Description

The story of a young man?s amazing journey from a slave prison to the very inner sanctum of Egypt?s Pharaoh ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Gripping and accurate ...the ending will bring you to tears!
As a teacher of ancient history with a doctorate in Biblical theology, I can say--without hesitation, this account of the Joseph story is as good as it gets! Although some of the sexually explicit (though historically accurate) scenes should be screened from the very young, this film is an ideal platform from which teens can search out characteristics of moral uprightness in a character of whom the Bible has not one negative thing to say! Kingsley (as he did in 'Moses') steals the show, and Mercurio does an admirable job as Joseph. Especially capable are the actors portraying Joseph's wicked brothers, with Vincenzo Nicoli sterling is his performance as the wicked Simeon. Having watched the film dozens of times with adults--as well as with my middle-schoolers in the classroom, I can say that the greatest of Bible stories is captured in all its power, pathos, and glory. Although creating a few anachronistic vignettes (such as Joseph's 'foreshadowing' Christ's "My God, my God..." speech from the Egyptian prison), the film also captures all of the great ironies of the Joseph story. When Mercurio tenderly reveals himself as the second most powerful man in the ancient world--to the brothers who hated him as a youth, the words 'I am Joseph' will not fail to bring even the most calloused heart to tears. As my students synthesized the thirty or so characteristics of moral goodness extant in Joseph into an essay, one asked why no such heroes existed today. The question revealed both the effectiveness of this presentation, and the dearth of role models in our society. 'Joseph' is both gripping in narration, and brilliant its direction. It is faithful to Scripture and well-acted. It is THE finest of the TNT productions to date, of which only one ('Jacob') was a failure. Everyone will appreciate this wonderful story of forgiveness, but those those who are looking for the 'hidden things of Christ' cannot miss the poignant messianic threads which are so skillfully woven through the life of Joseph. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

"The Joseph story as it was meant to be told!"
This account of the Joseph story is as good as it gets! I teach ancient history and civilizations, and have an earned doctorate in theology. I say this only to lend perspective to this review.

This film is Biblically accurate, well-acted, and the producer and director are to be praised for the sound Biblical reasearch!

Although some of the sexually explicit (though historically accurate) scenes should be screened from the very young, this film is an ideal platform from which teens can search out characteristics of moral uprightness in a character of whom the Bible has not one negative thing to say!

Kingsley (as he did in 'Moses') steals the show, and Mercurio does an admirable job as Joseph. Only Leslie Ann Warren (Potipher's wife) seems to strain as an actor, nevertheless, her performance detracts little from the drama. Especially capable are the actors portraying Joseph's wicked brothers, with Vincenzo Nicoli sterling is his performance as the wicked Simeon.

Having watched the film dozens of times with adults--as well as with my middle-schoolers in the classroom, I can say that the greatest of Bible stories is captured in all its power, pathos, and glory. Although creating a few anachronistic vignettes (such as Joseph's 'foreshadowing' Christ's "My God, my God..." speech from the Egyptian prison), the film also captures all of the great ironies of the Joseph story.

When Mercurio tenderly reveals himself as the second most powerful man in the ancient world--to the brothers who hated him as a youth, the words 'I am Joseph' will not fail to bring even the most calloused heart to tears.

As my students synthesized the thirty or so characteristics of moral goodness extant in Joseph into an essay, one asked why no such heroes existed today. The question revealed both the effectiveness of this presentation, and the dearth of role models in our society.

'Joseph' is both gripping in narration, and brilliant its direction. It is faithful to Scripture and well-acted. It is THE finest of the TNT productions to date, of which only one ('Jacob') was a failure.

Everyone will appreciate this wonderful story of forgiveness, but those those who are looking for the 'hidden things of Christ' cannot miss the poignant messianic threads which are so skillfully woven through the life of Joseph. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

a man of character and faith
Though this interpretation of Joseph's life has been substantially embellished, the heart and soul of the story remain intact, and is ultimately quite faithful to the Biblical account covered in Genesis Ch. 33:18 through Ch. 46:30.
Much of the acting is marvelous, especially Ben Kingsley as Potiphar, whose part has thankfully been enlarged, because he is riveting in every scene he is in.
Martin Landau is also excellent as the patriarch Jacob, who mourns the apparent loss of his favorite son, Joseph.
Australian actor/dancer Paul Mercurio ("Strictly Ballroom") is good in the lead, and others in the cast include Leslie Ann Warren as Potiphar's lying wife, the always beautiful Dominique Sanda as Leah, and some fine character actors playing Joseph's brothers, notably Michael Attwell (Judah), and Vincenzo Nicoli (Simeon).

Included in this film, and intrinsic to Joseph's life are the stories of Tamar and Judah, and the horrific tale his sister Dinah, both done effectively.The only parts that are less than first-rate are the scenes in Pharoah's court; almost campy in costuming and acting, they can provide some amusement in the midst of all the drama. Stefano Dionisi is a most unlikely and modern looking Pharoah, and has the ultimate babe for a wife, the pulchritudinous Monica Bellucci. The entire film though, is always mentally and visually entertaining, and has much spiritual content. As with so much of the Old Testament, there are allegories that run through its narrative that point to the New Testament, and the story of Joseph has much of this symbolism.

Filmed in Quarzazate, Morocco, with its exotic ancient structures and landscapes, the cinematography by Rafaele Mertes is wonderful; this is a way above average production for television, and a film about a man who "does nothing against his conscience even on pain of death" is worth watching again and again.

Great Movie
I truly enjoyed this film. I think it was superbly done, however, I did not agree with the scene between Joseph and Potipher's wife. I think it was a bit too sexy and it was not necessary. This scene does not make it suitable for younger audiences and I think that is a shame because it is such a great movie. However, that was the only scene where I saw Hollywood getting carried away.

Excellent biblical account and well done!
Thoroughly enjoyed this depiction of the life of Joseph and learned much by viewing the movie! Even though I have read the biblical account, seeing it come to life in the movie filled in things in the story that I missed in the biblical account.

Sometimes it's nice to read the bible story first and then follow it up with seeing the movie.

Movie very well done! Highly recommend! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

1900 is one of Bernardo Bertolucci's adventures in epic filmmaking that never found the reception he had hoped for. Originally more than six hours long, it was chopped down to four hours for its U.S. release and as a result looked, well, choppy. Eventually, he restored it to five hours--but one wonders at all the effort on behalf of this alternately muddled and stunning story. The film, with a decidedly socialist agenda, examines two lives that begin the same year in rural Italy: the weak-willed son of the aristocracy (Robert De Niro) and the hardy, courageous son of peasants (Gerard Depardieu). They grow up as best friends on the same estate, until class differences pull them apart and then the era's fascist politics divide them for good. Despite strong performances by both leads, as well as Sterling Hayden, Donald Sutherland, Dominique Sanda, and Burt Lancaster, this one is strictly for Bertolucci's most avid fans. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Tiresome to sit through
An interesting idea for a film but not well executed. Much of the acting was so broad it was annoying or not believable (part of that was due to the dubbing). Too often the actors are overly emotional. There are too many scenes of characters being very exciting or angry or yelling or crying. Also, some of the leisurely scenes that don't really move the plot along were of little interest.

The Cult-Movie for the Working Class
Simply the Movie of my Life .I guess the DVD extras will be smashing!

