financed, and some of his highs and lows throughout the process. He's a bit of a strange character that speaks softly, but the featurette is a nice, albeit brief, addition to the film. I only wish it would sound a bit better and not be quite so short.

We also have one deleted scene and two extended scenes included on this disc. None of these scenes contain much of real consequence, but it's interesting to watch an extended version of what I found to be the most unsettling scene in the entire film.

Finally, there is the theatrical trailer for The Woodsman, and seven trailers for A Love Song for Bobby Long, Boogeyman, D.E.B.S., Imaginary Heroes, P.S., Silver City, and William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

Final Thoughts:
The thing that really frightens people about sex offenders (and especially child molesters) is that they often look just like everyone else. They don't have horns or a tail, and they don't carry around flaming red pitchforks. Instead, they're normal people that simply have no moral compass. Can they be reformed in jail and sent back out into society again? It's a difficult question and I'm not sure, but that's also not really for me to answer. The only thing most of us can do is try to put ourselves in that person's shoes and see what it must be like to live in society after committing a crime as heinous as child molestation. The Woodsman doesn't answer explicitly answer these questions either, but it does at least provide us that very opportunity to see what it must be like for a convicted sex offender. It's a difficult thing to watch, but it's also something that most people never get to see. Based on that - and the fact that we have some nice extra material included - this disc comes as recommended. The Woodsman may be controversial and somewhat depressing, but it's worth watching at least once or twice.