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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed by Carlos Reygadas
Mexico 2002
A man on the brink of suicide regains the will to live under decidedly unusual circumstances in this drama from Mexico. A quietly despondent man (Alejandro Ferretis) leaves behind the city for a journey into a quiet village in the valley, telling anyone who cares to know that once he's settled in, he intends to kill himself. The man takes a room with Ascen (Magdalena Flores), and elderly woman who lost her husband some years ago. Keeping to himself, the man paints, thinks, and prepares himself for death, while Ascen slowly becomes aware of the depth of his depression. As Ascen's nephew attempts to rob her of her share of the family estate, the man feels a desire to live waking inside him again -- as well as the desire for a woman. Improbably, the man turns to Ascen for physical affection, and sensing his need for comfort, she complies, though the seduction lacks a great deal in the way of romance. The first feature film from writer and director Carlos Reygadas, Japon received an enthusiastic response when it was screened as part of the Directors' Fortnight series at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Excerpt freom B+N located HERE
This film is probably better than most new releases so far this year - but I believe the world's film critics are clutching at straws if they believe Reygadas to be bringing fresh food to the table. "As miraculous as it is moving... sincerely inspirational" says David Parkinson of Empire, "An astonishingly confident debut... sheer audacity and originality" says Derek Malcolm of the Guardian. Not so say I. Coming to this film without having seen Tarkovsky would probably be quite an interesting experience. On the other hand, if you're familiar with Tarkovsky's work it's possible to see right through this transparent debut of badly lifted chops from 32 year old Mexican Reygadas. It is a film concerned more with style than substance. Shot on 16mm with a special anamorphic lens (in similar fashion to Gaspar Noe's I STAND ALONE) the film inelegantly wavers between jerky shoulder shots and Vadim Yusov-style tracking shots. Throughout the film Reygadas uses devastatingly beautiful J. S. Bach (the same piece used in Tarkovsky's THE SACRIFICE is used prominently here) to try and up the emotional level. The problem being - it all feels false. We see a man who has travelled to a remote canyon to kill himself (he announces it right away at the start to the first person he meets) - Reygadas hanging the whole film on it. The man stays with an elderly woman, they don't get on very well, they start to get on better, the man asks the (70+ year old) woman for sex, she obliges and it feels extremely gratuitous and pointless for all concerned. In the 45 minute documentary on the disc, Reygadas smugly suggests that the elderly non-professional actress shows signs of true pleasure during this scene (as if this was the crux of his achievement!) It was about here that I began to dislike Reygadas and his surface fascinations. For me, the film fatally lacked any aesthetic, emotional, or writerly rigour. From the start, I really wanted to like it but I just could not - many things jarred with me. The camerawork, internal rhythms, editing, acting didn't gel like it does in the director's stated favourite films (ORDET, Bresson, Tarkovsky, Dreyer, Kiarostami, and Ozu). Whenever I saw a flicker of cohesion, peripheral non-actors would gurn at the camera and laugh like so often happens in my least favourite Pasolini. Many will enjoy the locations and the music but I fear they may feel shortchanged afterwards. Unfortunately, Reygadas is not the master he is touted as being. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: January 27th, 2002 - International Film Festival Rotterdam
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Artificial Eye (UK) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
1) Artificial Eye (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT 2) Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray RIGHT |
Box Cover |
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Distribution | Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL | Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 2:07:37 (4% PAL Speedup) | 2:14:22.095 |
Video | 2.65:1.00
Original Aspect ratio / 16X9 enhanced PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
2.88:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,750,923,892 bytes Feature: 32,012,292,096 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.08 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
Bitrate: Blu-ray |
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Audio | Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) | DTS-HD Master Audio Spanish 2045 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2045 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) |
Subtitles | English, None | English, None |
Features |
Release Information: Edition Details:
DVD Release Date:
July 28th, 2003
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Release Information: Studio: Criterion
2.88:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,750,923,892 bytes Feature: 32,012,292,096 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.08 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• New conversation between Reygadas
and filmmaker Amat Escalante (42:41)
Chapters 23 |
Comments: |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
Criterion
present Carlos Reygadas' 2002 film breakthrough feature film "Japón"
on a dual layered
Blu-ray with a high bitrate. It is
advertised as a "New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director
Carlos Reygadas". When compared to the DVD, the Criterion 1080P
whopping 2.88:1 widescreen image has rounded corners and shows more
information on all sides of the frame. The film was shot on 16mm in
Cinemascope (Tronchet Scope). The amount of detail is impressive for a
film shot on 16mm, making this the best the film has looked to date,
outside of a theatrical projection. The colors are intentionally
somewhat muted, with a gold and silver hue. The film stock chosen works
in creating a somber mood, in line with the main character's despair,
with source lighting occasionally creating an overblown or washed-out
image (an artistic choice that is no fault of this transfer). Criterion
have another fantastic transfer here, one that will surely please fans
of Reygadas. *** ON THE DVD: The picture quality of 2.65:1 anamorphic 16mm (that's 16mm, not even Super 16) is surprisingly beautiful. Removable English subs. Nice to have some meaty extras (a long director interview and an interesting documentary about an open-air screening of the film for the villagers where the film was shot). Note must be made here that the interview has been appallingly filmed (the camerawoman has left the auto-focus on the DV camera and the focus constantly shifts between Reygadas and the bookshelf behind him - hundreds of times. It really messed my eyes up.) The locations in this film are hands down the best thing about it. Almost worth seeing just for the locations (and a fantastic drunken song by a peripheral extra). I'm sure others will get more enjoyment out of the film than I did. NOTE: To obtain this category cuts of 0m 51s were required. The cuts were Compulsory. Cuts required to two scenes involving real animal cruelty (an unsuccessful attempt to strangle a bird which then stumbles around injured on the ground; a dog being forced to 'sing along' to a song through the application of a painful stimulus). Cuts made in accordance with BBFC guidelines, BBFC policy and the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937. |
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Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample - Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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1) Artificial Eye (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Artificial Eye (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Artificial Eye (UK) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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More Blu-ray Captures
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Box Cover |
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Distribution | Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL | Criterion Spine #968 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
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