(aka "You, the Living" or "Nous, les vivants")

 

directed by Roy Andersson
Sweden / Germany / France / Denmark / Norway 2007

 

Andersson takes his title from lines by Goethe: "Be pleased then, you, the living, in your delightfully warmed bed, before Lethe's ice-cold wave will lick your escaping foot." "Lethe" is the destination of a tram glimpsed in a typically enigmatic scene. Those lines have the gloomy compassion and northern European black humour that permeates Andersson's films. Are these people actually the "living"? Or the demi-zombie dead? Tragically, they cling to the scraps of life allowed to them in this wretched world.

Watching this, I was struck by the hints of Woody Allen and Terry Gilliam that surfaced when I saw Songs From the Second Floor, but this is the work of a real original - I might almost say a genius. He is radically different from anyone else, with a technical, compositional rigour that puts other movie-makers and visual artists to shame. And he really is funny.

Excerpt of review from Guardian located HERE

Poster

Theatrical Release: France 24 May 2007 (Cannes Film Festival)

Reviews    More Reviews  DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Per-Olof Strandberg for the Review!

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL LEFT vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

DVD Box Cover

 

 

Distribution

Scanbox

Region 0 - PAL

Artificial Eye

Region 2 - PAL

Runtime 1:29:26 (4% PAL speedup) 1:29:27 (4% PAL speedup)
Video

1:1.66 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1:1.66 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 4.70 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

Audio Swedish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Swedish (DTS 5.1) Swedish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Swedish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles English, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, None English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Scanbox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1:1.66

Edition Details:
• Directors commentary (IN Swedish / NO SUBTITLES)
• Samples of sets (8.05)
• Excerpts from earlier films by RA (15.32)
• Booklet (24 pages)
• DVD-9

DVD Release Date: April 9th, 2008
Transparent keep-case

Chapters 24

Release Information:
Studio:
Artificial Eye

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1:1.66

Edition Details:
• Directors commentary (IN Swedish / WITH English SUBTITLES)
• Samples of sets (8.05)
• Excerpts from earlier films by RA (15.32)

DVD Release Date:
July 14th, 2008
Transparent keep-case

Chapters 24

 

 

Comments:

ADDITION: Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL July 08': Firstly I agree with Per-Olaf's enthusiasm for the film - it is wonderfully original! A must-see!

In regards to the image - although I don't see a lot of differences I suspect there must be some as the Scanbox is dual-layered and the AE is single. There appears to be some minor differentiation in colors but otherwise things seem fairly copacetic. Both are anamorphic in the original 1.66 ratio and both are progressively trasnferred.

Audio slightly favors the Scandinavian edition as it offers a DTS track that is mentioned as being slightly better than the 5.1. The UK release also offers a 2.0 track on top of the 5.1 offering.

As they both have the exact same extras, I suspect they shared the same D1 transfer but the AE have added subtitles for all the extras including the director commentary (see sample below). I defer to Per-Olaf's comments: '...much of it is "small talk" (director commentary), there's still much information. The last scene didn't completely open to me in the first viewing, but the comment's from Roy Andersson made me understand it better! SAMPLES OF SETS are rewarding, and shows the studio interiors of the film.'

Although moderately lesser in terms of image and audio - I still endorse the Artificial Eye for the English-friendly supplements. This is a very enjoyable film and we encourage seeing it soon!

Gary Tooze  

***

For those of you that can't wait for a possible UK or US release of this film, there's a new Swedish DVD from Scanbox that includes English subtitles on the main feature. And folks: this is one of the best films from 2007. Don't miss it!

I have no doubt that this release is the best possible transfer on digital media (at present). It's on a dual layer disc, and has occupied 7,63 GB off space. On the cover there's a misprint that the ratio is 1:1.77, but luckily it's in the original 1:1.66 ratio. The muted colors are intended. There's some noise visible, especially watched on a computer screen. Otherwise the image is sharp and clear.

The two audio track's are strong, and sound's quite similar, in a minor favor to the DTS track!

It's a pity that the director's commentary is in Swedish and isn't subtitled. Even though much of it is "small talk", there's still much information. The last scene didn't completely open to me in the first viewing, but the comment's from Roy Andersson made me understand it better! SAMPLES OF SETS are rewarding, and shows the studio interiors of the film. Buy it, sooner or later, and get good laugh's from this personal film.

 - Per-Olof Strandberg


DVD Menus

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL LEFT vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)
 

 


Screen Captures

 

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)


Subtitle sample

 

Example of director commentary subs on the AE

 


 

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

 

 


 

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

 

 


 

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

 

 


 

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

 

 


 

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

 

 


 

(Scanbox - Region 0 - PAL TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)

 


DVD Box Cover

 

 

Distribution

Scanbox

Region 0 - PAL

Artificial Eye

Region 2 - PAL

 





 

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