Escaflowne: Movie (2000)

I noticed an interesting trend in the negative reviews this Movie was getting. By and large, people who found this movie slow or boring did not watch the original series. Well folks...that explains it.

Unlike most Anime movie tie-ins, I.E. Cowboy Bebop or Blue Gender, the Escaflowne movie is really a re-imagination of its progenitor. While in the series the Escaflowne armor was a royal heirloom, in this it is the embodiment of destiny and a living being. And while Hitomi was painfully innocent and upbeat in the series, here she is dark, lonely and suicidal. Best of all, Van is equally dark and has lost the heroic stoicism for apathy and a-moralism. All these things are so different from the series its like watching Alice in Wonderland then playing American Magee's Alice (which, if you haven't seen or played, you should).

I will admit that when I first bought this DVD I too was disappointed. The action was neat and all but the story dealt too much with ethereal Fate and Destiny, thing I really could care less about. But then I watched the series, which brings in these subjects a little less jarringly and I found the whole idea much more edible. And, while I was initially disgusted with the characters of this DVD, namely Hitomi and the cat girl, when I understood the origins of these characters, I loved the change. The basic story you can get from the other reviews, I hate to give stuff away. But while the series focused on Van's travel and growth into a warrior, the Movie focuses on the dark prophecy to which he is chained.

But if you really want an endorsement from me, here it is. Escaflowne the Movie is an awesome experience for the initiate to the series. Escaflowne the Movie is a sub par experience for those who are bereft of the Series. But above all else, Escaflowne the Movie is worth watching for the absolutely amazing music, which really steals the show. If nothing else, then rent this DVD and stick in a system with surround sound. Then turn off the TV and crank the volume...you will not be disappointed.

In 1996, the Sunrise Studios anime television series "The Vision of Escaflowne" aired on television and although not a tremendous hit in Japan, when the series was released on DVD in America, it became a big hit. Not just in the US but worldwide.

Despite being released on Saturday morning television on Fox Kids (albeit heavily edited), the series would receive appreciation and a lot of love by fans for the Escaflowne's characters, it's beautiful artwork and character designs, its story but most of all, it's enchanting music.

With the fanfare strong worldwide, in 2000, Sunrise and Studio BONES began on a reimagining the television series through a 95-minute film titled "Escaflowne: The Movie". The film version is very different from the television series as the film is much more darker and the protagonist, the happy and chirpy Hitomi is anything but that. In fact, she's a person who is depressed and contemplates suicide. While the character of Van, is more reserved and willing to slash and kill anyone in his way.

Needless to say, the film is quite different as it focuses on these two main characters but most importantly, the film is for those who are and aren't familiar with the television series and can enjoy it in the theaters. The film received mixed reviews with diehard fans who had a hard time seeing a different version of their characters and of course, knowing that there is only so much story from the 26-episode anime series that is going to get covered in a 95 minute film.

The film begins with Hitomi, sad and depressed, you learn that she is a person who wants to kill herself and is prepared to say goodbye to her best friend via a letter. Fortunately, her friend discovers her and the letter and tries to convince her that suicide is not a good way to go. But no matter how much she tries to cheer up Hitomi, Hitomi is resigned with herself and with life.

The film then switches to the character of Van. We see Van, who is violently slashing through many soldiers in order to find the behemoth known as Escaflowne and the Winged Goddess which he wants to use towards defeating his brother Lord Folken and his army.

Meanwhile, while Hitomi is alone and wanting to end her life, she sees an image of Lord Folken who calls her the Winged Goddess and wants her to join him. Confused and not sure what is going on, blackness starts to envelop the area and Hitomi is immediately sucked up into darkness and not knowing what is happening, by the time Hitomi awakes, she emerges out of Escaflowne and encounters Prince Van.

Van believes her to be the Winged Goddess but immediately Escaflowne disappears and then believes that she may be a spy and a fake. Because of her more modern school girl clothing, many of Van's friends believe she is the true Winged Goddess despite Van not believing in her and almost wanting to kill her.

On the other side of the battle, we learn that Lord Folken and the Black Dragons are preparing their attack Van's crew and capture Hitomi for his goal to use the power of the Winged Goddess to destroy the world.

Because of the increased attacks and attempts to capture Hitomi, Van is ordered to protect Hitomi at all costs.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Escaflowne: The Movie" is presented in 1080p High Definition. It's important to note that the film was created in late 1999 and then released in theaters in 2000. Also, the film was produced by Sunrise but animated by Studio BONES and for the most part, a few talented animators took part in the action sequences as well as new character designs for the film. With that being said, when I first reviewed this film when it was first released on DVD, I commented on how gorgeous the film looked. It's very detailed backgrounds but also the film's awesome animation.

Here we are in 2009 and the film now making its HD debut and I still stand by that. The film looks great and although it may not look as digital and clean like today's modern anime, the film still looks incredible for an anime film nearly a decade old. But what is the primary difference between the picture quality from the DVD versus the Blu-ray? There are several segments in the film that I tested out and that was the outdoor sequence (50-54 minutes into the film) and on Blu-ray, the first thing you will notice is how vibrant the outdoor scenes look. The green and blues just pop out, especially during sunset with the red of the sun also popping out. Needless to say, the film looks quite vibrant during the outdoor scenes.

The print is not 100% clear of dust which I think I may have seen a few specs but overall, I didn't see a whole lot, nor did I see any major compression problems throughout the film. Blacks are nice and dark and there is grain present. Again, I'm a person who supports film grain and not supportive of excessive DNR (Digital Noise Reduction), so overall...I was pretty pleased with the picture quality for a film nearly 10 years old.