Career nadir
This film drove Bertolucci to a nervous breakdown and he had to take a year off after making it, becoming an incessant pill-popper into the bargain. One can see how much pressure was put on him. '1900' had the largest film budget he had to work with up to that time in his career. Add to that fact that this was an epic picture about a period in his own country's history and the expectation on him must have been enormous. Unfortunately Bertolucci at this point in his career was totally out of his depth in dealing with such a conceptual behemouth. It would take him over 10 years before he could again tackle the political history of a country on such an epic scale. Ironically that epic would be set in China.

Controversy surrounded the film on its release in Italy as much of the film portrays a flawed knowledge of Italian history. The trial of the DeNiro character at the end was invented by Bertolucci as a utopian vision of how Italian history should have developed. Even the Italian Communist Party was upset at this depiction as they claim they never practiced vigilante style executions after the war.

As a young director, Bertolucci saw himself as stubbornly arrogant, not giving a second thought to what his audience may think. '1900' was the first movie he made where he kept in mind the spectatorship he was trying to reach. Paradoxicaly, '1900' would end up his least engaging film because he tried to envelop too many different visions.

About the different lenght versions of Novecento
Let me clarify the question of the different versions of this masterpiece.
The first cut (never released) was 6:15. The European released version was 5:25. In the meanwhile, Alberto Grimaldi (the film's producer) was negociating with Paramount a 3:15 version, betraying Bertolucci, who didn't know a word about.
After the European succes, Fox offered Bertolucci to work on a 4:15 version for the U.S. market. He accepted, and made a second 4:40 version. But Grimaldi's opposition take the case to a court. A judge viewed all three 5:25, 4:40 and 3:15 versions. He concluded that Grimaldi's short version was detrimental and incoherent. So he invited Bertolucci to work in a 4:15 version.
Bernardo did a third cut to 4:10, that had its premiere in the New York Film Festival. There, critics were very negative, since they already knew the european 5:25 version, and compared so. But Bertolucci once declared that this was simply another film; no a single sequence was missing, it just had another pace. For a given moment, he even prefered this version. But years later, he recognizes the short version lacks the "inexorable passing of time" of the full one.
Let me recall this is the only film in history that has put toghether -for the production- all three major studios then, Fox, United Artists and Paramount.
All this information was taken from the book Bertolucci por Bertolucci, the spanish version of Scene madri di Bernardo Bertolucci, from Enzo Ungari, based on the interviews by Donald Ranvaud about The Last Emperor.
I definitely agree with the people asking for a remastering and release on DVD of the 5:25 original version.

A truly masterpiece
I watched this epic on TV and was astonished. This is a real masterpiece which deserves to be transfered and digitally mastered (picture and sound) to DVD. 1900 is a powerful drama but also a great work of art. Ennio Morricone's beautiful music reflects the drama and the art perfectly. Can't wait for the full version DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

My Favorite Bertolucci Film!
It has been a few years since I've seen "The Conformist". But, this was the first Bernardo Bertolucci movie I ever saw. And the film has stayed with me all this time. Like some of the other customers on here, I too feel this is Bertolucci at his best.

To be honest I really can't quite remember the story-line so well. A man named Marcello (Jean Louis Trintignant)is sent to assassinate his old professor, Professor Quadri (Enzo Tararscio), who left Italy when the fascist took over.

Bertolucci managed to tell such a powerful, abosorbing story, that even in at it's most gritty moments, I couldn't turn away from the screen. There's a scene where two people are shot at that would probably be describe by people as disgusting, but, my eyes were glued to the screen. And this is the power most of Bertolucci's films have. Well, at least on me.

I too feel it's a shame this film it not available on vhs or dvd. And because of that this film is not as well known as it should be. Here is a movie that many would agree upon as being one of Bertolucci's best films, and no one can see it. All most of us can do is just recall moments of the first time we saw it.

For anyone who ever gets a chance to buy this film or even rent, do it! It will truly be one of those rare films that will always keep coming back to you.

Bottom-line: Simply Bernardo Bertolucci's best film! Powerful and absorbing. Bertolucci hits the bullseye.

Breathlessly awaiting The Conformist on DVD
I was shown this film in cinema class when I was 17, and then only saw it again recently, 14 years later. It's still wonderful, and IMO Bertolucci's only universally great film. I don't fault Criterion for not including it in their releases, it's probably a rights issue as it normally is (i.e. they had but lost the rights to Kwaidan - A for effort though). Folks like Criterion and Anchor Bay can't always get the rights to a director's entire body of work. Despite it all, I am one of the masses breathlessly awaiting a DVD release of The Conformist (though not optimistic an original Italian language version was ever cut, so we may have to endure the bad dubbing forever) - the art direction and cinematography are unforgettable. I never forgot certain scenes over the course of 14 years and thousands of other wonderful films. Please someone, release the DVD rights to good people like Kino, Criterion or Anchor Bay - we'll be lining up.

Pictures without subtitles
Naturellemant! This is a film one has to see. And once and a while it plays in a cinema here or there. Isn't that the only possitive side effect of such a wonderfull movie un-available both on DVD AND in its original language? To have to be on the look out for cinema screenings, somewhere? If you really want to see this film! Yes, I think so. And there is one more.
But what a sin to dub this film! The soundtrack on this VHS tape is in English! I was under the impression this was a common procedure in Germany only - 'he, Ronny, wir mussen den Dollars und Magnums in John's chevrolet nach Miami fahren!' - and very understandably the treatment that is received by animated films for childeren.
The film is magnificently photographed - by Vittorio Storaro. And the film deals with an important story. You can allways watch the VHS tape with the soundtrack switched off! Than you turn the postsynchronisation into an advantage. Because, you will be able to view the picture without the disturbing subtitles. That's the other advantage of this tape.

DVD - Get moving Paramount
I've heard about this film from friends and film professors for years, but have been unwilling to watch butchered, dubbed versions. I missed a showing of the restored print up in Los Angeles yesterday. According to the LA Times, the restoration was personally supervised by the film's legendary cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro.

Paramount is to be commended for taking this step. Now they have to take the next one, however, and actually release it to DVD. A restored version of the film does little good playing in a few arthouse theaters where almost nobody can see it. Release this to DVD now, please!

Pleaaasssseeee....
I WANT "THE CONFORMIST" RELEASED ON DVD!!!!!! It is so annoying I can't have this film on dvd. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good adventure tale
I watched this movie because I'm a huge Sullivan Entertainment fan. I was mildly disappointed because I didn't think that it quite met Sullivan's high standards, but nonetheless, it was entertaining. This movie can drag at times (it's quite long!), but I could watch some parts over and over again. I think that Zachary Bennett does a wonderful job in the lead role, and Gema Zamprogna is great as his snobby sidekick.

If you want to check out Sullivan at his best, watch any episode of "Road to Avonlea" or his great masterpiece "Anne of Green Gables" and the sequel. Now THAT's what I call spectacular entertainment!

