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(aka 'The 3 Burials of Melquiades Estrada' or 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada' or ' Les Trois enterrements de Melchiades Estrada')
Directed by
Tommy Lee Jones
USA 2005
There’s something about
border country that brings out the best in filmmakers. From
Touch Of Evil to
The Wild Bunch, from Lone Star to Kill Bill, directors at
the height of their powers are drawn to the inherently dramatic,
culture-clash-heavy location. Welles, Peckinpah, Sayles and Tarantino might make
for illustrious company but, judging by this stunning film, Tommy Lee Jones
deserves his place alongside them. Indeed, comparisons have been made with
Peckinpah’s Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia, but if anything, The Three
Burials Of Melquiades Estrada is the more humane, emotionally engaging work.
As anyone familiar with the career of screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores
Perros, 21 Grams) would expect, the initial ‘modern revenge
Western’ premise is merely the framework for a subtle, involving exploration of
friendship, loyalty, sex, death and forgiveness — all the good stuff. Arriaga’s
fragmented style allows the audience to experience Melquiades’ (Julio Cedillo)
life when he’s already dead, flavouring the warmth and charm of his scenes
alongside best pal Pete (Jones himself, marvellous) with an underlying sadness
and sense of fate. Similarly, we know Officer Norton is a killer-to-be when we
witness his callous attitude both to his wife and the “wetbacks” he brutalises
at every opportunity.
Excerpt from Empire Magazine's review located HERE
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Theatrical Release: May 20th, 2005 - Cannes Film Festival
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Sony - Region 1,4 - NTSC
| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: |
| Distribution | Sony - Region 1,4 - NTSC | |
| Runtime | 2:01:01 | |
| Video |
2.35:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.38 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate: |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 5.1) | |
| Subtitles | English, French, Spanish, None | |
| Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: Viewable in both 2.35:1 Widescreen aspect ratio, and 1.33:1 Fullscreen aspect ratio • Commentary
with Tommy Lee Jones, Dwight Yoakam and January Jones |
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| Comments: |
Well, I understand fellow reviewers were quite appalled with the edge enhancement of this DVD transfer (see sample below). Well, it is not as bad as it has been represented in my opinion. In fact looking at the positive - both detail and colors on this DVD image are quite striking. I can't say what it looked like theatrically but I was suitably impressed watching on my 42" Plasma. Now, there has been some boosting, which I never understand why it is necessary, but I can only state that it didn't overly impinge on my personal viewing experience even with the occasional artifact. It tends to remove some of the film-like appearance that a 35mm can give, appearing closer to high end digital video look. You can see for yourself how fatal it may be to your viewing system with the images below - they are fairly random. It is beautifully shot and can be a strong visual experience. The 5.1 audio sounded good to me, but is largely untested save a few scenes with rifle shots - even dialogue is quite sparse in the film. The included commentary is very friendly and not as informative or well prepared as some might be. If you can appreciate the 'off the cuff' manner you may enjoy it. This is a very good film in my opinion and an excellent western. It has an indirect focus on loyalty and respect. I thoroughly enjoyed it - I couldn't help reflect on Charles Laughton's only directorial work - 'Night of the Hunter' for some reason. Perhaps it was the animal motifs or the journey of expectant redemption. It has the same vengeful anger that it spouts forth like a fountain. All I can say is that it is a beautiful film with great performances and a subtle, gentle depth. What more can you ask from a film? |
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