The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes

directed by Quay Brothers
UK/Germany/France 2006

"A sinister cloud of enchantment hangs over Droz's castle, where everything from dust motes to kitchen utensils is alive and possessed of dubious intent. As in dreams, extraordinary things happen regularly and are treated as business as usual by the people experiencing them. The character of Droz incorporates aspects of Dracula and Frankenstein, and like many great villains, he drags a pair of innocent lovers into his web. As was the case with the Quays' first live-action film, Institute Benjamenta (1995), the protagonist is played by Gottfried John, a German actor best known for his work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder. John has one of those unforgettable Fassbinder faces, etched with all the sorrows of centuries of humankind, and he has a perverse flair for comedy that's delicious to watch.

The Quays have been hailed as masters of animation, but they handle actors with aplomb too. Dialogue plays a minimal role in their work, leaving the actors to communicate primarily through body language and facial expressions. The Quays choreograph their cast with precision, keeping the performances intense but just this side of the mannered excess that mars many silent films."

Kristine McKenna, The Los Angeles Times

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Theatrical Release: 9 August 2005 (Locarno Film Festival)

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DVD Review: Zeitgeist - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Yunda Eddie Feng for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Zeitgeist Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	95 mins
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.1 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo English
Subtitles	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Zeitgeist Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • The Making of The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes • Locarno Film Festival Press Conference • U.S. theatrical trailer DVD Release Date: 24 April 2007 Transparent Keepcase Chapters 15

Comments:

Video:
Shot with high-def video cameras, the 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen is very soft and very dark. A lot of the movie is set at night, so you will need to watch The Piano Tuner in total darkness. The contrast levels are probably intentional to augment the chilly/chilling imagery, though the cinematographic processes used by the Quays yields much less detail than one usually gets with 35mm film. You’ll also see halo effects in many sequences. (For a variety of reasons, I get the feeling that the transfer may’ve been created with a film print instead of directly from the digital master.)

Audio:
Though minimalist in style, the Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo English track does a more-than-adequate job of reproducing the movie’s eerie, claustrophobic sound design. The dynamic range isn’t very wide, though given the nature of the movie, you don’t really need high highs or low lows. Some of the actors’ heavily-accented English may require you to strain your ears, though this is as much a general communication issue as it is a technical one.

Optional English subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
“The Making of The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes” is a 50-minute interview with the Quay Brothers and co-writer Alan Passes interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage. “Locarno Film Festival Press Conference” is a videorecording of the Quays and some cast members promoting the movie. As expected given their output, the Quays’ comments are sometimes rather abstract in nature, though how they answer questions reveals as much about their processes as their actual answers do. You also get the movie’s U.S. theatrical trailer.

--Miscellaneous--
A foldout insert provides chapter listings, excerpts from an interview with the Quays, and movie and DVD credits. Once again, Zeitgeist is using transparent keepcases for one of its DVD titles.

- Yunda Eddie Feng

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