As for the audio, this is where "Escaflowne: The Movie" shines. One thing that I noticed quickly is how immersive the soundtrack was in utilizing the soundscape of each channel. The film's dialogue is front and center channel driven but sound effects from the whisping as Van flies in the air, the clanging of the swords during battle, the blasts that are being shot and the destruction in the city is well-captured on your surround channels, especially via LFE. I definitely enjoy when anime uses the subwoofer quite a bit, so it was great to hear that LFE usage. And of course, one thing that the film is noted for is the music and the music comes out nice and clear through your system.

I did notice one thing with the audio though. The Japanese lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sounds awesome but the English DolbyTrue HD 5.1 soundtrack seems a tad lower with the English dialogue. In fact, through the beginning of the film while watching it with the English lossless soundtrack, I felt that I had to increase the volume a little in order to hear the dialogue clearly and when I switched to the Japanese soundtrack, the dialogue was consistent and much louder. By no means are the two lossless soundtracks like night and day (like FUNimation Entertainment's Blu-ray release of "Origin") but overall, sound effects seem to be consistent on both soundtracks. But overall, "Escaflowne: The Movie" does have a wonderful and immersive soundtrack.

Subtitles are in English only.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Escaflowne: The Movie" comes with the following special features (in 480i Standard Definition):

* Trailers: The Girl Who Leaped Through Time and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society

* Staff Interviews: (23:00) Featuring staff interviews which include: Director Kazuki Akane/Composer Yoko Anno, Kazuki Akane and Kelly Sheridan (Voice actress for Hitomi), Masahiko Minami (Producer/BONES), Maaya Sakamoto (Voice Actress/Singer), Masuo Ueda (Producer/Sunrise) and a performance by Yoko Kanno, Maaya Sakamoto, Kim Su Jin perform "The Ring"(Escaflowne Ending Song, Special Duet Version).

* Original 2000 Premiere: (7:20) Featuring the following segments: The line at Anime Expo 2000 in Anaheim, CA for the screening of "Escaflowne: The Movie", Minoru Takanashi (Producer/Bandai Visual) speaking to the audience before the movie and the Post-Movie Panel Highlights at Anime Expo 2000.

JUDGMENT CALL:

When it comes to "Escaflowne: The Movie", the film has received different results from fans when it first came out. Diehard fans who were not used to the change, of course, complained. And for those who treated the movie separately from the anime TV series found the film to be enjoyable, creative and musically wonderful. Needless to say, I'm part of the latter. The fact is that many anime series that get a theatrical treatment usually has a story that is not part of the TV series timeline. And there have been quite a few anime films that have been released that either try to take parts from a long series and condense it down to two hours or try to come up with something different.

With "Escaflowne: The Movie", you get something different and it's a reimagining that I was open to and at the time, I was very impressed with the results. The animation was stellar and the music, Yoko Kanno's music and the ending theme by Maaya Sakamoto was just fantastic.

So, needless to say... I was excited to hear that "Escaflowne: The Movie: was receiving its HD treatment and for the most part, I was more curious to see how a film that was created in the late 90's would look on Blu-ray. Already, Bandai Entertainment has proved to us that they can make it happen as evident with the release of "Akira" earlier this year. So, I had no doubt in my mind that Bandai Entertainment was going to release a solid product. What I was more concerned about was the lossless soundtrack. And fortunately, the soundtrack for the most part was immersive and great to hear via lossless.

If you are a fan who owns the Ultimate Edition of the DVD, you may be wondering if it's worth the double dip? Well, for one, you don't want to get rid of that "Ultimate Edition" because you get the awesome CD soundtrack and also there are special features such as the galleries that are not included on the Blu-ray. But to answer the question, yes...it's worth the double dip. This is the best looking and sounding version of the film yet. So, if you loved the film, you will definitely want to pick up this Blu-ray.

Overall, "Escaflowne: The Movie" is a solid Blu-ray release and for those who want to add to their anime on Blu-ray collection, this title is definitely recommended!

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I purchased the Escaflowne Movie (Ultimate Edition), three years ago. The first-edition packaging of this set included a relatively large, and sturdy 6 x 8 x 3 inch folding box. Stored in this box were three disks (two DVDs and one CD), and a miniature art booklet. The outside of the collectors box was a beauty to behold, as the artwork on the back and front sides were done in a glossy finish. Only 10,000 units of the first edition were ever made.

The upcoming second-edition release of this set, will include everything as the original release (except the collectors box). All three disks will be stored in a standard plastic casing.

As for the content of the disks, they are quite enjoyable. There are two DVDs, one containing the movie, and the other containing extras (music videos, cast interviews, etc.). The music CD contains a whopping 25 tracks, and includes some beautiful vocal performances from Maaya Sakamoto, and Shanti Snyder.

The Escaflowne Movie sets a much darker tone, and takes place in an alternate-universe to the TV series. For those who are new to Escaflowne, you will feel welcomed, as the movie is stand-alone from the rest of the series. All in all, the movie is an awesome experience, and I highly recommend it for anyone's anime collection.

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This is Escaflowne: The Movie Anime Legends edition. The Anime Legends is a line of anime from Bandai Entertainment that is used to re-release older anime in a cheaper package. With this edition, you supposedly get the same 3 discs from the original, more expansive Ultimate Edition but without the fancy collector's packaging. The 3 discs are the movie DVD, an extras DVD and the movie soundtrack CD.

If you don't already have the Ultimate Edition, go ahead and get this one. If you are on the fence about the movie, give this edition a try. At least you get an excellent soundtrack in the event that you don't like the movie.