By Way of the Stars--The perfect movie for the whole family
By Way of the Stars has everything--action, adventure, murder, romance, runaways, survival, indians, family rivalry. It is a great movie the whole family can enjoy and understand. Gema Zamprogna, Zachary Bennett, and Michael Mahonen are greats from the television show "ROAD TO AVONLEA", and it is great to see them in a long-running movie! The movie starts with action and the characters are introduced right off. The movie is easy to get into, and before the first half hour is over, you'll be in tears (watch it and you'll know why). If you loved "AVONLEA" or if you just love great movies, watch this one! It is wonderfully written, directed, and acted. Give it a chance! You'll be glad you did! :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Set in northern Italy's Ferrara community at the outbreak of World War II, this classic film by Vittorio De Sica concerns an old, aristocratic Jewish family, the Finzi-Continis, who maintain their isolated, idyllic ways within the stone walls of their lush estate while Mussolini imprisons Jews outside. The story's central figure, young Giorgio (Lino Capolicchio), is a middle-class Jew who has always found perfect sanctuary within the Finzi-Continis' walls and who is in love with his childhood friend from that family, Micol (Dominique Sanda). Micol, however, is sexually restless and fit to burst for want of experiences impossible under government oppression. As Giorgio suffers his estrangement from her, De Sica traces the disintegration of a lost and beautiful way of life, slowly turning his focus from the privileged refuge of tennis courts and private libraries to police barriers and rooms where Jews await transport to concentration camps. This powerful work of memory tragically captures a loss of innocence on both the most personal and historical stages. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A BITTERSWEET AND TRAGIC COMING OF AGE FILM...
This film, which won an Academy Award for best Foreign Language Picture in 1971, is set in Ferrara, Italy. It begins in 1938 and focuses on the aristocratic jewish family, the Finzi-Continis, in particular, the progeny of that family, Micol (Dominique Sanda) and Alberto (Helmut Berger). These privileged two live in elegant splendor with their family, removed from the harshness of life outside the walls of their lushly beautiful estate, where the fascist regime of Il Duce is beginning its hellish collaboration with Hitler.

The Finzi-Continis family, secular jews at best, shut out the outside world, esconcing themselves amidst the trappings of wealth and privilege, cocooned in their idyllic estate, as if their wealth and position would hold the hostile world at bay. It is as if they believed that the hostility against Italian Jews would not directly touch them. Micol and Alberto even have Aryan good looks. So, what could go wrong?

Their childhood friend, Giorgio, however, is having a different experience. From a middle class, jewish family, he is more in touch with reality and is feeling the impact of virulent anti-semitism, as he finds himself ousted from the university and its library, on the brink of completing his university degree. His brother has left for Switzerland. His father is in denial, thinking that he should not worry about the small things, and that this is all a tempest in a teapot. He is hanging his hat on the premise that he is, after all, an Italian citizen.

As their world begins to crumble all around them, Giorgio tries to kindle a flame between himself and Micol, whom he has loved since childhood, but his love for her remains unrequited. She seems unable and unwilling to vest her emotions in a romance that is destined to be doomed, as the fates conspire to bring them to the same end that jews throughout Europe were meeting. It is this dance of love between them that anchors the movie, however, while the war plays itself out in the background. There comes a point, however, when even the Finzi-Continis are confronted with a reality far harsher than that which they had ever imagined.

The movie plays out the dichotomy of life found outside the walls of the gardens of the Finzi-Continis and that which is set within their beautiful and lush estate. Against a backdrop of Hitler worship and the fascist dictates of Mussolini, largely shown through newsreel footage, the film shows the positions that ordinary italian citizens took when confronted with the dictates of the racial laws that were imposed against the jews. Some went along willingly, carrying out its dictates, while others tried to help where and when they could. The war against the jews is finally brought right to the doorstep of the home of the Finzi-Continis, until it, too, crosses the threshhold and cruelly invades its idyllic environs.

This film is not an action movie but a slow, occassionally ponderous, film, providing much food for thought. Replete with symbolism, it is merely a peek into the lives of a small group of people. It is about how they dealt with living their lives in the shadow of the final solution, as the world that they knew radically changed, destroying their dreams. It is a harsh coming of age movie and not a film that everyone will enjoy. I found myself curiously twixt and tween in terms of how I felt about this somber film, accounting for the three star rating that I accorded it.

The DVD offers next to nothing by way of special features. It contains a brief filmography of some of the actors and not much else. This Italian language film has been remastered, and the subtitles are yellow, which provides more clarity and, consequently, makes for easier reading.

Bittersweet....
In "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" (1970)--based on the autobiographical novel by Giorgio Bassani--legendary Neorealist filmmaker, Vittorio de Sica, dramatizes the human cost of the "racial laws" gradually implemented against the Jews in Fascist Italy during the years 1938-43. The more Bassani's young middle-class Jewish protagonist feels the brunt of Mussolini's anti-Semitic edicts encroaching upon him, the more he feels drawn to the aristocratic Jewish Finzi-Continis' estate--their Edenic "garden"--and to Micòl, the family's beautiful young daughter. Psychologically, this compulsion seems to stem from a deep emotional attachment to a perpetually innocent, untroubled state of childhood, which both Micòl and her garden seem to represent. Throughout the film, there is a marked conflict between childhood and adulthood, between the distant past and the immediate present, between the act of retreating into a world of comfortable illusions and confronting a world of harsh and bitter realities.

I found this particular aspect of the story very fascinating, although too tantalizingly obscure and open-ended--and thus, not quite as illuminating or fulfilling as it might have been were it more clearly explained. (This could the reason why some people find the film--and its heavily symbolic, impressionistic style--a little confusing and underwhelming.)

For Giorgio--both the naive hero and wisened author of the story--Micòl embodies the mystery and allure of the Finzi-Continis, as well as their insularity and their apparent passivity in the face of the escalating Fascist crackdown. She always appears distant and unattainable, with no obvious reasons for her actions, and never really provides a direct, comprehensible explanation for her insistent rejection of Giorgio or for what appears to be a subtle streak of cruelty towards him. Her conversation with him always seems deliberately vague, and her refusal to make any further connection with him has a curious, almost perverse kind of fatalism about it.

Again, this is another feature of the film that is certainly intriguing--and strangely seductive-- but, alas, never quite pays off enough to become fully understandable to either the protagonist or the audience.

When the Fascists finally do arrest the Finzi-Continis and confiscate their estate it comes as something of a surprise. The muted and deliberately spare representation of these characters and their feelings, as evidenced in their unusually restrained behavior, is meant to isolate and heighten the impact of a few devastating strokes of sudden realization and lucidity--pointed indications that the protective spell of the Finzi-Continis has been finally broken.

All in all, well-acted and gorgeously, languidly poetic in its imagery...yet, narrative-wise, the picture seems overly elliptical and ultimately opaque--and leaves just a few too many rough fragments and loose ends lingering at the end of the story (not quite Proustian irony, maybe?). In spite of this peculiar drawback, the film finishes very effectively, and by the final desolate shots, you are left with an unexpectedly intense feeling of loss and anguish.

"The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" is a very unusual and interesting (and thankfully, non-sentimental and non-self-important) addition to the ever-expanding canon of dramatic films about life in the shadow of the Holocaust.

Good show. I give this one four out of five stars.

