Amazon.com

This majestic, French-made film wishes viewers a "latcho drom"--a safejourney--as it follows the roots of the Rom, traveling people better known as Gypsies. Stunning and evocative, it transcends language and culture, bringing together the best elements of National Geographic-style documentary and music video in a kind of anthropologicalMTV. Using only music and image, without any steady characters or plot, award-winning director Tony Gatlif (himself of Rom descent) tells a compelling story of Rom migrations from Northern India to Europe and the rest of the world. Beginning with a gathering of lavishly dressed nomads singing across the harsh deserts of Rajasthan, viewers are transported through the lush oases of Egypt into the ghettoes of Turkey, from the muddy lanes of Eastern Europe through lush French fields to the windswept coastal cities of Spain. Every step of the way, there are hypnotic reminders of the harshness and beauty of the Rom lifestyle: the rhythms of labor pounding into vibrant dance, the songs of Turkish flower sellers merging with the plaintive political satires of a gray-haired Romanian violinist. Music is everywhere--children barely able to walk dance alongside great-grandmothers--and covers all styles and subjects--from the wintry strains of an Auschwitz lament to a flamenco devotional in a Spanish shrine to a festive Dixieland number that borrows as much from New Orleans as from northern India. And wordless stories abound, told in the smiles of strangers waiting for a train or in the frowns of rifle-toting farmers come to evict travelers from their land. --Grant Balfour ... Read more

Reviews (25)

An enthralling glimpse into a hidden world
If you've ever been interested in learning about Gypsy (or more accurately, Rom) culture and history, this is the film for you.Made by Tony Catlif, himself a Rom, the film (the title means "Safe Journey," a serious blessing in this culture) takes the viewer on the same path travelled by the gypsies themselves a thousand years ago. It begins in India, showing a gypsy band in a desolate spot, telling their own story in dance and song. He travels ever westward, through Egypt, Turkey, Eastern Europe, France, and finally Spain, where the stunning beauty of gypsy flamenco dance and music will hold you spellbound. There is no dialog: Catlif lets the lyrics of the songs, the language of the dances, and the unforgettable faces of the gypsies themselves tell the story. You'll feel like you've been given a brief but magical tour of a mysterious, rarely seen world. Gypsies have always been persecuted and ostracized; this film, made by one of their own, gives them a voice in their own language. END

Stunning
The film Latcho Drom is a unique product, which is more like a 2 hour long music video, showcasing gypsy music (and sometimes dance) from all around the world. This is an amazing way of seeing the common treads that unite Roma (or gypsy) culture in all parts of the world, but also how these people have adapted to their surrounding by adopting bits and pieces of local traditions. This is also finally, a positive and maybe even objective look into Roma culture, free of stereotypes and prejudice. For fans of "Deep Forest", one of the songs from the film, the one from Slovakia, was sampled for one of their pieces on "Boheme." This film has rapid beats and heel-taping rythms, but also sad and melancholic songs and laments. Some images will make you want to get up and dance, while other can move you to tears, for example the old Roma lady singing about gypsy persecution at Auschwitz during WWII. A true pleasure to watch and listen to. I just hope there would now be a Latcho Drom 2 to explore the other regions of the world where Roma culture flourishes, but which were not included in the film.

extraordinary!
one of the most beautiful films of the past 20 years, almost shocking. what an extreme pity the film is not available on dvd so that it can be projected in home theater settings----a visually spectacular film on a large screen.

not a documentary in the usual sense in that there is no script or text, no interviews. the story is told wholly through gorgeous visuals and incredible music----and it is not any less informative for that fact! furthermore, by beginning in india and moving its way circuitously west to spain, one hears in sequence the transmutation of the musical styles---an obvious and simple yet truly amazing cinematic structure.

the sensitive viewer will absorb the pathos of rom people without difficulty. not a film for literalists, however, or those who need their cultural experiences explained to them. in this way the film is also very french.

Should be on DVD
Others have amply described this film. I just want to note that it would be great on DVD, because unlike most documentaries, the production values are on a par with Hollywood feature films. It's shot in 35MM wide screen, beautifully staged and lit, with a high quality digital audio track. Seen on the big screen it has immense impact because it transcends the documentary genre.

Greatness
When I first saw this video I could not belive it. It is truly beautiful, the music captivating and soulful. Although I was stoned out of my mind (high as a kite) I really new this was greatness and went out to pursue the soundtrack. It is one of my favorites to this day. I'm patiently waitng for the DVD release because let's face it video cassettes blow....cassette... wow, is that how youreally spell cassette.... weird man..... wierd. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

What Goes Around.....Comes Around...in Spades!
This gorgeous film is the concluding story of Jean de Florette. That the two films aren't boxed together is ridiculous, because although they stand alone, taken together they become an unforgettable film experience and a devastating masterpiece.

In this film, the little daughter of Jean de Florette, who knows what was done to her father and by whom, has grown to become a stunningly beautiful young woman (Emmanuelle Beart). She is a free spirit, a shephardess, and so achingly gorgeous that one of the participants in her father's tragic downfall (Daniel Auteuil) can't help but fall hopelessly in love with her (no mystery there!). That his love is hopeless and will ruin him is just the begining of the reverberations from the sins commited in the first film that will befall the sinners in this concluding second film.

The other is what happens to the character played by Yves Montand. I will not spoil it for you, but what comes back on this cruelly calculating old man is something to behold. Montand capped a wonderful career with his brilliant and nuanced portrayal of this man. The role, which spans both films, is a beautifully deep performance, and you will be surprised by your different emotions about this character. It is a full-range performance, and shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves great acting.

Although each film is complete unto itself, it is together that the full artistry and power of the story is experienced. So if you get one, by all means get the other.

Directed with care and photographed beautifully in the countryside of Provence, this is a visual and emotional treat. A terrific story of human passions, each is a 4 star film, together they are a 5 star masterpiece.

Second film of a two part story.....
I love this film. Emmanuelle Beart made her debut in this film and she is breathtakingly beautiful. Her husband Daniel Auteuil also starred in the film. I don't know if they met on the set or not but it was certainly made at the beginning of their careers in film.

The story of Manon (Beart) continues in this film. In JEAN DE FLORETTE she was a little girl, who accompanied her parents to Provence where her father took up the cultivation of Carnations on the old family farm. Uncle (Yves Montand) and cousin (Daniel Auteuil) next door objected as there was only enough water to supply one farm. The result was a water war.

In MANON, the young Manon has grown into a young woman. She lives a relatively wild life on the old homestead, raising goats who follow her everywhere like children. Cousin (Auteuil) realizes one day that he is in love with her. But a dark secret hangs over his head and if Manon knew the secret she might hate him (has to do with water).

The rest of the plot consists of the resolution of problems, tensions, difficulties set up in JEAN DE FLORETTE. I can't imagine anyone buying one film and not the other. I am buying both DVDs. They are a set. The cinematography is wonderful, the actors are superb. If you love Provence you will want to own these DVDs so you can watch them on those cold rainy days when you aren't in France.

The sweet smell of revenge
In the first part of this sequel, Jean de Florette, there has been a murder. So remeber Emerson statement: Commit a crime , and the world is made of glass.
Emmanuelle Béart is one of the most beautiful actress in the world, his charm is so arresting that gives us the perfect role for this work. She made her debut in the screen in this one.
She knows more than Daniel Auteil believes, he falls in love with her but...
The second part of this work is extraordinary. You can miss the absence of Depardieu, that's why the director makes a clever less lineal with more surprises and even satirical approach. Remember the miracle water, for instance.
Yves Montand may well have done the best achievement of his long career in this role.
Watch this enjoyable film, and remember this is the second part of the story.

Make sure you see Jean de Florette first
This is the second part of a two part series, and picks up where Jean de Florette leaves off. If you do not see Jean de Florette, then you will be missing much of the background of this movie, and the context is important. For example, without viewing the first movie, the viewer will not know Manons background, what happened to her father, and their farm. The viewer will also not know the full relationship she has with the Soubeyran clan.