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...Or were the producers?

As a bit of a disclaimer, I award this production the distinction of two stars (as opposed to one) solely for its music, and partially for its animation (it seemed to fluctuate between brilliant and mediocre, whereas the music was just brilliant).

And another disclaimer: I have no experience in the initial Escaflowne series, so this review will be focused on the movie alone.

That said ...what happened? Where were the characters? Where was the plot? Where were the motives? With all the liberal granting of wings, you'd think they'd taken a pair and flown into obscurity.

Yes, there were characters. Little bits of compiled animation cels, rather. There were two types of actual personalities: Those who had none, and those who were, shall we say, overly dynamic.

Excluding our [extremely abrasive] protagonists, nearly the entire cast falls into the former category little Grecian sculptures granted movement and tongue. Maybe I'm a critic, but I somehow fail to sympathize with a character whose most impassioned line of the entire work is: "I'd hate to spill the blood of a woman".

As for the latter category, for those who received the rare benediction of a somewhat identifiable personality, it seemed as if that benevolence was immediately betrayed. Van is an angst-riddled, introverted, scampering desperado, yes? No wait! No, he isn't! He's a kind-hearted jolly good fellow because the 'evil within [him] has been healed'. It has? Did I miss something? Wait a second ...here it is again! He has a heart of stone! He's instigating Armageddon! Oh, wait! No he isn't! He's just an innocent bystander! No, wait! No he isn't! He's counterattacking his wantonly sadistic brother! No, wait! He isn't! He loves his brother! Don't let his brother get hurt! Why is he bleeding? I love you, brother!

Don't even get me started (well, I've done that myself...) on the perils of creating an evil villain who has no viable cause for devilry other than his baby blue mullet.

Not only were the characters highly flawed, but the plot itself was fraught with cliché. In fact, I couldn't identify one iota of screenplay that in any way struck me as somehow original. Not to mention this, but whoever wrote aforementioned screenplay obviously has no knack for dramatic timing and, more imminently, character development. Give the girl a few harried seconds before she collapses build up some tensions in discourses between characters before they fall in love. Give them a reason to love one another aside from a claim to being 'kindred spirits' we are depressed and lack social capabilities and depth of personality, hence we are undeniably made for each other? Great logic, really. Fits right in.

(A few things that score a few 'good' points: Merle's tail expression, Dilandu's voice, small children of the village that was never identified, the brief 'Hyena race with barrels of gunpowder on their backs', 'forehead magic'.)

I do agree that this movie is well-fit for a good laugh that's what we got out of it, to be sure. (Especially the Mecha battle kind of like angular Pillsbury doughboys). If you enjoy henpecking, I'm sure you'll have an hour well-spent of predictable dialogue, cliched characters, struggles to define a plot which never is, and countless other confections that I have failed to mention in my review. Have a ball.

Otherwise, sample the soundtrack and leave the movie to rot amongst the scattered feathers.

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Toys in the Attic (2009)

This film is actually a recycling of a 2009 Czech Republic film. I saw it when abroad and while it is a distinctive and visually appealing stop-motion film, some of the characters are quite scary/disturbing, especially the cigar toting vile bust/statue known as "Head." Head leads the evil "side" of the attic against the peace loving "side" of the attic. A rag-tag group from the peace loving side must overcome the evil Head and rescue a kidnaped antique doll. The voice casting is great, lots of big names and the stop-motion filming is artistic, however, the dark edge of the film may steer this towards the tweens and up (maybe 8-10 and up?). If you're not sure, you might want to preview it before the kids get a chance to see it. Other than the caution for the scary factor, definitely worth viewing artsy imaginative work.

these toys looked after each other with great care! thats what made me enjoy all the adventures of each toy! great show!

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I mean really, I stand in awe.

I didn't know, at first, that this was by Jiri (pronounced kind of like "Year-zhee") Barta. That would have sold me right then, since Czech animators and Barta in particular display senses of the macabre, joyous, heroic, delicate, and mysterious all at once. (Since so many of them worked, or tried to, during the Soviet oppression, that seems rather natural.)

This, like any brilliant work of art, works at many levels. Physically the puppets and objects combine Svankamjer's sensibilities with Joseph Cornell's supply closet. In image creation, Barta melds live action with flip-books (or something close), stop animation, overdrawing, and I don't know what-all in computer animation and postproduction. The stop-animated puppets, however, embody unique personalities in their materials, structure, and articulation, even before you hear them sspeak,

Skipping ahead, I have to applaud the English language rendering. Taken in itself, it expresses the characters and helps bring them to life, even though English was never considered when the movie's original Czech version came out. But, the English is dubbed so it syncs to Czech mouth movements (mostly). This involved heroics on the parts of the scriptwriters, voice actors, and sound masters to create some cadence that a lip-reader might believe.

Backing up to the original, though, this represents a rather daring fable of personal freedom against the militarists, something Barta lived through before the Velvet Revolution. The plaster talking head had some reality in the Stalin era, and the spies and operatives remained real until the Stasi got their pink slips.

Behind and in front of everythign else, though, this stands out as a major artwork, masterfully crafted and carrying more meaning than any one reading can disclose. I've admired Barta's art before. This, however, impresses me in more different ways tha I can hope to name.

-wiredweird

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The English version is very unique and well crafted. Jiri has done great work in the past and this movie is nothing short of magical. The movie kept my attention from beginning to end and the voice-overs fit the characters perfectly. My girlfriends two daughters really enjoyed it. Two thumbs up.