The Politics of World War II Italy
This movie introduced to me a brand new character, the Jewish Italian hot blonde girl. Since she is also named Finzi Contini and the object of our hero's desire it couldn't have been a better idea. But it's not just an unrequited love film, but a movie set during World War II. An American film such as this would spend a great deal of time reminding you how horrible the Nazis were, but instead we get the nuance points of views like the anti-fascist handsome man that blonde Finzi Contini thinks is too Communist. We also get the fascist Hero of father that thinks that Italian fascism is superior to Nazism and will solve the world's problems. These kinds of perspectives are ignored in American film or marginalized, when we all know they existed during this time period.

I don't have to tell you what is going to happen in a film about Jewish Heroes when the Nazis are coming, you already know. Our hero loses his girl to the communist and then eventually to the holocaust. It would certainly register as one of the biggest coming of age bummers, and yet it didn't ruin the film. It somehow gave these lives even more importance.

Classic Film, Great Director, Great Cast, Great Story
Thank you Independent Film Channel for sending this one along just when I most needed a palate cleanser after suffering through CENTRAL STATION. It served as the perfect antidote to that bit of system churning mess. If you want to see a director in action who can actually get performers to "put out," and actually act their ###es off, try queueing this one up in your DVD player some evening.

Dominique Sanda earned her reputation off this film. She is the quintissentially complex heroine of the piece. Is she frigid, incestous, frightened, unable to love, passive-aggressive, or something else? We'll never know, but we will always wonder, thanks to fine script-writing, acting and directing. This is old school De Sica surehandedness at play in the fields of the lord here. Rent or buy this. It will never grow old, as it is a true classic.

BEK

A Haunting Tale of Lost Love and Liberty
This movie is just so beautifully done. It is not a hard or complicated plot to grasp but it is filmed with such, emotion. The visual style, the long moments of nature mixed with youth and fear of the upcoming future. This is the time of Fascism and the rich Jewish families are the next on the list to be sent to concentration camps. The most wealthy family in the town of Ferrara, Italy isolates with their friends, staying inside their garden. No more clubs, tennis matches, or balls, if anything is done it is done on their property with the people they chose to associate with. The love story is between Michol and Giorgio, childhood friends who never got any further than long wishful gazes. Michol finds that Giorgio is someone she loves more as a friend than a lover, Giorgio loves Michol so much and wants her to be his wife. He has a difficult time accepting Michol's decision and this is all wrapped around the dark and dreary time of Fascism. The garden symbolizes the past and the way of life that had once been. The story is about loss, loss of the life that the people in Ferrara once had and the loss of childhood love and the innocence that went with it. The camera work is just breathtaking as well as thought provoking.

Lisa Nary ... Read more

Description

Espionage thriller about an escaped convict on the run across exotic European borders. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Newman's Own Bond
A real no-nonsense spy thriller, in the same style as The Man Who Came In From The Cold, which is probably the BEST. Paul Newman really outdid himself with this film. Althogh his accent was lacking at times, he is very believable as one of those real heroes, from the cold war era. After all, here is a guy who allows himself to be thrown into a foreign prison, just to break out, with enemies he does not know. The courage involved, is off the charts, and Newman makes you believe that he is doing it because . . . well, simply because he is asked to do so. Without giving too much away, allow me to point out to those who have missed this classic to date; that the ending is right from the archives at the CIA. Decisions, behaviors, and reactions are all to real, and that is what places this film above the others of this genre. The music is also tremendous, with a very haunting theme that is repeated throughout, and yet never becomes repetitive; due to arrangements, instruments, and simply because it is always welcome, given the continuous perils the lead character is thrust into. This is a testatment of what brains, not gadgets, can do.

Mackintosh Man
The simplicity of this movie sets it apart from modern spy movies. The hero (Newman) is given little to work with in terms of information or equipment is forced to problem-solve in a way that makes him seem much more genuine than a James Bond type of character. Similarily the villians are much more realistic and multi-dimensional, as well. It feels more plausible that the big chase scene is between little utility truck and a run-of-the-mill mid-sixties Mercedes sedan than a couple of sports cars. Further the writers resisted the temptation to have the hero kill everyone that he was in conflict with. Even the way the villagers discuss the events up at the mansion adds a sense reality that most action films leave out.
The film has a rainy day in a far-away land feel about it which is complimented by the haunting music. In many ways this movie reminds me of the "Day of the Jackal" and "The Odessa File" in it's controlled scope and tasteful direction.

A suspense thriller that will pin you to your seats!
John Huston creates a plausible spy-thriller with film-nouar forms and being at the same time very entertaining.Huston is directing this film by following the mark of Alfred Hitchcock ,in the way that he creates suspense and in the position he sets his hero : Joseph Rearden is a man that is caught in a web of conspiracy and treason performed by Paul Newman, a hero that you can surely identify with. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fun Flick
Based on Roger Zelazny's Sci-Fi novel of the same name, Damnation Alley (the movie) bears only mild resemblance to it's written inspiration. Tanner (played by Jan-Michael Vincent) has little in common with Hell Tanner of the book, and most of the other characters in the movie don't even appear in the book. That said, I actually prefer the movie, though most die-hard Zelazny fans my not.

DVD release long overdue
A good flick with Jan Michael before he self destructed. How much cooler can you get than running around in a post-apoc world with a tricked out, armored motorhome?

Looking forward to long overdue widescreen DVD version.

OK...so, it's not "Deep Impact"!!!
Cheesy effects, George Peppard doing his best "macho" work, a pre-drug-days Jan-Michael Vincent, a sexy actress with a French name (Dominique Sanda), Jerry Goldsmith's score and the end of the world...

What more could one want in a disaster flick?

"On the Beach" on firm ground...
Perhaps not many of you have noticed that this movie is a "land-based" version of a previous film, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, called "On the Beach" (1959).
There too we have a post-nuclear theme, in which all life on Earth has been wiped off the face of the planet, only to leave a few "desperados" alive, both on board of a U.S. submarine and on the shores, somewhere near Australia (the last bastion of life... but for how long?).
There too, we have a signal emitted from somewhere, in the northern hemisphere...

Yet, despite all similarities, this movie is a kind of updated version, with fine actors at the helm (although not of the caliber of said actors above) and a very interesting story development.

The difference is that this is less a drama-oriented movie and more an action-adventure-thriller oriented working of the subject.

If one remembers the period in which this movie was made (late seventies), baring in mind that this was a time of overblown "super-spectacular" apocalyptic, "end-of-the-world"-like flics, such as "Earthquake", "The Towering Inferno" and "The Swarm" (probably the last and worst of such movies), one can say that this one differs considerably in both quality and story-development.

I personally like this little "what if" effort. No big special effects, except for some stock footage of nuclear explosions, some pyrotechnics and varied color flavors in the sky (supposed to represent the variations in the Earth's atmosphere).

Sometimes, for a movie to be good, you simply don't need millions, just simply a solid story and fine acting. This is certainly a film that makes you think and entertains at the same time.

My only regret is that no one has yet thought of tranferring it on DVD and offer it to us in a more decent and widescreen version. The Pan and Scan one loses out on many "strange" environments recreated for this movie. Actually, I wouldn't even call it Pan and Scan, since in many scenes, one just watches nose to nose conversations.

My only hope is that someone at 20th Century-Fox, or at Anchor Bay reads this and may come to the decision to restore it in its original format and deliver a more accurate and complete vision of apocalyptic terror on screen...