The quality of the DVD picture is avarage. The picture is fairly clean and clear.

Good film !
American friends,I am agree with you about Manon of the spring("Manon des sources" in french) so I can only add one thing.Because the action of the film is set in the south-east of France,the actors speak with the lovely accent of this part of the country.That contribute to "add sun" in the film. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Definitely on my top five list
This movie is one of my favorites, and definitely one of the best to come out of any country in the last few years. It is absolutely hilarious! I won't go too much into plot -- gangsters, romance, and a uproariously funny ending (and beginning, and middle), plus subtitles that are in a nice yellow so they're easy to read. The music score is great (I wish there was a soundtrack on CD) and the acting is excellent... I have seen two of Kusturica's other movies, and this is by far the best, although the others were very good too. You will not regret buying this movie, and I would recommend it to anyone!

Kusturica does it again, but better
Kusturica began focusing on the Roma culture most prominently in his movie, "Time of the Gypsies," revisiting this theme in later works either indirectly ("Arizona Dream") or with unabashed flirtation ("Underground"). In "Black Cat, White Cat," these talented musicians are center stage, and you won't take your eyes off them from the time they are tied up in a tree until they march off with their infectious brass beat in the sunset.

The plot follows a young Roma who falls for the village tomboy, but is promised to marry a lovely, albeit height-impaired, ganster's daughter as a result of a poker game. The young couple attempts to circumvent this arrangement by slipping away from their fate much like the silver fish in "Arizona Dreams." The high-charged get-me-out-of-here wedding scene is driven by the gypsy music which feeds the young couple's desperation, the ganster's testosterone levels, and the guests' oblivion, all of which is done very tongue-in-cheek by caricaturizing aspects of Balkan culture. If you like your humor black, you'll dig this movie.

Bizarre, joyful insanity -- don't miss this one!
The sublime goofiness of this movie is hard to describe; you really must see it for yourself. But some of its virtues are: it manages to be a classic farce, without ever seeming stylized; it showcases and celebrates the glorious music of the Romany people in almost every frame, while keeping the convoluted narrative running; it presents even its densest, dopiest, kookiest and weirdest characters as full human beings, not stereotypes; and, not least, it presents a number of farm animals in juicy cameo roles (the car-eating pig ought to get some kind of "Best Performance by a Barnyard Animal" prize). The title characters, for example, appear in almost every crucial scene, and end up making the happy ending possible.

Young lovers, lonely hearts, domineering grandparents, stupid con-artists, cokehead gangsters and flocks of geese make up the world of "Black Cat, White Cat," always accompanied by torrents of music. If loony, generous, dark humor appeals to you, you'll love this wonderful movie.

A great introduction to Kusturica's filmmaking.
For those who don't mind subtitles, this gets my highest recommendation. A chaotic and hilarious look at Yugoslavian Gypsy and gangster life -- lighthearted, not as long and without as much symbolism as UNDERGROUND. A wonderful modern fairy-tale and ideal "primer" for this master filmmaker.

If you like bizarre humor, this is it!
Matko Destanov is a crook and a moron and he wants to marry his son Zare to the mob boss Dadan Karambolo's ugly midget of a sister to pay off some old and new debt.
But Zare is really in love with the gypsy girl Ida, who loves him back, but who unfortunately has been promised to Dadan the Mob boss.
At the same time an old Mob boss from a different family with the exotic name Grga Pitic is out on a quest to find a suitable wife to his worthless dreamer of a son, who in turn has declared that he will not marry before he falls in love with a girl on first sight.
Matko's old dad, Zarije, has no intention of letting his son ruin his grandsons life and he has a grand plan to save Zare from marrying the ugly midget, using his accordion....(yes it goes on and on and on....)

Conclusion: No one can claim to have seen a weird, bizarre, totally crazy and mind blowingly far-out movie before they have seen this one. This one truly beats it all. If you are out there looking for something totally and completely different, something you have never even remotely laid your eyes on before, THIS IS IT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Beautiful young French people romp on an idyllic country estate in Tender Cousins. The story, set in 1939, centers around Julien, a young adolescent boy in love with his cousin Julia, who is in love with the foppish Charles, who is engaged to be married to Julien's older sister Claire, who... you get the idea. Julien and Julia's little sister Poune, who seems to know what everyone is up to, engage in pranks; a visiting actress puts on a theatrical revue; everyone pursues the new maid; a scientist believes he has isolated the soul, which he captures in balloons; and, when war against Germany is declared, the adult men must go off to war, giving the otherwise lyrical story a sad undercurrent. Flashes of wit, bits of silliness, and a good dose of nudity make Tender Cousins pretty much the definition of its brand of French sex comedy. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Tender Cousins
Unless you are a David Hamilton collector, I would suggest you buy another movie. The amount and duration of early teen nudity was very disappointing. While there are a few adult nude scenes (also short in duration), teen and pre-teen nudity is seriously lacking. For a brief moment you get to see one nude teen (full frontal nudity) lying in the grass outside. Later you get to see her bathing with only a slight glimpse of pubic hair. The prettiest and youngest girl in this movie you don't get to see nude at all. Such a disappointment for a David Hamilton film. If you're looking for movies with good story lines, good acting and pre-teen or child nudity look at "Pretty Baby", "Tom and Lola" and "The Annunciation".

I hope this review provides potential buyers with information that other reviewers seem to overlook. While many of these movies have great acting and solid story lines, what many people are interested in is nudity, so to that end all GateKeeper reviews will focus on providing that information.

Interesting for David Hamilton Fans
David Hamilton, who began as a fashion photographer, made his considerable reputation from a large number of glossy and beautifully executed coffee-table-sized photobooks of undraped adolescent girls, soft-focused, highly romanticized, and decorous almost to the point of being chaste. In 1977 he began making motion pictures with the same general theme as his books. He made five altogether: "Bilitis" (1977), "Laura" (1979), "Tendres Cousines" (1980), "Premiers Désirs" (1983), and "A Summer in Saint-Tropez" (1984). Four of these are available on VHS. The fifth, "Premiers Désirs," notable for featuring the 18-year-old Emmanuelle Béart in a minor role, has never been released in the US.

Unfortunately, Hamilton, while brilliant at photographic composition and with a keen eye for the sensuous, fails as a motion-picture director. Apart from the images, his films are not very interesting. The scripts are dull and predictable, and the mostly wooden dramatic performances of his adolescent and adult stars are less than praiseworthy. If you are a David Hamilton fan and collector as I am, you will not be able to pass up the opportunity to have any of his films on VHS or, better still, DVD. Otherwise, rent before you buy.

A Boy's Dream Summer-done by David Hamilton
A teenage boy is left on a farm during the war when all the men have gone. There are females of every age who are desiring a male's company-any male. The boy finds himself much desired. However, he has a crush on an older teen girl who doesn't seem to like him too much. He has difficulty dealing with this, and all the other attention that comes this way. Since this is a David Hamilton work, there is nudity, but not as much sensuality as his other movies.

Dubbed Version
This VHS version is dubbed into english, and the quality of the recording is not the best. I would recommend getting Tender Cousins instead (same film but in french with english subtitles).

I first saw the french version of this film on cable when I was 15. I was glued to the set - The beautiful young ladies, fantastic cinematography, and wonderful scenery from the french countryside in 1939.

The plot is a little thin, namely that Julien, a young maturing lad has just returned home at the family farm, and he starts discovering the ladies, or more appropriately that they start discovering him. However his heart desires his beautiful cousin, and alas she doesn't seem too interested in him, at least not at first.

There is quite a bit of nudity in this film, but it is tasteful, albeit often gratuitous. I definitely would give the film 5 of 5 stars, but I gave it 4 because the dubbed voices aren't the best - you'd think that with a french title it would have been in french, but it's dubbed in english.