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Great movie. There was so much work put into this movie and you can really tell. I have bought some for gifts.

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Eden of the East: Paradise Lost (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)

First off I'd just like to say that I'm a huge fan of the New Funimation Eden Of The East-Complete Series Animation Cartoon Dvd TV Spo Promotion Video and the subsequent movie New Funimation Eden Of The East-Movie 1-King Of Eden-Br Animation Cartoon Dvd Trailers 85 Minutes. This film is intended to wrap up the events of the previous two entries and does so in a not so satisying fashion. Now before you people bash me, I just want to say that I still enjoyed the film. What I had a problem with is it's slow pace, lack of information provided for the remaining Selecao, and the anti-climactic way that it ended. In no way are these reasons to avoid purchasing the film. I just wanted to let people know not to get their hopes up for a huge final showdown between the "Air King" and the mysterious Mr. Outside.

In all the movie is a solid 4 out of 5. Without giving away too much of the plot, there is closure between Akira and Saki and Akira's efforts aren't in vain. I hope this review is helpful to those who choose to read it. Thanks for your time.

*Spoilers Ahead*... do NOT read if you do not want to know how it ends.

Same as Joshua Adair's review, please do not bash me. There are some very emotional ppl out there when it comes to these things, so just try to accept the fact that a review can contain an opinion that is different from yours.

This review is for the entire series, not just the last movie.

I, also, loved this series. It has it's flaws, one of them (for me) was a bit inexcusable, but I still say it is worth the time and effort to watch this series and the subsequent movies.

First, the pros; the animation is breathtaking drool-worthy, beautiful, can't-take-your-eyes-off-it type of thing. One of my favorite things about EotE's look is the choice in color palette. As an artist myself, I know how tough it is to select and then stick to a palette. It can literally make of break your piece. Some very wise choices were made here. There was just enough effort made in "effects" (if you can call them that animation is one big effect, but still), realism, NON-realism, and cartoony-style humor. The animation was almost my favorite aspect of EotE.

The characters were without a doubt my favorite part. They were fleshed out nicely and a perfect mix. I loved the personality differences expressed between each version of Juiz, based on which Selecao 'she' was assigned to. The Eden team was hysterical and, frankly, very believable.

The other Selecaos were a pleasant mix of the frightening, spoiled, odd, powerful and sweet. The Johnny Hunter still fascinates me I can never reconcile her actions but I can totally sympathize with her cause. Plus, let's face it, she kind of kicks a$$ in the style department.

Saki was adorable, she was plucky and willing to invest time in a huge risk (Akira himself) without being too much of a pushover, too emotional, or the warriorette. Nothing is wrong with any of those roles, but they would not have done opposite Akira. She was his perfect compliment.

Akira himself is one of the most charming anime characters to come along in awhile. He gets a bit flighty at times (let's see how *you* behave after two memory wipes!!) but he is so endearing that you have no choice but to forgive him. He is clearly interested in Saki not just she's The Cute Girl That Helped Me, but it's obvious he's looking out for her well-being and wants her to stay near him even if he can't figure out why. Is he interested enough? I fear we will never know. He is compassionate, easy-going, tenacious, adorable, adventurous and intelligent. What more can you want in a lead?

I have only ever seen this in the original Japanese with subtitles, so I will be interested to see how well I like the English soundtrack. I usually have trouble finding enough emotional resonance with the Japanese soundtrack (only because I am sure such a thing is more subtle than English, and I simply don't know enough Japanese to 'hear' it) and I opt to listen to the English. But, I can tell you one thing for sure Akira's voice actor is without a doubt my favorite male Japanese voice actor so far. So much so, that if I find the english actor lacking when I buy the series, I will not listen to him. I will let nothing ruin Akira. Nothing.

The plot does have it's similarities to other animes, and especially books/movies like the Jason Bourne series. But there is nothing new under the sun children, EVER, and for my money when the series is as engaging and creative as this, I say who cares? if it's good, it doesn't matter how many times it's been done. I was very happy with the reconciliation at the end of Paradise Lost regarding the politics and the NEETs, the future of most of the characters and especially Taki's confrontation with Mr. Outside which was perfectly in character with him! It was just enough revenge for our hero, and, consequently, just enough for us. The open-ended aspect of the entire ending was absolutely appropriate to the subject matter there are no perfect answers with a problem this big, it says, but we have to keep trying.

Now for what I did not like about the end. Yes, it was the resolution between Akira and Saki's relationship. Without giving away too much, I believe my problem with it is one of two things: Either the translation from the Japanese to the English subs somehow missed the inflection of the plot, OR, it is the basic rule that if you are a pessimist, you saw it one way, and the opposite if you are an optimist.

I am definitely a pessimist...

This is hard for me to explain, but at the risk of inciting fan-girl flames, I'm going to try. Did he ever go back to her as promised? I don't think he did. After some of Saki's rather final-sounding narration, and Akira's flighty nature when he said goodbye, and the total lack of any visual indication he went back, and especially Saki's very, VERY last line of dialogue, I do not think he made good on his promise to her. Maybe saving Japan has him too busy now, or the fool went and had another memory wipe, or maybe he finds himself too dangerous and is simply protecting her by staying away? I am not sure. It was almost as though he truly wanted to be Saki's guy in the series (even as he knew she needed to get over her bro-in-law, and even as he was willing to show the Johnny Hunter some real affection). But then in King of Eden (after the second memory wipe, mind you), he liked being near Saki, but he couldn't figure out why. But by the end of Paradise Lost, Taki-chan left me feeling like... ok, yeah, I'll say it: He's just not that into her (anymore?). Well, Ugh! You build me up then give me that?! *sigh*

That aspect of the plot left me cold & wanting. It is the ONLY reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. You want so badly for them to be together not for a story book romance crap ending, I hate that stuff but because they are just so good together that you get addicted to 'them'. Who knows, if I can find it in my heart to be more optimistic, I may come back and upgrade that rating. ;) But don't hold your breath.