Damnation Alley - Great Sci-Fi Flick
If you like post-apocolyptic sci-fi adventure movies, you will like Damnation Alley. It gives the feeling of being all alone in this great big world with the exception of just a few people the characters meet along the way to Albany, NY. Although the special effects are lacking, the story is a mind grabber. After World War III ends in nuclear holocaust, the military installation that everyone calls home, is destroyed in an explosion and must be vacated. A radio signal originating from Albany, NY had been picked up, so 4 men in two specially designed RVs decide to set out for Albany in hopes of finding what remains of our great country and civilization. With a "by the book" military man(George Peppard) and an unconventional, spontaneous, and slightly rebelious younger man(Jan Michael Vincent), it makes for an entertaining movie. Along the way to Albany, they pick up and loose a couple of passengers. They do manage to make it to Albany without killing each other and it has a teriffic ending. This movie is worth the investment to buy and watch over and over again. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Speak Memory
This is a film I've been looking for on VHS for some time, and I will purchase it as soon as possible.

Although panned by critics when it opened in theaters in 1970, I thought it was a masterpiece of a certain kind. What kind, it is difficult to explain, as it defies easy categorization -- a compelling story of adolescent coming-of-age, based on a tale by Turgenev, this film is at once dream-like and atmospheric, poignant and ironic. It is informed with a sixties' "altered consciousness" sense of cosmic comedy mixed with profundity and pathos.

A young man encounters, in one summer, not only a cast of jaded, comic, pathetic, and ironic characters outside of himself, but he also confronts the first torments of love, the first view of his parents beyond anything he could have dreamed of before, and a scathing confrontation with himself, which will remind many men, young or old, of their own youthful torments.

Perhaps because of its unconventional approach, mixing narrative and metaphor so freely, critics had difficulty in giving this wonderful film its due. I recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Ultra-commercial Gallic thriller
CRIMSON RIVERS [Les Rivieres Pourpres] (France 2000): The discovery of a corpse in the French Alps brings together two high-powered police investigators (Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel) - both working on apparently separate cases sixty miles apart - in search of a serial killer whose crimes are linked to a forgotten tragedy and a mysterious university steeped in blood and horror...

Ultra-commercial thriller from director Mathieu Kassovitz (LA HAINE), teaming Gallic superstars Reno and Cassel in a high-concept exploration of human callousness and depravity, reminiscent of similarly-styled murder mysteries like SE7EN and MESSIAH. Not as gruesome as those offerings, but certainly as sober, CRIMSON RIVERS - based on the novel by Jean-Christophe Grange - locates its horrors within the panoramic grandeur of the French Alps (gorgeous widescreen cinematography by Luc Besson's regular DP Thierry Arbogast), loaning the film an intense cinematic quality, typical of recent European blockbusters. Kassovitz keeps his camera moving at all times, maintaining a breathless pace as the protagonists wade through an accumulation of clues and details, some of which may elude less attentive viewers, and Maryline Monthieux's razor-sharp editing keeps the pot boiling throughout. Reno and Cassel are perfectly cast in the role of mismatched detectives, each dedicated to the task at hand, each using very different methods to solve the mystery unfolding around them. Dynamic set-pieces include an Argentoesque confrontation with the killer following the discovery of a murder victim arranged in ghoulish splendor, resulting in pursuit across an icy landscape at midnight, and a thrilling night-time car chase on a lonely mountain road, conceived and executed with genuine visual flair. The film's climactic revelations are so convoluted as to be virtually impenetrable, but the finale is suitably explosive, and even if you're able to guess the killer's identity before he/she is unmasked, screenwriters Kassovitz and Grange have more than one surprise up their sleeve during the closing sequence...

Aside from one significant flaw, Columbia TriStar's DVD is magnificent, with faultless sound and picture quality. Viewers are advised to choose the original 5.1 French soundtrack to experience the movie as Kassovitz intended, though the dubbed English option (in both 5.1 and 2.0 surround) is adequate, and Reno dubs his own voice. Viewers are advised that the killer's identity is easily deduced from comments made in an insert included with the DVD, in which Kassovitz talks about a particular cast member's ability to play two sides of the same character, which kinda gives the game away. Same goes for the lengthy supplementary materials, featuring a series of filmed interviews with the movie's principal participants, in which they discuss the film's production and the genesis of several key scenes (Kassovitz and producer Alain Goldman emphasize the film's strengths whilst also conceding areas in which things could have been better). First-time viewers are warned these extras contain extensive spoilers, along with a detailed explanation of the killer's motives, which makes up for some of the confusion generated by the film itself. There's an audio commentary involving the director and some of his cast, but in French only, with NO subtitles!! Columbia TriStar have been aware of this problem since the disc was first issued, but they STILL haven't corrected the mistake, which renders this crucial extra completely redundant.

105m 39s
2.39:1 (Panavision) / Anamorphically enhanced
Dolby 5.1 / Dolby Surround 2.0
Dolby Digital/DTS [theatrical]
Optional French (original) and English (dubbed) soundtracks
Optional English subtitles and closed captions
Region 1

Excellent thriller
First of all, I suggest that you watch this DVD in French with English subtitle on as the english dubbing really distrupt the feels and the emotion of the movie. Jean Reno did his own dubbing but not the rest of the cast and it is annoying. It is about 2 detectives investigating 2 different crimes at 2 different places but apparently their cases are related as their investigations lead them together. It is nicely photographed and directed and frankly it is quite exciting although not the same level as the Silence of the lambs.

The DVD is good. The picture is sharp except in dark indoor scenes, the picture looks grainy (probably intentionally) and the 5.1 sound (I watched the French 5.1) is super with many surround effects.

If you don't mind reading subtitle, this is a must own DVD for serial killing genre.

looks good but doesn't satisfy
Reno is always a pleasure to watch, but this run of the mill serial killer film holds no surprises.

I like thees feelm veery mooch...
I luve Jean Reno. Let mee say zat frum the verry start, okay? Hee iss zo...ummm...ce qui est lui...so mooch of a man! Oui! A Man's man.

Theese film was evrry good, and I nevar closed my eyess enav wun time, OK? It iz made in France and wee are so happy that you silly Americans can zee that we are reel fimmachers. Pop! (Hand strikes pursed lips - Ed.)

Zo...please to procure zees "Discomatheche de Vidocinemathique Directouvefrontelevouissse le Tower de Dataeffilcamerbaert de Bicyclete Unicycle de Computeere Le Personele", or "DVD" as you strage peeepol like to say.

watch it in french, not english
I first watched this film, dubbed in English, and putted about my room without paying too much attention to it... left it for a few months, and just watched it again, with friends, and in French, with the English subtitles.

no need to give my critical review, as the editor's is pretty much right on... just a slick thriller, and one I'm glad I watched again... the 'proper' way. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Movie, Really Bad Transfer
Four stars for the movie, zero for the transfer. There is a good story in there, coupled with good performances. Overall a good movie. The DVD transfer is really, really bad. Pan and scan with a disturbingly ugly result. Grain, bad color. Watching it on a large screen is outright unpleasant. Did I say the sound is bad too (dubbed). Looks like Simitar Video copied a VHS tape to DVD. Simitar Video should not be in the DVD transfer business. Hope someone else brings this otherwise fine movie to DVD - properly! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

a gorgeous, thoughtful film
The look of this film, with it's sumptuous use of color contrasts, is worth 5 stars. With rich shades of brown, it has the palette of a Rembrandt painting, and the beautiful soundtrack by Luis Maria Serra is a compliment to it.