Also, female viewers will probably think the film is stupid because of the gratuitous nudity, whereas most heterosexual men will probably appreciate the film as an art form.

Hamilton Fans will Enjoy
Yes, it is kind of slow and a bit 'corny' in parts but the topic and the videography are sure to please. I wish he'd put this title on DVD. For those with DVD players, I recommend 'Rituals of Summer' DVD available thru Amazon. ... Read more

Description

Critically acclaimed as one of the best films of the year -- Miramax Home Entertainment is proud to present SMOKE SIGNALS -- a distinguished winner at the Sundance Film Festival! Though Victor and Thomas have lived their entire young lives in the same tiny town, they couldn't have less in common! But when Victor is urgently called away, it's Thomas who comes up with the money to pay for his trip. There's just one thing Victor has to do: take Thomas along for the ride! You're in for a rare and entertaining comic treat as this most unlikely pair leave home on what becomes an unexpectedly unforgettable adventure of friendship and discovery! ... Read more

Reviews (128)

great road trip movie!
One of the greatest underrated movies ever made!

Most of the emotional bite is taken from Sherman Alexie's "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" leaving a great yet simple story about two Indians (Alexie himself dislikes the label "Native American") on the road from the upper Northwest to Arizona. The mission: collect the remains of the father of Victor Joseph-- played with great complexity by Adam Beach. Along for the ride is Thomas, the local reservation geek who brings along with him a vast array of stories from the past mixed with humor and pain played with resilence by Evan Adams, to the constant annoyance of Victor who has no time for stories or memories, only "truth" and the present tense.

This movie is a series of vignettes as the two travel off the reservation ("You're leavin' the Rez and going into a whole different country cousin." "But it's the United States." "Damn right it is, that's as foreign as it gets!") and into the wilderness of forgotten memories and rough landscape. Mixed in with the ponderings of what it means to be indeginous in America and who makes the best fry-bread is a great soundtrack which includes Dar Williams and Ulali.

This movie does not try to be more than it is: the story of two young men trying to find their place in the world with humor and anger. Director Chris Eyre keeps the story and the settings simple and the flashbacks flow fluidly from one iteration to the next.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone!

A Great Movie About the Stories We Tell Ourselves
Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams) tells stories. Anyone who has ever had a father, or a father figure should listen. Smoke Signals is a movie about the stories we tell, about growing up sane in an insane world, and about learning to find the truth in the fiction we create for ourselves.

Based on short stories from Sherman Alexie's brilliant collection of wit, irony and tragic comedy, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, this film shows a sure hand and a light touch. Sherman Alexie knows how to write with irony, wit and subtle humor, and in this screenplay he captures perfectly, as he does in his book, the angst that is uniquely 20th century American Indian. As our two protagonists prepare leave the reservation to claim Victor's (Adam Beach) dead father's truck, a woman who drives backward around the reservation all day in her Chevy tells them to be careful. When they tell her they're only going to Arizona (they live on the Coeur d'Alene reservation in Washington State), she replies, "Unh . . . America, huh? That's about as foreign as it gets."

It is that bemused sense of being an outsider in your own land that drives this independent film and gives it a genuine feel, rather than the typical over-romanticized "Dances with Wolves" version of Indian-ness. Victor, in fact, takes vicious delight in both perpetuating and defying Indian stereotypes, as he leads a chorus of "John Wayne's Teeth" and councils Thomas, who wears thick glasses and his long hair in braids, to look more fierce, "like you just got back from killin' a buffalo or somthin."

It is Beach's performance which seems the most stilted and amateurish, unfortunately, as one of the major characters. But he almost makes it work for him by internalizing Victor's anger and creating another mask, however thin. Another problem is the romance that almost develops between Victor and his dead father's neighbor (Irene Bedard). Perhaps it was a choice between staying with the major theme of the movie and "going Hollywood" on both the casting and the plot in this case. There is real heat when the two are on screen, but it goes nowhere.

These are two very minor irritations with an otherwise delightful movie. The universality of this coming of age story, combined with its unique characters and point of view, make this a video you're going to want to see again and again. Buy it.

It's a Good Day to Be Indigenous....
I want to start out by saying Sherman Alexie is probably one of the greatest writers of our time. When I say "greatest writers" I don't mean "greatest NATIVE writers" or "greatest writers of COLOR," I mean Greatest Writers. Mr. Alexie manages to capture the most universal emotions (grief, joy, heartbreak, anguish) and make the excessible to all, yet he also brings his own unique flavor, style and ironic wit to the mix so we are never bored. I can honestly say that Smoke Signals is one of those films that is really dear to my heart for many reasons, and the screenplay by Alexie definitely is one of the contributing factors.

For starters, there are so many classic lines in this film. The first being that line I used as the subject for this review. "It is a good day to be Indigenous." I don't think we hear that everyday! The negative view of native people even today is really disturbing, and I think when people regardless of background see the portrayal of indigenous people in films, television shows, literature and education it continues to horrify and astound us all.

Secondly, the story is a wonderful and important one that I think everyone can relate to. It touches on the theme of fathers and the relationship with their children. Victor (Adam Beach) is an bitter, angry and distrustful young man who grew up on the Coeur D'Alene "Rez" with his bespectacled friend/nemesis Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams). These young men are growing up in a culture separate from mainstream white culture--a culture they eventually leave when they go to retrieve the ashes of Victor's deceased father. What starts out as a road trip turns into something more significant than either of them could've imagined. It becomes ceremonial, and a real opportunity for maturity that changes their relationships with each other and themselves.

Finally, the acting is wonderful. The lead actors are engaging, believable and sympathetic. The supporting cast is strong and they really capture the essence of Alexie's novels. When I read TONTO AND LONE RANGER FISTFIGHT IN HEAVEN (specifically the short story, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona," which the film was based on), the way I envisioned the characters (how they would look, how they would talk, etc) matched the image exactly!

Take it from me, a Sherman Alexie fan and self-proclaimed "culture vulture".....this film is all that and a stack of fry bread!

Modern day literary and commercial success!
As a college English professor, I am now showing this movie along with a study of the work "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" upon which "Smoke Signals" is based, as the final assignment in my American Lit II class. The movie is excellent, with numerous themes including the abandonment by fathers and its effect on children, the reality of the modern day reservation, stereotypical characterization, among others. This is an excellent movie and I highly recommend it, along with all the other writings of Sherman Alexie. He is young and already a prolific writer and I think we will be seeing more great work from him in the future and that his work will withstand the test of time. Look to see him included in college textbooks soon!

"It's rough all over, Pony Boy"
Please excuse my Outsider's approximate quotation, but it seems to apply to this movie. At first you are dropped into a new landscape of the modern Native American reservation. The locale seems charming with it's quirky customs - people who drive backwards, a radio station based out of an RV. However, as the story unfolds, you realize that themes emerge that we can all relate to - pain, abandonment, disappointment, anger, loneliness. Well-done, especially if you appreciate slow-paced, dialog-driven films. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

One of my all-time favorites!
A breathtakingly beautiful film from the "Magic 3" - David Lean, Director, Freddie Young, Cinematographer, and Maurice Jarre, Music -- who also gave us Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago. An ordinary enough story, but played beautifully by first rate actors, it moves right along and I became very involved in the fate of its characters. I wanted Sarah Miles to have her passionate love, but then again, I didn't want her good husband (Mitchum) to lose her, I wanted the British officer (Jones) not to be tortured and haunted, and I didn't want anyone hurting the lovable village idiot. (John Mills deserved the Oscar he got for this role!) The relationship between John Mills' and Sarah Miles' characters broke my heart. And I hated, hated with a capital H some of the others (I won't say who and spoil it for anyone). This is all to say that I was pretty much transfixed and transported by this movie from start to finish. And if there's any scene in any movie from the beginning of time that's more erotic than the one in her father's pub when Sarah Miles' character first meets the British lieutenant, I hope someone warns me; I don't think I could withstand it. I love my video of the movie, but I wish I could see it again on the big screen for the impact of the magnificent cinematography of the Irish coast. And of the pub.