Don't get me wrong, I still loved this anime. And I will watch it over and over like I did with Samurai Champloo. I admit the series was more engaging than the movies, but that was nothing more than a timing thing, and the part of the ending that I hate... well, I truly, REALLY hate it.

But... I loved it, and can't wait to get all my copies.

Buy Eden of the East: Paradise Lost (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011) Now

I was a big fan of the show, or at least the first 2/3 of it or so. The series is animated beautifully, and revolves around a very compelling question we all ask ourselves: given the ability, how would you fix your country?

The movie leading up to this one, King of Eden, was practically a repeat of the plot device used in earlier episodes, except with less of a journey of discovery, less interesting characters being introduced, and a general sense of waiting around before anything important to the happens plot-wise.

I wanted badly for this series to go out with a bang by returning what made this series great to start with: the suspense, the plans that come together over time, the confrontation with other characters given the same opportunity, even the romantic development.

But I can't forgive this movie. There's a lack of compelling narrative, climax, character development, or satisfying resolution. There's no indication that the events of the movie has a meaningful impact on anyone. The main character's childhood experience is covered again. It doesn't lead to an epiphany, the topic just gets dropped later on. There's no confrontation with an antagonist, no obstacle to overcome, just a few travels, a few conversations and a mouthpiece to voice vague speeches about two of the character's hopes for Japan. I would recommend this only to people that were major fans the series and 1st movie.

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I decided to buy and look into this anime (and its two feature-length movie continuations) for two reasons: one, the animation looked gorgeous, and two, the plot sounded very intriguing and original. While I can say that it did fulfill both of those expectations, it didn't quite reach the heights it seemed like it could have.

I won't spoil anything here and I won't bother giving a plot synopsis because you can read it on here already; what I will say is that the mysteries are all enticing at first, but like so many mysteries, the answers don't live up to the questions. After learning the truth behind the plot, I was excited for where the show could go with it, but it... didn't, really.

The plot sort of fumbles along without really taking advantage of the tools it's set up, and in the end it leaves you feeling unsatisfied. The two sequel movies are absolutely necessary if you care at all about the story or closure, but even with them you'll probably feel disappointed. This is simply my opinion, however you may find something here that I didn't.

On the plus side, the characters are pretty great (except for the protagonist during "King of Eden", who is very lacking in personality for that movie only for reasons that will be clear if you watch it), and their interactions are very real. The mystery, while it lasts, is intriguing enough to keep you watching to learn more, even if you're ultimately unsatisfied with the denouement. The animation and artwork are beautiful and the music is good enough.

Overall, I think that Eden of the East is worth a watch for those curious, but not worth a purchase unless you just really take to it. It's an entertaining enough ride, but at the end of the day it never reaches the heights or importance of "Ghost in the Shell" despite purporting to be similar, and so it's best enjoyed as one would enjoy something like the "Bourne" movies an entertaining but ultimately shallow experience that's fun while it lasts, but leaves little impact.

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The net surrounding Saki and her group is closing in. The identity of Mr. Outside is revealed, and so is the secret behind Akira's memory. The series left many questions and this movie answers many. All the great things about the series are represented in this anime too. If you're a fan of Eden of the East, then Paradise Lost is a good movie for you to watch.

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50 Dead Men Walking (2008)

This story is based on the true story of a northern Irish man (Jim McGArtland) who joins the IRA and is also a informant for the government who is trying to stop the IRA's often random slaughter of people (terrorism) that was occurring during the late 1980's. To be fair the IRA was enforcing law when things were breaking down as well; but often they would target whole pubs or such for a murderous attack. And they were a terrorist organization who tortured people to death. (touts or informants in particular). The informant working the police is able to stop many attacks and he saves at least 50 men who were personally targeted. Hence the title of the movie. "50 dead men walking", men who were doomed but still alive because of the informant. Will the informant survive?, and what happens when MI-5 acts just as brutally against a IRA man? This story is one that deserves to be told and the acting is excellent. This is a solid movie featuring the always excellent Ben Kingsley as the man who oversees the informant. Rose McGowen shines in a supporting role as the ruthless head of IRA intelligence who will use her assets to kill or gain information. Every actor including the young lead Jim Sturgess play believable people who are driven by the hideous conditions (economic poverty, violence, racial intolerance, political fanaticism) of Northern Ireland that existed then. One IMPORTANT thing about this movie is that you may want to use the English subtitles because the northern Irish speak very quickly in their own slang English which is understandable but not that easy to follow without the subtitles. The bluray print is excellent and is well mastered so you won't have a problem with it in anyway. This was made by the Irish but it is as professional as any movie made by anyone else. In other words this is a gritty realistic drama that pulls no punches and is well made. It features a number of deleted scenes as well that were cut from the flick , some should have stayed in but most are character building scenes. This is not a low budget badly made movie at all, it's a good mostly TRUE story about sacrifices and about the hard choices that the informant is facing while he infiltrates the IRA. This was directed by Kari Skogland who knows how to direct a decent movie and lets hope she keeps directing and continues to improve as a director.

3.3 stars

50DMW was enjoyable on some fronts, especially Kingsley's acting and some great moments in the script, but I just couldn't buy Sturgess as Martin. He never made me feel for him one way or the other, I saw no real motivation for selling his friends out, and he just didn't seem at all believable.

