(aka 'The Dream of Light" or "Quince Tree of the Sun" or "The Sun of the Quince Tree")
directed by
Victor Erice
Spain 1992
"I have this reputation, and I don't like to disappoint my friend [Geoff Andrew], but I'm far less of a perfectionist than Antonio the painter. I made this film in eight weeks and perhaps there is an autobiographical aspect in that we both experience life in a similar way and with similar obsessions. If you think about it, these are the greatest themes of Spanish Baroque art: the passing of time, dreams, decadence, and also the theme of childhood. These are themes that belong there. Also, we both have roots in the countryside - we are both from the countryside, the painter and myself." - Victor Erice
In "Dream of Light" the celebrated director of "Spirit
of the Beehive", Victor Erice, achieves the miraculous; a direct look
into how an artist creates. Antonio Lopez Garcia is Spain's leading painter who,
for several weeks one autumn, tries to paint the sun filtering through the
leaves of a quince tree. Erice documents this process. His observations are
"elegantly restrained, at once matter-of-fact and lyrically evocative". Erice,
who has made only three films in 30 years, creates a kind of diary, a journal of
an artists life and work and a film about creation and life itself. The film is
both comical and poetic; a remarkable, beautiful journey full of nuance - it is
as if the person watching the film were given the privilege of watching God
create the world.
out of
Poster
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Theatrical Release: May 5th, 1992 - France
DVD Review: INSight Films (2 disc) - Region 0 - NTSC
| DVD Box Cover |
CLICK
to enlarge |
| Distribution | INSight Films - Region 0 - NTSC |
| Runtime | 2:19:25 (Disc 1 - 1:16:03, Disc 2- 1:03:22) |
| Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: Disc 1 - 7.16 mb/s Disc 2 - 7.24 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
| Bitrate: |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
| Disc 1 |
 |
| Disc 2 |
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| Audio | Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
| Subtitles | English (non-removable) |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Dream
of Light End Title music in MP3 format |
| Comments: |
Lets
start with the positives - as there are quite a few. Extremely noble act
by INSight Films to get this onto the DVD medium. It is almost
unfathomable why someone hasn't before (who has the rights?). Truly one
of the landmark films of the 90's. The animated menus are a pure joy
offering glimpses of images from the film rotating in a large 3 dimensional
circle with the film title (back to front billboard style) and the
chapter menus are also handsomely animated. There is inconsistent
sharpness to the image and the colors have come through brilliantly.
Subtitles are discernable if weak at times. Some neat little Extras with
the title music and a screensaver. Overall I am too enamored with this
film not to quirt whether El Sur could possibly be on the way.
Thank you INSight Films for bringing this, and your first release - Where
is the Friends Home, to Digital Versatile Disc. |
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