A Haunting Masterpiece by Lean
I first saw this film when it came out, it haunted me for days. The score9 by Maurice Jarre) and the photography(Freddie Young won a most desevred Oscar for) is breathtaking and Sarah Miles is so beautiful she takes your breath away. Set in Ireland during World War I and the British occupation of Ireland. Rosy Ryan( Sarah Miles) sets her cap for the local school master played by the great Robert Mitchum. They marry and her life is not what she expects until a British Officer enters it while she is tending bar. The chap is played by Christopher Jones who was the Colin Farrell of his day. The scene in the pub when they meet is one of the most tender loving scenes ever filmed. The affair that follows brings heartache to all. The villagers in this small Irish town gives lynch mobs a bad name. The pleasure they exact from teasing the village idiot(played by John Mills and may I add with beauty and heart) and later taking their revenge on an innocent person they believed to be the traitor. I don't want to give away the ending ot the story but I just purchased it and watched it for the first time in thirty years and was reminded what a storyteller David Lean was. Candace Serviss

When oh when!
Each month I scan the "new" issues to see if the studio has issued this first rate movie onto DVD but to no avail! when one sees the amount of rubbishy films now being re-issued, it really makes me angry, I guess the reason being the fact that Ryans Daughter was panned in the States, but hay Yanks, how about we Brits? the film was well received over here and is still regulary screened on TV. Freddy Jone's photography should be reason enough but add Sarah Miles, Bob Mitchum, John Mills, where is the problem?

Take it From a First-Time Viewer: Pass This One By
The progress of David Lean's visual style is one of honest, thrilling emotion subsumed over the years by unnecessary, rote effect--an artistic hardening-of-the-arteries not entirely unlike the bloat of Wordsworth's later work.

Of his pictures which history will remember well, Lean delivered at least one masterpiece ("Oliver Twist," 1948), which dared to risk anachronism when it evoked the prison camps of WWII in its workhouse boys' scabby, balding heads--not to mention Alec Guinness's frightening Fagin ("What right have you to butcher me!?").

He made two other first-rate pictures: "Great Expectations" (1946), a rare triumph of literary abbreviation, & "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957), the most melancholy meditation on suffering I've ever seen--like a paragraph from Dostoyevsky or Solzhenitsyn played deftly out to feature length.

"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) signalled, I think, the beginning of an elephantiasis in Lean's ambition--though it's been observed that "Lawrence's" minimalist compositions and love of "empty" screen-space may have primed audiences for later, more abstract adventures such as "2001: A Space Odyssey," and even "Apocalypse Now."

Lean's respectful eye for and fascination with natural landscapes, especially as they dwarf people, and the psychologic import of that domination of scale, was often on ostentatious and useful display in his early and middle years. Later, this titanic style of framing became expected of Lean--not least, repeated viewings attest, by the man himself. It's as if he became trapped by his repute for monumentality, which was rarely less appropriate than here.

"Ryan's Daughter," based on a parlor-scale melodrama by Robert Bolt, never has the chance to escape Lean's Olympian regard and withers on film like a bug caught in the projector gate. Never mind the performances, which are generally credible, nor the cinematography, which (in the only home video available, a wretched panned-&-scanned dub with horrible color balance) is typically assured work from Freddie Young.

"Ryan's Daughter" is a failure from a man with a fading vision, and uninstructive ... unless the lesson is to tailor style to substance at all costs.

my two cents
This SOOOOO needs to be on DVD!!!!! This beautiful little gem is one of those great movies that just keeps haunting my memory even after all these years....and considering all the crap hollywood churns and what they deem worthy to go on DVD this would be a welcome bit of fresh air to see this again and add to my library. ... Read more

Reviews (199)

Probably the best movie about loving the movies
Rightfully known as a movie for people who love the movies, "Cinema Paradiso" ("Nuovo cinema Paradiso") is Giuseppe Tornatore's 1988 memoir of growing up in a small Sicilian town. A famous film director returns home for the first time in years to attend the funeral of an old man, but this bit of foreshadowing hardly prepares us for the depth of the tale. For the young Salvatore who is called Toto (Salvatore Cascio), the center of the universe is the local cinema and its projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). When we first see them together in the projection booth, Alfredo is editing out the kissing and other inappropriate scenes from a new film under the supervision of the local priest, Father Adelfio (Leopoldo Trieste) who rings a bell every time he finds something objectionable. The good father rings the bell a lot, to the dismay of the local citizens who bemoan the fact they have never seen a kiss on screen. Unlike most films featuring the cute kid and the grumpy old man, "Cinema Paradiso" presents the odd couple as kindred spirits from the very start. They both love the same thing: the movies. Even when the adolescent Salvatore (Marco Leonardi) discovers something else to love besides the movies in the form of a young woman named Elena (Agnese Nano), he is equally devote in his new obsession, standing outside her window for days in the pouring rain to impress her. Of course Salvatore loves not only the Cinema house but Alfredo as well, and when tragedy befalls them both he has to take his place in a new world while hanging on to the old. Finally, Alfredo has to kick Salvatore out of the nest and send him off into the world with the warning never to come back, because Salvatore's dreams will never be realized in the town of his birth. "Cinema Paradiso" is a film that captures both the pain as well as the joy of remembering the past. When the grown Salvatore (Jacques Perrin) opens up the gift left to him by the man who was much more than his father figure, we know immediately exactly what he has received. But that knowledge does not attract from the emotional impact of that glorious final montage.

One of the Best Films of the Last 20 Years
Guiseppe Tornatore's masterpiece proves for once, and for all, that you can indeed go home again. "Cinema Paradiso" is a timeless tribute to family, friendship and love as seen through the eyes of Toto, a filmmaker, who abandons his small town roots in search of that elusive "something more" in life. In a truly universal manner, Toto experiences success, failure, love and emptiness prior to the film's beautiful finale in which life's true meaning becomes clear to him. The childhood relationship between Toto and his father figure Alfredo, a projectionest at the local cinema, is the centerpiece of the film. Their ensuing lifelong friendship is simply priceless. The legendary Ennio Morricone's unforgettable score provides the perfect emotional backdrop . Overall, "Cinema Paradiso" is a stunning film that works on all levels. A word of warning: even the most macho of all macho will have trouble holding back tears during the film's remarkable final 15 minutes. Not to be missed!

Only one word that pops out when watching this: NOSTALGIA!!!
To make it short, this is the one and only movie that makes me cry every time I watch it. It's the kind of movie that melts your heart and keeps you thinking about it for days ahead. Also, I've never heard a soundtrack as beautiful as the one in this movie. It only helps bring out your tears more easily, especially in the last sequence.

A passion for film and filmmaking
I have not seen the "new Director's cut" version, and based on what the other reviewers have been saying, I'm so very glad. This movie has always had a special place in my film heart.

The theme of love has never really been so subtly and wonderfully dramatized. And the love is on so many levels: love for the opposite sex, love for filmmaking, love for family, love for one's hometown, etc. The plot is deceivingly simple and traditional but there are elements that are very unique. What particularly appeals to me isn't just the developing relationships among the main characters, but the relationships going on among the townsfolk. The extras are not anonymous here: all the patrons of the Cinema Paradiso have a slim storyline that are quite amusing. (In one sequence, a young couple are kissing. Next time we see them they're doing something more than just kissing. By the end of the film, they have a family in tow.)

Anyway, the story aside, CINEMA PARADISO is so gorgeously filmed, it's so pleasing to the eye that it's almost unbearable. This is a film for lovers of film and filmmaking.

Stay away from the director's cut
Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite movies ever. This review is about the director's cut, it just ruins the whole movie. If you loved the original movie, don't watch this new version.