Skogland's directing is solid, as is the script for the most part, but the occasionally brutal violence and tortures left me disliking both sides of the conflict equally. If Sturgess had been more sympathetic this film would have worked so much better for me. But maybe that's the point: he was what he was, neither good nor bad (or very bad, if you're pro-IRA).

I don't know enough about the "Troubles" to say who's right or wrong. My heart tends to side with home rule, but when one looks at all the innocent people dead on both sides it adds up to nobody being right. This movie could have made me feel so much more but Sturgess just seems on the fence in every way throughout, and by the end I was happy to see it all end, leaving me feeling that nothing had really been accomplished but more pain and death, despite the claim he saved 50 lives.

He sure didn't come off as much of a hero here, and ultimately all the violence just felt pointless. The film raises many questions and answers none, which may be the point. But I didn't feel like I learned much, or enjoyed it much, and without one or the other I can't say I loved any film, no matter how competent it may be. I did enjoy some of the supporting acting a fair bit, in any case, and Kingsley is excellent as always.

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Knowing the history behind this film I was looking forward to watching it. I was to be very disappointed. The film is very slanted in it's account of the war. It starts by doing a voice over amid pictures of violence suggesting that the British army was sent into act as peacemakers. This period of the conflict relates to a series of marches (inspired by the civil rights marches in the US) Irish nationalists engaged in to demand equal civil rights. The British army reacted with violence against the marches most famously in Derry when they murdered 13 innocent people and lied for years afterward about what happened. Just last year the new British government admitted the truth and apologized. This sets the films tone with the British portrayed as just trying to keep the peace and as good guys which simply isn't truthful and not backed up historically. At the end there is some additional information given about things that happened after the time frame of the film. They state that after the good friday agreement the British army withdrew it's troops. This is not true. There are still in the region of 5,000 British troops there.

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50 DEAD MEN WALKING is an unusually powerful film that brings to the screen the real life story of Martin McGartland on whose book it is based (with co-writer Nicholas Davies). Director Kari Skogland has managed to recreate the flavors of the 1980s in Ireland at war with the British. The violence in the film may be difficult for some viewers but it so integrated with the story that it would not seem as fine a film without it.

Martin McGartland (Jim Sturgess) was a fly-by-night, door-to-door salesman in Belfast in the 80s. He is bonded with mates such as Sean (Kevin Zegers) among others and they manage to get into all manner of trouble until they are united with the IRA (Irish Republican Army) to defeat the British: of note at the end of the film, the British were in Ireland as occupiers for a total of 38 years, ending only in 2008 with a peace treaty! Martin feels a sense of duty with the IRA and is observed by the British intelligence, namely one Fergus (Sir Ben Kingsley) who convinces Martin to join forces as a 'tout' or informer within the IRA. It is this play of double lives that brings McGartland to a terrifying life, a life made whole only by his love for his girlfriend Lara (Natalie Press) and their children (born and unborn). The struggle Martin endures between loyalty to his mates and loyalty to the British who see Martin's role as one that could save the lives of at least '50 Dead Men Walking' is the line of the film that never lets up for a moment of rest in its demonstration of the futility of 'war', no matter what level.

Jim Sturgess is superb as Martin and the large supporting cast is as fine as any casting director could find. This is a very intense film, a film so true to the Irish brogue that subtitles are necessary to understand much of the story. It is a film well worth viewing, especially if the confusion about the long Irish/British war is not clearly understood by the viewer. Grady Harp, January 10

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American gangster movies tend to either glorify the mafia, or make it into a joke (Joe Pesci in "Goodfellas", etc.). This movie is a very brutal and realistic view of the IRA and the situation in northern Ireland. The acting is first rate. Ben Kingsley is excellent, and I wanted to write down some of his statements (on the IRA men: "They are killers who just found something to kill for"). The violence is brutal and realistic. We see men shot dead drinking pints of ale and blown up in vans and shot dead in front of their children. We see the British military bashing teenagers with rifle butts. I agree though, that this movie, although VERY informative about the situation in Ireland in the 1980s, is really ultimately a human story, and not a political one. This story could easily be transposed to Algeria, or Israel-Palestine, or Tibet, or anywhere that there is a conflict. I think also that any American who "supports" the IRA should be "forced" to watch this movie. I now know why my local Irish pub owner where I live from Dublin and who has seen this story up close refuses to serve "Irish Car bombs", but will serve you an "Irish Peacemaker" instead !

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Cyrano De Bergerac (1950)

This (yellow poster on DVD case) is the Hal Roach edition of the 1950 film starring Jose Ferrer. I'm aware of two other editions: Alpha Video, & Marengo Films. The Alpha Video edition (full colour head shot of Cyrano) is crap -not worth $5. The Marengo edition (black poster on DVD case), while clean in sound & video, is darker than this Hal Roach edition. In several significant scenes taking place outdoors at night, this edition shows more detail and is easier to watch. It has a minor flaw, a purple band that slowly rolls from bottom to top of the screen; I can eliminate it by reducing the colour intensity on my monitor.

I have all three editions; this is the one I watch.

This review is based on the Apha Video DVD. That's the cheaper one with the close up of Cyrano's face on the cover. The picture jumps so badly, I got a headache. There are also several split-second gaps in the footage, causing snatches of spoken lines to be obliterated. Worst of all, the actors sound as though their heads are being held underwater and the violins on the soundtrack are similarly submerged.