The subject matter is captivating, not only for showing us some of the genius of Sor Juana Inés de la Cuz, but also for a view of the life in 17th century Mexico. Assumpta Serra is exquisite as Sor Juana, known as the "10th Muse" and one of the great poets of the Spanish golden era.

For anyone interested in the lives of women who have made their mark on this world, this is a must. I love the scene where she says : "Every theology is questionable, since it stems from reason and not from faith".

I must comment on the way this film has been packaged. It is asinine. Ignore it.

Maria Luisa Bemberg is another woman who is making a big mark on the world with her magnificent films. I also recommend her wonderful "Camila".

STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL FILM-MAKING
One of my best friends saw that I was reading a novel about Sor Juana, SOR JUANA'S SECOND DREAM, by Alicia Gaspar de Alba, and recommended this film to me -- with the admonishment to ignore the tawdry blurb on the cover: "Lesbian passions seething behind convent walls", indeed! How ridiculous -- it would be like describing FORREST GUMP as "partying with coeds in a dorm room after hours". It's a cheap attempt to draw the wrong conclusions about this moving story. Don't let it put you off.

This film about the amazing woman who has been called Mexico's 'Tenth muse' -- a reference to the title Plato bestowed on Sappho -- is a beautiful piece of film-making. Even considering the scenes that were meant to be outdoors, that were obviously shot on a sound stage, this is a lovely experience. The direction is superb, the acting amazingly sensitive -- I was enthralled, and I usually don't enjoy films with subtitles.

Sor Juana was an amazing woman -- intellectual, creative, always pushing her own boundaries, and brave. For a woman in her era (seventeenth century Mexico) to profess that women had just as much right to an education, to learning, as men, set her against some powerful forces -- mainly the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Her courage and determination in the face of such opposition is inspiring -- it's easy to see why she's seen as a hero by so many.

Tremendous Film - It's about time!
The "Tenth Muse" has finally been portrayed accurately. I've studyed the writings of Sor Juana for nearly a decade and continue to be impressed by her artistry. This film captures much of what I appreciate about her and her writing. It shows Sor Juana as a strong woman who is truly a master of her art and a master of herself. That may seem an odd thing to say, but being a master of oneself in the cloister of the 17th century convent is a feat worthy of mention.

For years there has been speculation that Sor Juana was, at the least, a sapphic poet, and probably a lesbian. Lets set the record straight. There is no direct evidence that Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was a lesbian. Did she write love poems to the Marquesa de Mancera? Yes. Does that make her a lesbian? No. She was simply writing poems to, and for, a friend in a commonly accepted style. Other contemporary male poets also wrote love poems to the Marquesa. Does that mean they were in love with her. Not at all. It was a common practice and was done as a sign of devotion, of friendship, and often as an attempt to earn a pension from the noble family. Having now said that, is it possible that she was a lesbian? Of course it's possible. Does it matter? No! Sor Juana is one of the finest scholars and poets of the Americas. That's what's important.

Excellent biography, Not a "Lesbian" Love Film
The video states that the film is about hot lesbian love inside the convent walls. Wrong! There are a few implied moments but nothing graphic.
This film gives the viewer an accurate depiction of the life of one of the best authors of any genre of literature. I first saw this film in a Latin American literature university classroom. It is so good that I would like to show it in my high school classroom.
Sor Juana was quite adept at placing a mirror in front of the faces of the male hierarchy and they didn't like it. She paid for it and we gained from her pain.
There is great historical value in this biographical film as well. It gives the viewer an idea of what life was like during the Spanish Inquisition in "New Spain" or Mexico.
I know the vendors believe that sex will sell this film. But, they are billing it all wrong. It is an intellectual foreign film. Why cheapen it by giving potential buyers a deceptive description of the content?

Yes, It Really Is About Lesbian Love
The movie is well made, although not much money seems to have been spent on sets! It sticks fairly closely to the basic historical data, but a quick read up on Sor Juana in the Encyclopedia Brittanica might help many viewers.

Now to the rating issue. There is no good reason why this movie should be restricted to those over 18. There is no overt nudity or genital sex. There is a fairly chaste kiss between women. I suppose the violent scenes of nuns whipping themsleves in a penitential exercise might be offensive to some, but self-flagellation was indeed a part of Catholic monastic life until well into the 20th century, and the scene is not presented in any prurient way. If this amounts to a need to ban the movie for young people, then the Bible also would need to be banned. It has far more sex, nudity, and violence.

Those writers who object to the "Lesbian passion" line on the box do have a point. Anyone buying this for erotic arousal would be profoundly mislead.

There is, however, a real lesbian aspect to this film. Sor Juana is clearly a "woman identified woman." She achieves her greatest triumphs while in the nurturing and all-female world of the Convent; her relationship with the Vicereine is the most heated in the film; and the destruction of her writing comes from the intrusion of the exclusively male world of the church hierarchy and the inquistion. Most importantly, her writing reflects an explicit feminist critique of women's oppression.

Just as one does not need to have genital sex in order to be a "heterosexual," neither does one need genital sex in order to be part of the lesbian continuum. Sor Juana is indeed part of the that continuum. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Gripping and accurate ...the ending will bring you to tears!
As a teacher of ancient history with a doctorate in Biblical theology, I can say--without hesitation, this account of the Joseph story is as good as it gets! Although some of the sexually explicit (though historically accurate) scenes should be screened from the very young, this film is an ideal platform from which teens can search out characteristics of moral uprightness in a character of whom the Bible has not one negative thing to say! Kingsley (as he did in 'Moses') steals the show, and Mercurio does an admirable job as Joseph. Especially capable are the actors portraying Joseph's wicked brothers, with Vincenzo Nicoli sterling is his performance as the wicked Simeon. Having watched the film dozens of times with adults--as well as with my middle-schoolers in the classroom, I can say that the greatest of Bible stories is captured in all its power, pathos, and glory. Although creating a few anachronistic vignettes (such as Joseph's 'foreshadowing' Christ's "My God, my God..." speech from the Egyptian prison), the film also captures all of the great ironies of the Joseph story. When Mercurio tenderly reveals himself as the second most powerful man in the ancient world--to the brothers who hated him as a youth, the words 'I am Joseph' will not fail to bring even the most calloused heart to tears. As my students synthesized the thirty or so characteristics of moral goodness extant in Joseph into an essay, one asked why no such heroes existed today. The question revealed both the effectiveness of this presentation, and the dearth of role models in our society. 'Joseph' is both gripping in narration, and brilliant its direction. It is faithful to Scripture and well-acted. It is THE finest of the TNT productions to date, of which only one ('Jacob') was a failure. Everyone will appreciate this wonderful story of forgiveness, but those those who are looking for the 'hidden things of Christ' cannot miss the poignant messianic threads which are so skillfully woven through the life of Joseph. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

"The Joseph story as it was meant to be told!"
This account of the Joseph story is as good as it gets! I teach ancient history and civilizations, and have an earned doctorate in theology. I say this only to lend perspective to this review.

This film is Biblically accurate, well-acted, and the producer and director are to be praised for the sound Biblical reasearch!