Cinema Paradiso is mainly a love story. But it's not about the relationship between Toto and Elena, it's about the relationship between Toto and Alfredo. The new version turns the whole move upside down. Not only the plot, but the characters too. Elena becomes the most important part of the story. And the character of Alfredo becomes a completely different person through the eyes of Toto. I don't want to give away anything about the "new" plot. But believe me, the director's cut and it's brand new 51 minutes changes the whole movie into -what a critic said, "mundane soup opera." ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Gérard Depardieu plays a court composer at Versailles whose sense of artistic emptiness causes him to reflect upon his old music teacher (Jean-Pierre Marielle), a man who taught him more than music but whom he ultimately betrayed. (The younger version of Depardieu's character is portrayed by the actor's son, Guillaume.) Alain Corneau's gorgeous 1991 film has a slow, deliberative air about it, with little dialogue and a painterly look (shot by cinematographer-director Yves Angelo, maker of Colonel Chabert) that paradoxically inspires both excitement and meditation. A period costume piece that chooses to understate pageantry for ideas and emotions, this film is quite special. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A deep, poetic and philosophic masterpiece
A must own masterpiece for every art lover.

It seems like that Pasqal Quignard, the writer, have been involved in Eastern Philosophy very deeply. If not, then once upon a time the Western music had been a meditative tool to escalate human soul, similar to Eastern music which is still so.

The similar guru-disciple dialogs and relationship as it is still in Eastern art.

The same search for the truth, as it is in Zen in Japan, Sufism in Middle East,.... You always search the truth, but never discover "what it is", you only discover "what it is not" just like a sculpture who cuts the stone.

I am not sure whether the existence of the French Film Industry is a benefit to humankind or not : They have created a masterpiece but they dont bother providing English subtitles in the DVD :
http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004VYCO
(seems to be "Out of stock" as of the date of this review)

Some reviewers have compared this movie to Amedeus. Amadeus is a masterpiece itself, but its main concept is not music, it focuses on tragedy of human beings. ( "Eternal Love" and "Farinelli" are not in this leage, so comparison is irrevelant ) However this movie questions the art itself.

French counterpart to a 1670s Zen meditation on sound
After seeing ALL THE MORNINGS OF THE WORLD / EACH DAY DAWNS BUT ONCE a number of times, I discovered its unexpected message: "Listen!" Freed by repetition from concern with a complex plot, I was able to witness key scenes I'd hardly noticed before and to find they carry central meaning for this subtly powerful art work. I had noticed the first time I saw TOUS LE MATINS DU MOND that for the master musician his music was a rigorously pursued meditative practice...ruthless to the exclusion of all else. But it's all there, spelled out as methodically as a "Shin-mondo": a zen teaching story. As in the scene where the master takes his pupil to the studio-home of his [only?] friend, the painter. They sit, silent except for the touch of wine to cup, as across the spacious room the painter paints. The master gropes for words to convey his wordless knowing. He says, "Listen to the sound of the brush." 'Painter stops and [irritably]: "What are you mumbling about?" Master: "I was telling him that your brush is to you as my bow is to me." Painter: "WORDS! Only words!" It's in scene after scene [they take several walks where the student is probed to listen to sounds...wind, night, ...to hear the sound itself.] And this life of searching and communion is juxtaposed--as it would have been in Japan of the same period-- against the opulent distractions of an imperial court. Sound...sumptuous or subtle...permeates all levels of this masterpiece, and is wonderfully augmented by Vermeer-like cinematography. This is one to own.

A Very Pretty Picture
All the Mornings of the World, I really didn't get what the title had to do with the movie, but the movie itself is really beautiful.
This is the story of the 17th century composer St. Columbe, who was a master of the viola de gamba (or what I would identify as the viola di gamba), ancient cousin of the cello. Very little is known of the real St. Columbe, so the movie takes poetic license with the man, based on his music.
Ste Columbe is an interesting study. He is presented as no-frills type of guy. This plays in stark contrast to the gaudiness of the Courtiers who visit him, and want him to come to play for the King. Ste. Coloumbe cannot be persuaded to come to court, earthly riches, fame and fortune mean nothing to him. He is a man who suffered a great tradgedy with the death of his wife, who was in addition to his music,his greatest passion. Without her, he is half a man. Nothing illustrates this better than his relationship with his unfortunate daughters, who suffer this half life with this thoroughly uninvolved father.
Because St. Columbe is miserable & disappointed in love, his daughters live like nuns, without any of the fun.
Entering this happy scene is the eager young student, played with a total lack of conviction by the pretty but wooden Giulliame
Depardieu. Ste Columbe reluctantly takes on this student, but it's trouble from the get go, including an affair with the eldest daughter that results in her pregnancy. The young man is kicked out, but goes on to great fame & fortune by joining the musicians at the Royal Court, ultimatly becomming the head man.
Meanwhile, back at the Ste. Columbe residence, the eldest daughter loses the baby, and starts a descent into madness that begins with anorexia and ends with suicide. The younger. less sensitive daughter goes on to lead a normal life.
All the while, Ste Columbe indulges in his fantasies involving his dead wife, they meet very regularly. I have wondered why this woman doesn't take her husband to task for his rough treatment of their children, but she is always sweetness & light, nattering on about thier love life & his love for crushed peaches.
It might seem like I don't like this movie, au contraire! Its a joy to watch. It's a tragic but interesting story, very sad. The performances by all are excellent, with the exception of Depardieu the younger.
The filmmakers use of natural light, including candelight is stunning, and the locations have a great feel of authenticity. It might not be every ones cup of tea, but if you enjoy foregin films of this genre, it's definitley worth a watch.

A Masterpiece of French Filmmaking
Whenever I think of the highlight of French filmmaking, I think of this film. Absolutely gorgeous in every way: camerawork, art and design, audio and soundtrack, acting and direction and story - everything came together to create a truly beautiful piece of work. One of my all time favorites despite a more than occasionally hollow performance by the younger Depardieu who proves that talent isn't always genetically transfered from father to son. But despite the disappointment of Alain, the soundtrack and filmmaking are enough to make you forget any flaws. Find the best television you can - hook up the highest quality VHS player you have - and enjoy. Hopefully sometime in the near future we will see a Region DVD of this outstanding example of the French film cannon.

beautiful music, awful movie
The music is superb in this movie. I give you that. But the movie is simply downright awful. To me this movie is about a man who becomes obsessed with the viola da gamba to escape the pains caused by the death of his wife. His obsession not surprisingly drives hime to be utterly self-centered and bizarre. He is a monster who abuses and neglects his whole family to focus only on himself. He wasn't making music for us or for the world ... he was making music for himself but by luck his music making is also enjoyable to our ears. Otherwise most of us would recommend that he be locked up in an insane asylum.

If one were asked what makes a French film a stereotypical bad French film, one feature pops into my mind: pretentious philosophical babbling. And this film delivers a bucket full of it. Ugh.

Get the soundtrack. Forget about this movie. This is my honest opinion. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

It would be a mistake to call Kundun a disappointment, or a film that director Martin Scorsese was not equipped to create. Both statements may be true to some viewers, but they ignore the higher purpose of Scorsese's artistic intention and take away from a film that is by any definition unique. In chronicling the life of the 14th Dalai Lama, Kundun defies conventional narrative in favor of an episodic approach, presenting a sequential flow of events from the life of the young leader of Buddhist Tibet. From the moment he is recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1937 to his exile from Tibet in the wake of China's invasion, the Dalai Lama is seen as an enlightened spiritual figurehead. This gives the film its tone of serenity and reverence but denies us the privilege of admiring the Dalai Lama as a fascinating human character. There's a sense of mild detachment between the film and its audience, but its visual richness offers ample compensation. In close collaboration with cinematographer Roger Deakins, Scorsese filmed Kundun with great pageantry and ritual, and meticulous attention to details of costume, color, and the casting of actual Buddhist monks in the scenes at the Dalai Lama's palace. Certain images will linger in the memory for a long time, such as the Dalai Lama's nightmarish vision of standing among hundreds of dead monks, their lives sacrificed in pacifist defiance of Chinese aggression. Is this a film you'll want to watch repeatedly? Perhaps not. But as a political drama and an elegant gesture of devotion, Kundun is a film of great value and inspirational beauty--one, after all, that perhaps only Scorsese could have made. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (90)

wonderful
Other than the original 1950's "Seven Years in Tibet," which offered incredible first hand footage of H.H. the Dalai Lama from Heinrich Himmler, Scorsese's "Kundun" is the most definitive film on the life, trials, and tribulations of Tibet's Spritiual and Political ruler.