This is lovely, literate film, with several average performances and one astonishing, Academy-Award-winning performance by Jose Ferrer. His portrayal of Cyrano might well be the greatest of all time, even when it sounds like it is spoken from inside my fish tank. The story itself, rich and romantic, and almost Shakespearean in its sense of tragic romance, may cause you to cry as much as the horrible quality of the DVD. The closing scene, in the courtyard of a convent during a light-falling snow, has been etched in my memory ever since I first saw it as a kid.

This film was nominated as one of AFI's best love stories of all time.

I am going to order the more expensive version distributed by Image Entertainment and will update my review based on that.

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Such a good performance to be wasted on such a bad transfer. Had I known how lousy a copy this was I would have saved my money and purchased the Marengo version. The best copy I've seen so far was by Image Entertainment on laserdisc but...

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This a great motion picture. The source material for this Alpha Video DVD is an old tired 16mm print. Sound is as muddy as the picture. The screen actually "crawls" with grain. Contast is bad no detail or resolution. The experience of Jose Ferrer's Academy Award Winning performance is ruined by the quality of this DVD. I don't know why they would manufacture it and I know NO ONE should buy it! Someone should find new source material like IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT their Laser Disc was pristine.

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This splendid film was never the best looking movie ever made, being done on a low budget in black and white, but this so-called "enhanced" edition is so badly transferred to disc as to be virtually unwatchable.

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The Painted Veil

Co-produced and co-starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton, W. Somerset Maugham's novel comes to life in living color. Beautiful cinematography and symphonic music embellish a wonderful, heart-warming story of love and forgiveness.

Kitty (Watts) is getting older. Living in 1920's London, her parents have more to say with impunity about her suitors. Quick to pursue her, Walter Fane (Norton) pushes himself for courtship against her wishes, but the timing leaves her no choice but wedlock. Interrupted in their social life, they become a foursome with Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber) and his wife. Charlie, a virile alternative to her drab, doctor husband, tempts her into adultery. In such an arrangement, women didn't have the freedoms they do now. So when Walter is assigned to treat a cholera epidemic in Shanghai, he's privy to her affair and can blackmail her to come along or face the scorn of divorce. Since her lover is a playboy who abhors attachment anyway, she again has no choice.

Life in China at first offers nothing more than disease and disenchantment. Bored with her life and keeping in seclusion to avoid cholera, her husband spreads nothing but flinty resentment toward her unfaithful presence. Besides a stunning landscape, she discovers a convent where a wise, old mother superior charms her heart and inspires her to do at first repellant work with the orphans. Besides the dangers of disease, the locals are slow to warm up to any foreigner's presence, even one that may offer a solution to their health crisis.

More moving than its beautiful cinematography, Norton's and Watt's splendid performances work well with a captivating story of lust and love, betrayal and forgiveness, and selfishness turned to self-giving. While some viewers may find some of the old-fashioned elements of the film languorous in places, I feel the picture clocks in just right for the state of affairs. Superbly crafted, 'Painted Veil' is complete with a heart-melting beauty for the soul as well as for the eyes.

Don't let my 5 stars fool you into thinking that I think all will love this film; however, I did.

This film is not to everyone's taste, but I found it extraordinary. This kind of film typically attracts those who like films like The English Patient (which I hated) and The Horse Whisperer (which I loved). This is a period piece that doesn't need its period to be relevant. This is a location film that doesn't need its location to be believable. This is a slow-moving story that doesn't need action to be engrossing. This is a masterpiece that doesn't need improvement.

The story is both simple and multi-layered. Naomi Watts, totally unrecognizable from her The Ring and King Kong films, is basically a spoiled brat who would prefer to live off her father's money than to buy into the trappings of marriage (as she sees it). In a moment of spiteful rage against her mother, she intentionally marries a "civil servant" (one viewed beneath her), extremely well-played by Edward (American History X) Norton who equally disappears into his role as a shy man who is rather infatuated with Watts but respectful of the fact she doesn't love him, but hopes she will one day over time. This is a time when arranged marriages were common and for a husband to be as respectful as Norton's role is refreshing. He never forces himself on his wife and she does eventually warm up to him, but considers him a terrible bore.

No spoiler here to mention that the first interesting man that comes along, Liev Schreiber who is effectively self-centered, she beds in her own home. Later, to her surprise, her husband is not only not a blind fool like she thought, but is keenly aware of how people react to situations and has a better understanding of the more base emotions than his self-centered wife. For all her so-called worldly wisdom, she can't read emotions or people very well at all and has little understanding of the consequences of her own actions as she blames the man she willingly married (to spite her mom) for her own affair because he wasn't interesting to her.

In what appears to be retaliation for his wife's callous indiscretion, Norton, who has been quiet and respectful, comes down hard on his wife and volunteers to become a doctor in a remote town in China where they are dropping like flies due to an infectious illness. He knows it may spell certain death to both of them. He offers her the choice of an ugly discrediting divorce for infidelity, which will bring down her politician lover, or go with him. In this time period, that is no choice at all. She goes with him and, at first, we believe him to be incredibly cruel in doing this until we see him at work.

We identify more with Watt's shock at going to this deadly village and are appalled that Norton would do this as "punishment" regardless of the terrible thing she did to him, but we gradually learn that he is actually motivated to save others even at great risk to himself and he had been planning this for awhile and at a time when he might have been able to trust his wife to not have affairs. In addition, either intentionally or unintentionally, we are never sure, Norton gets his wife to see something admirable in him. He may have seemed initially cruel to his wife and he may well have intended this trip as some kind of punishment to both he and his wife, however, he is a multi-layered character who consistently surprises us (and his wife). So much for being "boring."

