The Long Day Closes Terence Davis

Directed by Terence Davies
UK 1992

Following his prize-winning debut feature film Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988), in 1992 Terence Davies made The Long Day Closes, now released by the BFI on DVD for the first time, alongside The Terence Davies Trilogy.

Terence Davies' lyrical hymn to childhood revisits the same territory as Distant Voices, Still Lives, this time focusing on his own memories of growing up in a working-class Catholic family in Liverpool.

Eleven-year-old Bud (a heartbreaking performance from Leigh McCormack) finds escape from the greyness of '50s Britain through trips to the cinema and in the warmth of family life. But as he gets older, the agonies of the adult world; the casual cruelty of bullying, the tyranny of school and the dread of religion, begin to invade his life.

Time and memory blend and blur through Davies' fluid camerawork; slow tracking shots, pans and dreamlike dissolves combine to create the world of Bud's imagination and the lost paradise of his childhood.

Excerpt from BFI located HERE

Poster available at UKQuad.com located HERE

Theatrical Release: May 22nd, 1992

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DVD Review: BFI - Region 2 - PAL

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	BFI Video - Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:21:45
Video	1.85:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.29 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
Audio	English (2.0 - uncompressed PCM stereo audio)
Subtitles	English, None NOTE: Optional subtitles for the hearing impaired on the feature film and commentary tracks!
Features	Release Information: Studio: BFI Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Edition Details: • Full feature commentary with Terence Davies and Director of Photography Mick Coulter • On-set interview with production designer Christopher Hobbs (3:39) • Previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage of Terence Davies directing (8:02) Trailer for Of Time and the City (2:13) • 18-page illustrated booklet with essays, director biography and credits DVD Release Date: July 28th, 2008 Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 10

Comments:

To my knowledge this classic is released on DVD for the first time. It looks perhaps a notch above BFI's Distant Voices, Still Lives as far as image quality goes and has the same 'look'. It has some noise and the film has many dark scenes. Detail is rather mediocre at times but has a very consistent feel - a bit heavy but the images are so wonderful. The transfer has no visible damage marks. It's dual-layered and anamorphic. The uncompressed PCM audio sounded quite pure with clean and clear dialogue - supported by optional English subtitles (for the commentary too).

NOTE: "Both (The Long Day Closes and Distant Voices, Still Lives) films underwent a bleach-bypass process to attain Davies' preferred period look for each film (although DVSL uses this process somewhat more heavily). This procedure usually occurs near the end of the lab while making prints, but for the new HD transfer Davies and Coulter worked hard to achieve this look at the telecine stage. Whatever occasional minor loss of detail or saturation is compensated by delivering what is Davies' and Coulter's true and definitive vision of their film."

The supplements are fabulous - another adept, soft-spoken commentary from Terence Davies - this time with director of photography Mick Coulter. Accents (Coulter's Scottish - <my guess> - brogue) are on the thick side so the optional commentary subtitles are very much appreciated (sample below). It's a fun commentary with lots of socializing and recollections although plenty of good information is imparted as well. There is also a short, 3 minute, on-set interview with production designer Christopher Hobbs and some previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage of Terence Davies directing - essentially one specific scene from the film - lasting just over 8 minutes. We are treated to a trailer for Of Time and the City and an 18-page illustrated booklet with essays, director biography and credits.

NOTE: Looking at the VoB files I see perhaps there is more than I have mentioned, beyond accessibility from the menus, as far as supplements go - but I'll investigate further and contact BFI to see if I'm mistaken. I'll report here if I find anything additional. I was very pleased with what I was able to access.

Bottom line: Immensely poignant - magnificent - must see cinema - possibly our DVD of the Month. Strongly recommended!

Gary W. Tooze

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