Scorsese's skills, as always, are first rate in the film. The photography, amazing for the original vhs or theater version, is even more amazing in the dvd version. Of course, the fact that Tibet is a beautiful country helps, but the angles and shots that Scorsese uses only accentuates the natural beauty all the more.

The film itself chronicles the life of H.H. The Dalai Lama from his discovery at the age of 2, the meticulous tests that go with the Buddhist traditions to be sure that Kundun is indeed the 14th Dalai Lama, etc. through to the dark days of post WWII, where Mao-led China declares that Tibet is a Chinese province and forcably annexes Tibet, to H.H. having to leave Tibet for the safer lands of India. All parts of the film are historically accurate, as H.H. lent his cooperation to the script and film itself. The co-operation of H.H. gives the film absolute legitimacy.

Scorsese's portrait of Kundun is that on an enlightened monk (which indeed, a Dalai Lama is), and some people will argue that the human side of H.H. is not painted in the film. I disagree with that assertion- indeed, the scene where H.H. dreams of being amongst monks who were killed for their pacifism, is an all too real image of absolute humanity. The fact that H.H. wanted to stay in Tibet and not flee to India is another sign of his humanity. While Scorsese looks apon H.H. as a spiritual leader, he does not leave out the human factor at all.

The film is boosted by a brilliant score by American minimalist composer Philip Glass, whose music accentuates the otherworldly quality of certain scenes, and keeps the overall dramatic nature of the film intact.

If you see one film of H.H. the Dalai Lama, choose "Kundun." Scorsese's work is brilliant, as is the acting by the cast of Tibetan unknowns, which adds more credence to the overall experience. Add Philip Glass and H.H. himself to the mix, and the overall experience is unparalleled.

Great Movie. Watch it again.
I found this this film quite astonishing. The way the Dalai Lama is presented from its early childhood discovery of Reting Rinpoche, and how the costumes are just beautiful. What stood out most in my mind was the Oracle scenes, and how the beauty of the Potala palace in Tibet. The acting of Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong is amazing, I fell in love with the compassion, thoughts and lines in this movie. The music is neither disturbing nor irritating, it simply was perfect. I recommend this video for anyone who want to catch a glimpse of tibetan buddhism imagery and just have a great time watching a film about the Dalai Lama.
As for the truthfulness of this film, since I'm aware of the dramatic licenses made here, I really could care less. Scorcese directing is superb, and I would sure hell watch this film again.

Skewed vision.
A lot of criticism levelled at 'Kundun' seems to fall into 2 categories. For some purists the movie is far too Hollywood, while for a lot of movie-goers, it's just not Hollywood enough. For one not familiar with Tibetan history, 'Kundun' gives a very one-sided view of events that occured at that time. The Tibetan hierarchy are portrayed as predominantly passive and peace-loving, seemingly free from any kind of authoritarian thinking. This may have been misleading. Martin Scorsese has admitted himself that he is not an authority on Tibetan history and the fact that the production of the film was overseen by the Dalai Lama himself gives some indication as to how the film was to convey a very specific outlook.

One could be forgiven for thinking that Tibet had all the vastness of Rhode Island, so centered is the film on the small, enclosed world of the Dalai Lama's upbringing. Bernardo Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor' was much more successful at conveying the political intricacies that surrounded it's subject. For an objective viewpoint 'Kundun' is not the film to see.

On the other hand you have to ask yourself would the same amount of cynicism be aroused if this film was based around a major figure in Judaism, Christianity or Islam.

Having said all that, from a purely cinematic point of view 'Kundun' glows with beautiful cinematography, a spellbinding score by Phillip Glass and some pretty believable performances by previously non-actors.

Aristotle Would Call This Film "Epideictic Rhetoric"
Some novels, films, plays, poems, sculptures, music, dances, and paintings are meant to entertain us in various ways, and some are meant to alter our outlooks on the world we live in. This film belongs to the latter category. Specifically, it's an instance of what Aristotle called "epideictic rhetoric"--a work constructed to make us respect and admire (or disrespect and look down on) some person(s) or thing(s). In this case, as most reviewers notice, most of us come away feeling that we greatly respect and admire the Dalai Lama, who has developed into a highly enlightened and compassionate person DESPITE (or because of) great adversity. While our govt. has eagerly sucked up to Red China (which is guilty of "human rights abuses" against its own citizens as well as Tibetans), Martin Scorsese courageously unmasks the villains--none of that "most favored nation" stuff for him (which is why Red China has singled him out and forbidden him to go to Tibet). The film is genuinely touching and beautifully filmed. My only fault-finding with it is that the current Dalai Lama is presented as being IN FACT a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lamas. Although I've been a Buddhist for over 40 years, I don't believe in reincarnation and doubt that many other viewers of this film--Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, etc.--do either; this COULD have been presented as part of a "belief system" and not as a "factual" condition. (Next time you watch one of the 57 different film versions of the crucifying of Jesus, look to see whether the director's approach is naturalistic or supernaturalistic and how that makes a difference on the impact. And look for the same factor next time you watch the Indiana Jones films, which are meant to entertain us. That may partly explain why the second of these films, which uses a non-Judeo-Christian array of beliefs as FACTUAL is usually rated lower than the other two.)

A visual and musical poem of an important religious leader
Because of his place in American Pop Conciousness, the Dali Lama too often suffers from shallow treatment and cartoonish representation because of his association with famous personalities. In reality, he is a serious religious figure and deserves serious treatment. This movie is a serious and, I think, beautifully poetic attempt to tell the story of his youth through his escape from Tibet into exile as the Communist Chinese closed their grasp on his sad homeland. The images are powerful and the Philip Glass score supports the visual means of telling the story very well.

I have no idea how much of the miraculous nature of the selection of Kundun as the Dali Lama or his remembering of his previous lives is based in perceived reality or is just poetry, but certainly the Dali Lama deserves some iconographical treatment.

For me, a most powerful scene occurs when Kundun has his last conversation with Mao and finally realizes his betrayal. In this scene Mao tells him that religion is poison in a most callous and condescending manner. In this, I see the emptiness of modern materialism and its inability to see anything of value in the spiritual and traditional. There is blindness in materialism's view favoring the new and the present as necessarily being progress over the past. It sees technology as always an improvement (it is the flip side of the coin of those who believe that all technology is soulless and evil).

This isn't an adventure film and certainly nothing like Scorsese's more famous and violent films. But I think he has accomplished something beautiful here and I have enjoyed watching it several times.

"Seven Years in Tibet" tells the same story a bit differently and less poetically and has the complication of the Brad Pitt's character being, well, a Nazi. But I think seeing both movies adds to one's understanding rather than seeing either of them alone. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The first three Wallace & Gromit shorts are grouped together in a single volume.

A Grand Day Out
Nominated for an Academy Award in 1990, this was the first short-film adventure starring Wallace & Gromit. This 24-minute comedy was created by clay animator Nick Park over a six-year period at the National Film and Television School in London and at the Aardman Animation studios, which Park boosted to international acclaim. In their debut adventure, Wallace and his furry pal Gromit find themselves desperate for "a nice bit of Gorgonzola," but their refrigerator's empty and the local cheese shop is closed for a holiday! Undeterred, Wallace comes up with an extreme solution to the cheese shortage: since the moon is made of cheese (we all know that's true, right?), he decides to build a rocket and blast off for a cheesy lunar picnic! Gromit's only too happy to help, and before long the inventive duo is on the moon, where they encounter a clever appliance that's part oven, part robot, part lunar skiing enthusiast... Well, you just have to see the movie to understand how any of this whimsical lunar-cy can make any sense! It's a grand tale of wonderful discoveries, fantastic inventions--and really great cheese!

