To Sleep With Anger - Charles Burnett

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Charles Burnett
USA 1990

When Harry comes to town, he brings good times, bad times... And a lot of trouble!

Paul Butler plays Gideon who is has retired and lives comfortably in a Los Angeles suburb with his family close by. He remembers the old-style traditions and his deep south roots which helped form his value system. He raises chickens in the back yard and goes to church regularly with his devout wife. He fears the recent loss of an old charm will affect his family and current lifestyle.
Old friend Harry Mention (Danny Glover) comes to town and stays with Gideon. Trouble seems to follow Harry and his indirect meddling starts to initiate big problems. With no explanation Gideon falls terribly ill from a stroke unable to move or communicate. More family trouble ensues as one of his sons finds his marriage slowly dissolving. With a shamefully joyous ending the old charm reappears to play a big part in the violent turn of circumstances. Director Burnett shows a simple family oriented existence with consistent camera movement and a playful and subtle narrative.

***

A slow-burning masterwork of the early 1990s, this third feature by Charles Burnett is a singular piece of American mythmaking. In a towering performance, Danny Glover plays the enigmatic southern drifter Harry, a devilish charmer who turns up out of the blue on the South Central Los Angeles doorstep of his old friends. In short order, Harry’s presence seems to cast a chaotic spell on what appeared to be a peaceful household, exposing smoldering tensions between parents and children, tradition and change, virtue and temptation. Interweaving evocative strains of gospel and blues with rich, poetic-realist images, To Sleep with Anger is a sublimely stirring film from an autonomous artistic sensibility, a portrait of family resilience steeped in the traditions of African American mysticism and folklore.

Posters

Theatrical Release: January 1990 - US Film Festival

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

BFI - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 'A' / 'B' - Blu-ray

1) BFI - Region 2- PAL LEFT

2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray RIGHT

Box Cover
Distribution	BFI - Region 2- PAL	Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:37:39 (4% PAL speedup)	1:41:52.147
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.56 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,520,006,854 bytes Feature: 30,725,720,064 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.10 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 2078 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2078 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: BFI Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Sleeve notes by Tom Milne • Charles Burnett Bio (slideshow screens) DVD Release Date: May 24th, 2004 Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 18	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,520,006,854 bytes Feature: 30,725,720,064 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.10 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Of Family and Folklore, a new interview program, featuring Burnett, actors Danny Glover and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and associate producer Linda Koulisis (23:55) • A Walk with Charles Burnett, a new hour-long conversation between Burnett and filmmaker Robert Townsend that revisits Burnett’s films and shooting locations (56:09) • Short video tribute to Burnett produced for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards ceremony in 2017 (6:29) • PLUS: An essay by critic Ashley Clark Blu-ray Release Date: February 26th, 2019 transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 21

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

The Criterion 1080P is from a "New, restored 4K digital transfer, approved by director Charles Burnett". It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and as the matching screen captures point bout - the HD is a dramatic improvement in the film's colors and contrast. We lose some information on the top and bottom of the frame but I presume the BFI was from an open matte print - as Burnett approved the 4K-restored transfer. It looks great - blemish-free with nice textures and frequent depth.

Audio comes via a DTS-HD Master 2,0 channel stereo (24-bit) transfer and sounds clean and consistent. There aren't any demonstrative effects - but it has music from Stephen James Taylor, his first film composure credit. The Criterion has optional English (SDH) subtitles and is this Blu-ray is available on both sides of the Atlantic (Region 'A' in North America - and Region 'B' in Europe).

Supplements consist of Of Family and Folklore, a new 24-minute interview program, featuring Burnett, actors Danny Glover and Sheryl Lee Ralph, and associate producer Linda Koulisis produced by the Criterion Collection in 2018. A Walk with Charles Burnett, a new 56-minute-long conversation between Burnett and filmmaker Robert Townsend that revisits Burnett’s films and shooting locations. Filmmaker Robert Townsend executive-produced this program for Criterion's Meet the Filmmakers series in 2018. In it, he and Charles Burnett reflect on Burnett's groundbreaking career in cinema, returning to South Central Los Angeles and the shooting locations of his landmark films Killer of Sheep and To Sleep with Anger, Lastly, is a short video tribute to Burnett produced for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ For the 2017 Governors Awards. Filmmaker Shola Lynch created this tribute reel dedicated to director Charles Burnett, which features Burnett; filmmakers Julie Dash, Reginald Hudlin, and Robert Townsend; actors Danny Glover, James Earl Jones, Carl Lumbly, and Sheryl Lee Ralph; and cinematographer Bradford Young. The package also has a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic Ashley Clark.

Brilliant filmmaking - it had been a decade since I had seen To Sleep With Anger and the deliberate tone of the film rushed back to me in waves. Burnett's naturalistic exploration of the family unit is top-shelf filmmaking. Criterion's pristine Blu-ray upgrade is worth every penny and then some.

***

ON THE DVD: A modest appearance with only a few moments in the very beginning showing some damage and dust. No subtitles, which would have helped translation of some of the quick dialogue (southern and slang). Drab colors which look video-like. Some exterior shots look overexposed, but that may be the way the film was shot. Slightly dark interior lighting - again as the film was made. Light on Extras with a Burnett bio and a page of sleeve notes. Nice to see BFI bring this to DVD.

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