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'Rosetta' proves a very appropriate title for the movie as the camera never strays from her throughout the entire film. Her face, in constant close-ups, is a series of
telling expressions worthy of comparisons to Falconetti or Masina. For a paltry two million dollars Jean Pierre and Luc Dardenne shot and continuously edited 60 hours of film footage to parse down and create a 95 minute cinema verité masterpiece. The true artistic crime-of-the-century is that its exposure to the mass audiences has been very limited. It is this audience that might benefit the most from its viewing. The political and moral message it sends is one inherent to all sentient beings who are concerned with their fellow humankind. It is heartfelt on a raw, exposed gut-level. The character Rosetta, at times, exhibits herself as a savage, tortured soul, ready to defend her non-existent rights with ferocious determination. She is also a closed-off, obsessed survivor, fighting to find her place in society. This, while also shouldering the weight of ulcer-pained responsibilities for the maternal-like care required to oversee to her own flawed mother. Her struggles are even more pitiful and real to us since they are primarily for the most basic elements of living. Things perhaps we quite often take for granted and, in HER own mind can be satisfied by obtaining employment. Has society manifested the impression that this will make her a "normal person?" Perhaps her mother will cease her alcoholism and sexual promiscuity. She might establish friendships... even get a boyfriend if she could only get a steady job.out of |
Posters
Theatrical Release: May - 1999 - Cannes Film Festival, France
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
TF1 Vidéo (France) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Artificial Eye (UK) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Big thanks to Fred Patton for the TF1 DVD screen captures!
1) TF1 Vidéo - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT2) Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT
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Box Covers |
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Distribution |
TF1 Vidéo Region 2 - PAL |
Artificial
Eye
Region 2 - PAL |
Criterion Collection - Spine #621 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:30:18 (4% PAL Speedup) | 1:29:54 (4% PAL Speedup) | 1:34:22.698 |
Video |
1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 45,260,256,646 bytes Feature: 27,613,065,216 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: TF1 Vidéo
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Bitrate:
Artificial Eye
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Bitrate:
Blu-ray
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Audio | French (Dolby Digital 5.1) |
French or Italian DUB (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) |
DTS-HD Master Audio French 2073 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2073 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) |
Subtitles | None (NO ENGLISH) | English, Italian, Dutch, None | English, None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: TF1 Vidéo Aspect Ratio: Edition Details:
Chapters
15
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Release Information: Studio: Artificial Eye Film Company Aspect Ratio: Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: April 16th, 2001 Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Disc Size:
45,260,256,646 bytes Feature: 27,613,065,216 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Vide
• New interview piece featuring actors Émilie Dequenne and Olivier Gourmet
(18:18)
Chapters
23
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Comments: |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (August 2012): While I haven't seen Rosetta for a while it continues to eat at me emotionally and remains one of my favorite (if not the outright top-spot) films of all time. It was so gratifying to see Rosetta make it to North America after winning Cannes more than a decade ago. I was trying to think if there was another Palm D'or winner that had not crossed the ocean for digital home viewing after such a long wait. It seems Universal had the rights as their logo follows Criterion's as the film starts. I don't consider the NTSC Taiwan version legitimate with the distorted aspect ratio. Criterion's Blu-ray doesn't deviate too drastically - visually from the PAL SD transfers. Skin tones appear to warmer, texture and grain are far more apparent. There may be a slight amount of additional information in the 1080 frame. This dual-layered rendering has a max'ed bitrate and is given the endorsement nod by the filmmakers. We can only assume that 'this is it' as the best, most definitive, digital representation... ever for Rosetta. It is a thick film not prone to glossy or crisp visuals - this style follows the verité story of hardship, desperation and survival at all costs. It was an even more harrowing film experience in proper NTSC running time and HD a/v. Draining.
The audio
remains faithfully modest 2.0 channel in a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio
at 2073 kbps. Sound is natural from Rosetta's opening hand-cam tantrum
to the pesky motorbike following her guilty conscience. There are
optional English subtitles on the region "A'-locked
Blu-ray
disc.
We get a conversation between film critic Scott Foundas and filmmakers
Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne running slightly over an hour filmed in
Belgium for Criterion in 2012. They discuss intricate details of
Rosetta's production in French with English subtitles. There is a
new 18-minute interview piece featuring actors Émilie Dequenne and
Olivier Gourmet - the performers talk of working with the Dardennes.
There is also a trailer - in HD as are all video supplements and the
package includes a 32-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by
film critic Kent Jones.
I enjoyed this *** ON THE DVDs:
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Menus
(TF1
Vidéo
- Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
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Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample
Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Screen Captures
1) TF1 Vidéo - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
1) TF1 Vidéo - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) TF1 Vidéo - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) TF1 Vidéo - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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NOTE There is also a Taiwanese DVD (Spring) available for the NTSC-locked crowd. It is truly horrible though as it is vertically squeezed to knock the image out of ratio. It is a 1.66 ratio that fills a 4:3 screen. Even its menu options are incorrect (reversed). Steer clear and buy the video from Amazon in NTSC-ville. |
(True aspect ratio LEFT, Spring (Taiwan) RIGHT)
(True
aspect ratio LEFT, Spring (Taiwan) RIGHT)
More
Blu-ray Captures
Report Card:
Image: |
Blu-ray |
Sound: |
Blu-ray |
Extras: |
Blu-ray |
Box Covers |
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Distribution |
TF1 Vidéo Region 2 - PAL |
Artificial
Eye
Region 2 - PAL |
Criterion Collection - Spine #621 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
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Gary Tooze |
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