The Wrong Trousers
Clay-animation master Nick Park deservedly won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Animated Short for this 30-minute masterpiece, in which the good-natured inventor Wallace and his trusty dog, Gromit, return for another grand adventure. It all begins on the morning of Gromit's birthday, when Wallace gives his beloved pooch the gift of his latest invention--a pair of mechanical "techno-trousers" that can be programmed to take Gromit out for "walkies" while Wallace sits comfortably at home. Gromit's not exactly thrilled with the new gadget, and things go from bad to worse when Wallace rents a room to a new boarder--a rather suspicious-looking penguin--to offset his rising expenses. As it turns out, the penguin's a notorious thief, and the amazing techno-trousers provide a foolproof method of pulling off a diamond heist! It's Gromit's big opportunity for canine heroics, and The Wrong Trousers turns into one of the funniest, most inventive caper-comedies ever made, with an action-packed climax on a speeding miniature train. Will the notorious "Feathers" wind up in jail, where he belongs? Will Gromit finally get his due recognition? Watch this amazing marvel of clay animation to see why Wallace & Gromit have become global celebrities--this is comedic ingenuity at its finest.

A Close Shave
Hot from the international triumph of The Wrong Trousers, clay animator Nick Park knew that his third Wallace & Gromit film was going to have to be the biggest and best adventure yet for the mild-mannered inventor Wallace and his perceptive pooch, Gromit. With the ambitiously zany plot of A Close Shave, Park and his fellow animators rose to the occasion, and their film won the 1995 Academy Award (Park's second Oscar) for Best Animated Short. This time out, Wallace & Gromit have teamed up to provide a window-washing service, and that's how Wallace meets the lovely Wendolene Ramsbottom, awool-shop owner whose malevolent dog, Preston, turns out to be the mastermind of a sheep-napping scheme! Of course, no Wallace & Gromit adventure can be without a grandiose gadget, so Wallace's latest invention is the Knit-O-Matic, a yarn-making machine capable of shearing a whole flock of sheep just a bit too efficiently! When the villainous Preston gains control of the mechanical knitting marvel, Gromit must race to the rescue, and A Close Shave reaches new heights of clay-animation mastery. Every shot is a testament to Nick Park's patience, his clever ingenuity, and his filmmaking flair. The movie's so technically impressive, in fact, that the whole world wondered where Park could go next. It was clear that Wallace & Gromit would eventually star in an animated feature-length movie, since this marvelous 30-minute film represents its own kind of short-form perfection. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (159)

Simply Grand!
You have all 3 Wallace and Gromit cartoons in one package with this! Anybody interested in animation should see this. Nick Park (also known for Chicken Run and Creature Comforts) uses the Claymation technique (simmilar to The Nightmare Before Christmas) and I was reading 1 review which said his 1st movie, A Grand Day Out took 6 years to perfect. That explains why he has only made 3 films at this writing.

The 1st movie, A Grand Day Out, introduces Wallace, clever crackpot inventor in England who loves cheese, and his dog Gromit, the brains behind the two. Wallace invents a rocketship to take himself and Gromit to the moon (after all, the moon IS made out of cheese, isn't it?). They find out quickly that the "oven" they've been using to heat Wallace's moon-cheese is really a crater-skiing robot who doesn't take too kindly to their visit!

In the 1993 Academy Award winning The Wrong Trousers, Wallace gives Gromit a pair of walking trousers (designed to walk Gromit when Wallace has better inventions to think up!). Gromit feels ignored, especially after Wallace takes in a boarder, a mysterious penguin. Later, Gromit discovers the penguin is a notorious thief and makes plans to save himself and Wallace!

In the 1995 Academy Award winning A Close Shave, Wallace and Gromit go into the window washing business. When Wallace meets the sweet Wendoline (who owns a knitting business) and her evil dog Preston, Wallace invents the Knit-O-Matic, a yarn making machine which strips the wool of a whole flock of sheep as fast as you can say "Confound it, Gromit!". Then when Preston starts playing with the machine, trouble begins (and it's up to Gromit to save the day)!

Each one of these adventures is worth more than 1 view and I look forward to more Wallace and Gromit adventures (and other Nick Park produced efforts) in the future.

No Cheese, Gromit.
The WALLACE & GROMIT shorts have accomplished something very few other franchises can claim. They are as popular with cult-clasping-college students as they are with kindergarten children. For the First episode creator Nick Park needed an excuse to get a man and his dog to the moon... A GRAND DAY OUT was the result. The episode is quaint and filled with great character and humor. The second, and greatest to date, THE WRONG TROUSERS introduces an evil penguin to the mix. Thats right, an evil penguin. The last episode, A CLOSE SHAVE, is an awesome sequel but suffers from the same thing that haunts many live action sequels. It is given a bigger budget and more time is spent on the mechanics of the story than the human side. All three are laugh-out-loud. And coming in short of 30 minutes, they can easily be taken in in one sitting and you won't feel guilty for not getting your bank book balanced. This is the most recent DVD release and includes interesting making of material, commentary by creator Nick Park, and even 4 early animations. Great for the entire family...

The worst animation on Earth
If you can stomach "Wallace and Gromit",I admire you.This is the absolute WORST animation on Earth!I felt like I was punishing myself by watching this horrible DVD.The stories had no plots-they were just a bunch of adlibbed scenes slapped together in hopes of making a plot.The animation itself is sloppy,choppy and cheapThis is NOT worth your time-if you want a good cartoon-get "Tom & Jerry" or "Popeye" instead.

ARE THERE MORE WALLACE & GROMIT OUT THERE ?
We have purchased all the Nick Park/Aardman/Wallace & Gromit DVDs we can find on Amazon. Are there more out there? It seems to me from watching PBS, etc. that there might be. It may take a certain mindset to really appreciate this animation, but we'll take all we can get!

WALLACE AND GROMIT SUCK!
THESE SHORTS ARE NOT WORTHY OF THE ONE STAR WE WERE FORCED TO GIVE THEM. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU PEOPLE???? WALLACE AND GROMIT ARE THE CREEPIEST THINGS ON TV AND SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO BE VIEWED BY CHILDREN (MUCH LESS ADULTS!) WE'RE GOING TO HAVE NIGHTMARES FROM BEING FORCED WHILE BABYSITTING TO WATCH "THE WRONG TROUSERS" WITH A 2 YEAR OLD. WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT IS SO EXCITING ABOUT THESE VIDEOS?? NOTHING!!!! THEY ARE SCARY SCARY SCARY!!! AVOID THESE FILMS AT ALL COSTS. EVERY REVIEW ON THIS SITE PRAISES THESE MOVIES LIKE THEY ARE THE GREATEST THINGS ON EARTH. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THESE MOVIES- SAVE YOURSELVES NOW!! WE ARE REACHING OUT TO YOU!! P.S. We love you but yea craig ... Read more

Description

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture, Best Actress (Juliette Binoche -- THE ENGLISH PATIENT), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench -- SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE), CHOCOLAT is the beautiful and captivating comedy from the acclaimed director of THE CIDER HOUSE RULES! Nobody could have imagined the impact that the striking Vianne (Binoche) would make when she arrived in a tranquil, old-fashioned French town. In her very unusual chocolate shop, Vianne begins to create mouth-watering confections that almost magically inspire the straitlaced villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness! But it is not until another stranger, the handsome Roux (Johnny Depp -- SLEEPY HOLLOW), arrives in town that Vianne is finally able to recognize her own desires! ... Read more

Reviews (311)

Dark and creamy
"Chocolat", chocolate in french, is one of the few quality fables filmed in history. Its sweet tooth theme is perfect with the characters' emotions. The old town french town was wonderfully crafted. The fashion designers crafted the costumes perfectly to look 1959. Lasse Hallstrom directed this movie brilliantly. The writers give the movie the extra unique touches that most other today's movies need. They make all the events fit together as one.