Although some of the sexually explicit (though historically accurate) scenes should be screened from the very young, this film is an ideal platform from which teens can search out characteristics of moral uprightness in a character of whom the Bible has not one negative thing to say!

Kingsley (as he did in 'Moses') steals the show, and Mercurio does an admirable job as Joseph. Only Leslie Ann Warren (Potipher's wife) seems to strain as an actor, nevertheless, her performance detracts little from the drama. Especially capable are the actors portraying Joseph's wicked brothers, with Vincenzo Nicoli sterling is his performance as the wicked Simeon.

Having watched the film dozens of times with adults--as well as with my middle-schoolers in the classroom, I can say that the greatest of Bible stories is captured in all its power, pathos, and glory. Although creating a few anachronistic vignettes (such as Joseph's 'foreshadowing' Christ's "My God, my God..." speech from the Egyptian prison), the film also captures all of the great ironies of the Joseph story.

When Mercurio tenderly reveals himself as the second most powerful man in the ancient world--to the brothers who hated him as a youth, the words 'I am Joseph' will not fail to bring even the most calloused heart to tears.

As my students synthesized the thirty or so characteristics of moral goodness extant in Joseph into an essay, one asked why no such heroes existed today. The question revealed both the effectiveness of this presentation, and the dearth of role models in our society.

'Joseph' is both gripping in narration, and brilliant its direction. It is faithful to Scripture and well-acted. It is THE finest of the TNT productions to date, of which only one ('Jacob') was a failure.

Everyone will appreciate this wonderful story of forgiveness, but those those who are looking for the 'hidden things of Christ' cannot miss the poignant messianic threads which are so skillfully woven through the life of Joseph. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

a man of character and faith
Though this interpretation of Joseph's life has been substantially embellished, the heart and soul of the story remain intact, and is ultimately quite faithful to the Biblical account covered in Genesis Ch. 33:18 through Ch. 46:30.
Much of the acting is marvelous, especially Ben Kingsley as Potiphar, whose part has thankfully been enlarged, because he is riveting in every scene he is in.
Martin Landau is also excellent as the patriarch Jacob, who mourns the apparent loss of his favorite son, Joseph.
Australian actor/dancer Paul Mercurio ("Strictly Ballroom") is good in the lead, and others in the cast include Leslie Ann Warren as Potiphar's lying wife, the always beautiful Dominique Sanda as Leah, and some fine character actors playing Joseph's brothers, notably Michael Attwell (Judah), and Vincenzo Nicoli (Simeon).

Included in this film, and intrinsic to Joseph's life are the stories of Tamar and Judah, and the horrific tale his sister Dinah, both done effectively.The only parts that are less than first-rate are the scenes in Pharoah's court; almost campy in costuming and acting, they can provide some amusement in the midst of all the drama. Stefano Dionisi is a most unlikely and modern looking Pharoah, and has the ultimate babe for a wife, the pulchritudinous Monica Bellucci. The entire film though, is always mentally and visually entertaining, and has much spiritual content. As with so much of the Old Testament, there are allegories that run through its narrative that point to the New Testament, and the story of Joseph has much of this symbolism.

Filmed in Quarzazate, Morocco, with its exotic ancient structures and landscapes, the cinematography by Rafaele Mertes is wonderful; this is a way above average production for television, and a film about a man who "does nothing against his conscience even on pain of death" is worth watching again and again.

Great Movie
I truly enjoyed this film. I think it was superbly done, however, I did not agree with the scene between Joseph and Potipher's wife. I think it was a bit too sexy and it was not necessary. This scene does not make it suitable for younger audiences and I think that is a shame because it is such a great movie. However, that was the only scene where I saw Hollywood getting carried away.

Excellent biblical account and well done!
Thoroughly enjoyed this depiction of the life of Joseph and learned much by viewing the movie! Even though I have read the biblical account, seeing it come to life in the movie filled in things in the story that I missed in the biblical account.

Sometimes it's nice to read the bible story first and then follow it up with seeing the movie.

Movie very well done! Highly recommend! ... Read more

Description

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Agnès Varda's (Vagabond, One Hundred and One Nights) third tribute to her late husband, Jacques Demy, is a loving look at his brilliant vision and techniques.Included are clips from Demy's films featuring Lola, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Bay of Angels along with interviews of those who worked with him and knew him best including Catherine Deneuve, Anouk Aimée, Michel Piccoli, Harrison Ford, composer Michel Legrand, Demy's children and fans.The film also includes rare home video footage of the director with François Truffaut and Jim Morrison. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For Jacques Demy devotees
If you love the films of Jacques Demy as I do, then this is a must-see film, one of three documentaries about him by his wife Agnes Varda. All of his work is touched upon in this docuementary. Interviews with the director, his relatives, and the stars of his films are all worthwhile, and there's even a bit with Harrison Ford who was originally supposed to star in Demy's Model Shop, his sequel to Lola. I haven't been able to see all of Demy's movies because they weren't shown in the US and this film provides clips from those films. After watching this, I can only hope that a restored print of Donkey Skin is shown in the US soon and that we get a DVD of that film released in the US. That film is pure enchantment. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Ultra-commercial Gallic thriller
CRIMSON RIVERS [Les Rivieres Pourpres] (France 2000): The discovery of a corpse in the French Alps brings together two high-powered police investigators (Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel) - both working on apparently separate cases sixty miles apart - in search of a serial killer whose crimes are linked to a forgotten tragedy and a mysterious university steeped in blood and horror...

Ultra-commercial thriller from director Mathieu Kassovitz (LA HAINE), teaming Gallic superstars Reno and Cassel in a high-concept exploration of human callousness and depravity, reminiscent of similarly-styled murder mysteries like SE7EN and MESSIAH. Not as gruesome as those offerings, but certainly as sober, CRIMSON RIVERS - based on the novel by Jean-Christophe Grange - locates its horrors within the panoramic grandeur of the French Alps (gorgeous widescreen cinematography by Luc Besson's regular DP Thierry Arbogast), loaning the film an intense cinematic quality, typical of recent European blockbusters. Kassovitz keeps his camera moving at all times, maintaining a breathless pace as the protagonists wade through an accumulation of clues and details, some of which may elude less attentive viewers, and Maryline Monthieux's razor-sharp editing keeps the pot boiling throughout. Reno and Cassel are perfectly cast in the role of mismatched detectives, each dedicated to the task at hand, each using very different methods to solve the mystery unfolding around them. Dynamic set-pieces include an Argentoesque confrontation with the killer following the discovery of a murder victim arranged in ghoulish splendor, resulting in pursuit across an icy landscape at midnight, and a thrilling night-time car chase on a lonely mountain road, conceived and executed with genuine visual flair. The film's climactic revelations are so convoluted as to be virtually impenetrable, but the finale is suitably explosive, and even if you're able to guess the killer's identity before he/she is unmasked, screenwriters Kassovitz and Grange have more than one surprise up their sleeve during the closing sequence...