Juliette Dimoche was the perfect actress to play Vianne, a chocolate cook whom most of the town calls her "Satan" for no reason. Judi Dench wonderfully portrays a cranky old woman whose fate becomes unexpected. Both deserved their Oscar nominations. Johnny Depp proves that he's improved greatly in the past few years in his role as a river drifter who falls in love with Vianne. Lena Olin plays a battered wife emotionally.

***Important word of caution: One will become very hungry while watching this movie. A small bowl of chocolate will cure the craving and will give the experience an extra touch.

Yummy!!...
This movie is so well made, it is sometimes difficult to remember it was filmed in 2001 and not 1959. It's a mouth-watering experience. Being that I own this movie now, and have seen it 3 or 4 times, I always order chocolate-drizzled brownies from a local restaurant while we watch it. Beware, you don't want to see this one without something sweet.

Vianne(Binoche) and her daughter Anouke, travel with the North winds. On this new journey(in 1959), they land in a small town outside France that seems to be stuck in a time warp.

"Tranquility" , says the town mayer, is the "motto" of his small province. Vianne and her Chocolaterie, bright red shoes, sexy clothes, and illegitimate daughter are exactly what the mayor does not welcome into his quiet little town. Epecially, during Lent.

Vianne still manages to stir up love and lust with her ancient chocolate formulas under the watchful eye of the Mayor. "One bite and you are hooked". Her time in the little moral town is interupted with wonderful characters and new friends. I loved Johnny Depp as the gypsy who lands his riverboat alongside the little town, only to cause distubances amongst the chuch-going frenzy of people. He and Juliet Binoche light up the screen and make a sexy match.

The movie, although a dramatic one, has some outrageous funny moments as well. Dame Judi Dench, one of my favorite actresses, plays the landlord of Vianne's Chocolaterie. Every word out of her mouth is sarcastic and somewhat "dirty"(very reminiscent of her small coveted role in Branagh's "Henry V"). I enjoyed her truthfulness and laughed along with her lines.

It doesn't need to be Valentine's Day for someone to enjoy this delicious movie. Why not buy it and package it with a box of chocolates for your sweetheart.

Chocolat
I didn't get all the hype around Chocolat that everyone made it seem.The acting and dialogue aren't the problem.The film is just extremely strange which made me kind of like it, but it was to odd and boring at times.It tells a sweet tale and ends well but I just didn't get into it.Binoche does a great job along with much of the cast.The characters are loved and you hurt when they are hurt but it doesn't pay back for the dullness.I just can't sit two hours through a film like that.I get bored and start to doze off especially later at night.Don't get me wrong it has a sort of heart warming tale and great looking chocolate but that doesn't help a movie get a good rating.Johnny Depp and Judi Dench especially do a fabulous job and Dench really was in my opinion a stronger and more believable character.Another thing that is interesting about the film is the setting and it's moral.I didn't like the cloudly dark feeling around the film either.The overall major problems though are the dullness and unusual plot; also it is a bit predictable.I really only reccomend this one if you are very easily impressed by all movies or you may want to check it out if your bored.

It is the late 1950s, but it might as well be the late 1850s in a small French town where everyone behaves as they should (supposedly), and attends church regularly. When a strong North wind blows through town, it brings the vivacious and mysterious Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol). Vianne is soon the talk of the town: an unwed mother who declines to go to church and opens up a chocolate shop in the midst of Lent. Her good-natured, honorable personality and psychic ability (she can predict what kind of sweets best suit each person, and magically cures each of them of their particular maladies) make her as irresistible as her delectable treats. However, Vianne and her daughter are resented by the conservative mayor, the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), and by the pious Caroline (Carrie-Anne Moss), who has disowned her own spirited mother (Judi Dench, who plays Vianne's landlady), refusing the elderly woman access to her beloved grandson.This touching fairy tale, based on the novel by Joanne Harris, was filmed on location in rural France. An intelligent, exquisitely filmed fable that deals with the idea of 20th Century paganism rising up against a closed-minded church and a persevering aristocracy, CHOCOLAT is enjoyable, romantic, and entertaining, with affecting performances by both its stars and its supporting actors (Lena Olin and Johnny Depp.)

Where's the "E"?
I'm a collector of movies with the word 'Chocolate' in the title (Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, Like Water For Choclate, Chinese Choclate, Stawberry and Chocolate, etc.) I don't really watch the movies, A.) because I don't want to break the anti-theft seal and reduce the collector's value. B.) because I don't really have the patience for movies. C.) Even if I DID have the patience for movies, I wouldn't have the patience for movies like "Chocolate And Strawberries" and "Like Water for chocolate" because I find them--I don't know--artsy fartsy, I guess you'd call it. The only reason I watched "Chocolat" is because I was intrigued that the director would leave the "e" off Chocolate which everyone knows ends in "e". I found myself dozing through a lot of it because-- like I said-- most movies with chocolate in the title are rather boring and arty. Also my father was always telling us when we were kids that he'd "sell us to the Gypsies" if we didn't behave so it was hard for me to get behind the Jonnny Depp character. I don't know, I just always loved movies with the word chocolate in the title. I don't even really like the word chocolate written on anything else, nor do I like the sound of it spoken aloud. I don't eat chocolate because it gives me hives. I just like the word chocolate in movie titles be they on marquees, video, or dvd boxes; and so I expect to see the full word there without any dropping of the last letter.

One of my favorites
This moving is moving and touching. I loved how chocolate bought the town together. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1991 comedy by Gabriele Salvatores was knocked for notbeing deep enough, but it is what it is, and it's actually an easygoing, sunnymovie about eight Italian soldiers who manage to strand themselves on a tiny Greek island paradise during World War II. The sort of mutts who would shoota donkey for not knowing the proper password, these clumsy warriorsbecome a comic variation on the Lotus Eaters of myth, their fighting spirit evaporated in the midst of so much beauty and sexual availability among the local women. There are also sundry opportunities for the men to find another purposefor their lives (one particularly artistic fellow works on the restorationof a church, for example). Amid the sometimes coarse jokes and gratuitous nudity, there are subtle themes about the contrast between what men are truly like in their natural state versus what they are like as killers. (The ThinRed Line this isn't, but Salvatores does, in his own way, touch on some of the same themes.) Watch this one on a cold winter's day and vicariously enjoythe tans as well as the antiwar sentiment. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Great Movie
Just one quick thought: please release this title on DVD. Cinema Paradiso has been released, Il Postino has been released, now this movie should be released. It easily holds its own when compared to these 2 movies. Simply delightful. The acting, the plot, the scenery, easily give this movie a five-star rating. Makes you want to visit the Greek island where the movie was shot and live the experience of "la dolce vità" portrayed in this movie. This film shows you how, even in the thick of war, enemies are more alike then different. We are all linked by the same human spirit.
I await impatiently for the DVD version.

A Comedy Classic for Foreign Film Lovers
I have the Italian version of this DVD (Region 2, without subtitles) as well as the VHS tape that was made available in the US. It's easily my favorite Italian comedy, and I'm very surprised it hasn't come out on DVD for the United States yet. Afterall, it did win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1991. I felt the film did a great job of conveying some of the mystery and serenity of the Greek islands. Also the character development right from the beginning of the film is excellent. According to one Italian review I've read, the various Italian accents in this film also add to the humor. Another major attribute is the soundtrack music...brilliant. I've looked for it on CD but haven't been able to find it. From what I've been able to find out, this film is finally being released in European countries (besides Italy) in mid October, 2002. I would hope that the US release will be timed around that date. We'll see I guess. It's funny to think that if a group of Italian soldiers really got stranded on Meghisti like that during WWII, escaping the island would have been relatively easy. The coast of Turkey is only several miles across the water!