Aside from one significant flaw, Columbia TriStar's DVD is magnificent, with faultless sound and picture quality. Viewers are advised to choose the original 5.1 French soundtrack to experience the movie as Kassovitz intended, though the dubbed English option (in both 5.1 and 2.0 surround) is adequate, and Reno dubs his own voice. Viewers are advised that the killer's identity is easily deduced from comments made in an insert included with the DVD, in which Kassovitz talks about a particular cast member's ability to play two sides of the same character, which kinda gives the game away. Same goes for the lengthy supplementary materials, featuring a series of filmed interviews with the movie's principal participants, in which they discuss the film's production and the genesis of several key scenes (Kassovitz and producer Alain Goldman emphasize the film's strengths whilst also conceding areas in which things could have been better). First-time viewers are warned these extras contain extensive spoilers, along with a detailed explanation of the killer's motives, which makes up for some of the confusion generated by the film itself. There's an audio commentary involving the director and some of his cast, but in French only, with NO subtitles!! Columbia TriStar have been aware of this problem since the disc was first issued, but they STILL haven't corrected the mistake, which renders this crucial extra completely redundant.

105m 39s
2.39:1 (Panavision) / Anamorphically enhanced
Dolby 5.1 / Dolby Surround 2.0
Dolby Digital/DTS [theatrical]
Optional French (original) and English (dubbed) soundtracks
Optional English subtitles and closed captions
Region 1

Excellent thriller
First of all, I suggest that you watch this DVD in French with English subtitle on as the english dubbing really distrupt the feels and the emotion of the movie. Jean Reno did his own dubbing but not the rest of the cast and it is annoying. It is about 2 detectives investigating 2 different crimes at 2 different places but apparently their cases are related as their investigations lead them together. It is nicely photographed and directed and frankly it is quite exciting although not the same level as the Silence of the lambs.

The DVD is good. The picture is sharp except in dark indoor scenes, the picture looks grainy (probably intentionally) and the 5.1 sound (I watched the French 5.1) is super with many surround effects.

If you don't mind reading subtitle, this is a must own DVD for serial killing genre.

looks good but doesn't satisfy
Reno is always a pleasure to watch, but this run of the mill serial killer film holds no surprises.

I like thees feelm veery mooch...
I luve Jean Reno. Let mee say zat frum the verry start, okay? Hee iss zo...ummm...ce qui est lui...so mooch of a man! Oui! A Man's man.

Theese film was evrry good, and I nevar closed my eyess enav wun time, OK? It iz made in France and wee are so happy that you silly Americans can zee that we are reel fimmachers. Pop! (Hand strikes pursed lips - Ed.)

Zo...please to procure zees "Discomatheche de Vidocinemathique Directouvefrontelevouissse le Tower de Dataeffilcamerbaert de Bicyclete Unicycle de Computeere Le Personele", or "DVD" as you strage peeepol like to say.

watch it in french, not english
I first watched this film, dubbed in English, and putted about my room without paying too much attention to it... left it for a few months, and just watched it again, with friends, and in French, with the English subtitles.

no need to give my critical review, as the editor's is pretty much right on... just a slick thriller, and one I'm glad I watched again... the 'proper' way. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sensationally breathtaking
This is absolutely one of the most powerful films ever created. Only Robert Bresson could keep the audience totally spellbound by the extraordinarily realistic mood the film possesses.

It is a shame that none of Bresson's works are on DVD yet, and such a neglect is almost a crime. Please! We are starving!

No mystery, only unequivocal expression
.... This is the first film by Bresson I have ever experienced, and I truly adore it. With a simple, Bergman-like structure, the film brings the most affective depiction of a woman's road to self-annihilation. The fallible narration tries to lead us in believing that the man really loves the spellbinding Dominique Sanda, but all our common senses are probably against him. He, simply put, does not know how to love, and the promised happiness seems to mutate into a mess of boredom with deals. The man, for example, wears the identical expression throughout the film no matter how emotionally-striking the events are, and in this case, I think the wooden, indifferent personality is well-intended. Even with minimal application of brain, one is able to fully experience the poignant torment of sharing a whole life with such a incorrigible ennuye. No words have to be spoken, only blank stares and sounds of footsteps, and the holocaust is complete, or shall I call it the midnight express to freedom?

Nihilistic, not to mention Bland
I suppose the Nihilism can be accounted for, especially if one is a Nihilist (and Bresson, in his later years, was reputed as one), but that does not excuse the flavorlessness, the distinct lack of character of this movie.

A young married woman of 19 or so, played by the stunning, husky-voiced Dominique Sanda, kills herself by jumping out of the window of her apartment. A very aesthetic death......She leaves behind a white veil, floating in the breeze, and receives nothing more than a scratch on the head even though she'd jumped several stories (one would think this would ravage her good looks a bit, but apparently not).

The rest of the movie, narrated by her older, rather unpleasant husband, is centered on why she killed herself. She married to achieve financial stability, and emancipation from her realtives, but she does not find much solace in married life ,and eventually grows tired of it.

In one of the few really poignant scenes of the movie, Sanda's nameless character takes her husband's gun and points it at him, as he pretends to sleep. Just as we think she is about to shoot him, she puts the gun down.

Eventually, she goes from wanting to kill him (and free herself) to just wanting to kill herself. It too offers a way out, a shot at freedom. Or, at least, an escape from the drudgery that is life.

This could have been a good movie. It had all the makings of it. But somehow, it just didn't turn out as it should have. It was, if you will, a stillborn effort by part of Bresson, who is one of the masters, and who should have (could have) done better.

One of the screen's great studies of Suicidology
In UNE FEMME DOUCE, Bresson tells the story of a beautiful young woman's suicide without emotion or tragedy and with great awareness of the coldness and detachment that hallmark the final stages of some suicidal depressions. Many critics have approached this film warily, calling it a "minor work" or citing elements of its story as "inexplicable." But perhaps that is its strength; Bresson has made a wholly successful film about inexplicability, about the warped and supersensitive reactions and motivations of a mind drifting downward and downward. The hardest thing to understand about a self-destructive act is "why?" -- the "why?" is the most feared component of suicide. UNE FEMME DOUCE is the most direct addressing of "why?" ever put on film. Bresson delivers a fascinating answer, one that takes a couple of viewings to distill. The more you think about UNE FEMME DOUCE, the more it becomes a vital work in Bresson's thematic panoply, and certainly the foundation work for his late nihlistic flowering. This is a film to watch and ponder again and again.

"Only Connect!"... Sadly, this is an impossible slogan
At the core of Bresson's work is a face -- any face -- caught in a moment of emptiness; seemingly devoid of emotion, but really exhausted from the inability to communicate. Human beings do not love, do not share, do not hate in Bresson's universe. They do not laugh with, or at, but simply NEAR. Dominique Sanda is his supreme icon of isolation -- a corpse for most of the film, and emotionally numb in the flashbacks. She is a gentle woman, too gentle, she walks through a world she isn't sure she wants to be in; as we are all doing, Bresson hints. She decides death is better than the terminal vapidity of existence, and dies as beautifully as anyone has ever died on screen. This is one of Bresson least understood films; but it is the foundation of his sudden late nihilistic thematic flowering. There is murderous frustration in this film; but it is locked behind lips that could never articulate it. UNE FEMME DOUCE is a case study of human isolation -- austere, depressing, but essential Bresson. Watch the faces; the fulcrum of this film is in what they do or do not express. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not Really A Movie In The Literal Sense
This is an experimental film from the late 80s by Israeli documentary filmmaker Amos Gitai. Practically unwatchable save maybe for those who understand the subject manner. Annie Lennox's brief, unspoken, and uncredited appearance is perhaps most interesting in light of the photography exhibite