To give away more would spoil the story, but this is a memorable film that is touching and honest in how it deals with our basic human emotions of love, hate, jealousy, and personal desires. I highly recommend this film, but I'm aware that this kind of story may not appeal to everyone. Even if this is not your typical genre, give it a try. You have nothing to lose but two hours of time and everything to gain by having your deepest emotions touched.

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Some stories portray life in many shades and make all the shades look equally remarkable, even though some shades are bright and some are truly gloomy. The Painted Veil is an outstanding example of such a versatlie story. The movie brilliantly narrates the lives of a couple who marry to pursue conflicting goals and end up uniting in every way. Ed Norton and Naomi Watts deliver one of the best performances of their lives and leave the audience spell bound in a movie that boasts of nothing dramatic and yet is a drama in the purest form. Set in England and China of 1920's, this movie depicts the love, the lack of it, and again the love between a couple whose pursuits were different but led them to one goal. To sum it, The Painted Veil is a sedate, sober and yet stunningly beautiful movie that will engage and enthrall you.

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Lift not the painted veil which those who live

Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,

And it but mimic all we would believe

With colours idly spread,--behind, lurk Fear

And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave

Their shadows, o'er the chasm, sightless and drear.

"The Painted Veil" is old school, not just because it is based on W. Somerset Maugham's 1925 novel, but also because this 2006 movie has sensibilities more akin to the Hollywood of the 1930s (when the movie was first filmed with Greta Garbo and Herbert Marshall), than of today. There was a story in the news this week about a controversial and racy billboard in Chicago that proclaimed "Life's short. Get a divorce." The billboard was taken down after a week, over the objections of the two divorce attorneys who put it up, but there is no denying that divorces have become a lot more popular since Maugham's day (the high water marked was 1980 in the U.S. when the divorce rate topped out at 41%). I bring this up because "The Painted Veil" is about two people who do not get divorced, and not because they are staying together for the sake of the children, because there are not any children. It is a love story, but one of the most unromantic ones that I have ever seen, which is, rather surprisingly, not a bad thing.

Kitty Garstin (Naomi Watts) is the daughter of an unambitious solicitor whose inflated idea of herself has seen her reject all possible suitors. But when her younger sister marries and her mother (Maggie Steed) asks pointedly how long she intends to live off of her father, the confluence of events compels her to accept the marriage proposal of Walter Fane (Edward Norton), a young bacteriologist who is heading off to China. This is hardly the foundation for a marriage and in Hong Kong the bored Kitty ends up having an affair with Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber). When Walter discovers the affair he agrees to let Kitty divorce him if Townsend will divorce his wife and agree to marry Kitty. When Townsend refuses Kitty is stunned, and with nowhere else to go she follows Walter as he volunteers to deal with a cholera epidemic in the interior of China. It is there that the husband and wife find themselves changing.

The title of "The Painted Veil" is taken from a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the opening sestet of which is quoted above, and I find it insightful that Maugham's characters do not take the poet's advice. Almost of as much interest as what is happening between Walter and Kitty is the way he comes to understand that all of his scientific and medical knowledge is of no value if he cannot persuade the locals how to deal with the epidemic. This is a minor part of the story, and it is the omnipresent threat of cholera that is of more importance to the way things work out in "The Painted Veil," but still a nice little critique of the arrogance of Europeans in dealing with the Third World in the screenplay by Ron Nyswaner ("Philadelphia").

Director John Curran ("We Don't Live Here Anymore") was able to film the entire movie in China, but the beautiful vistas shot by Stuart Dryburgh ("The Piano") serve as the setting for the story and never overwhelm it the way that usually happens in a David Lean epic. The performances by the main characters, including Toby Jones as Waddington and Diana Rigg as the Mother Superior, are uniformly understated in keeping with the cultured reserve of their characters, and that may well explain why my appreciation for the moment of mutual redemption for Kitty and Walter is more intellectual than emotional. Of course, back in the day this story was probably as much of a stiff-upper lip tearjerker as you were going to find in literature.

Final Note: The only extra you will find on this DVD is a trailer for the movie, but unless I have gone completely insane this is a different trailer than the one I saw on other DVDs that inspired me to check out this movie. This one gives away specific details regarding the characters and plots that I do not remember seeing in that other trailer, which is why I was able to get into this movie with no expectations beyond that indicated by the presence of Norton, Watts and company that this film was going to take the high road (Update: I found that other trailer on another DVD and, indeed, it gives away very little of the story, which is much more effective than the one accompanying the actual movie).

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If you like a story that deals with the basics of human experience---what love is and what it is not... you will enjoy this film. If you want lots of noise, speed and sensation, rush down to your local Cineplex where you'll find lots of trash that will satisfy your taste.

We see how the main characters are thrown together by circumstances and how their decisions shape their lives. I didn't read the novel so I can't comment on how well the film adapts it but I found it to be very complete and satisfying, which is not always the case when a screenwriter has to cram hundreds of pages into into a two hour script.

You can tell that this was a labor of love for Ed Norton, whose performance as the repressed doctor is perfect. His character is awkward and shy, more at home in a laboratory than at a party. He is hardly attractive and so is powerfully attracted to his opposite--a beautiful, careless socialite who has nothing on her mind other than disliking her dreadful mother. Her mother forces her marry, or be cut off from support, so having no other option in sight, she accepts the proposal of this hapless doctor.

A recipe for disaster! They go to China, where she is temporarily distracted, by another expatriot, a charming, married fellow, who possesses all the excitement that her poor husband lacks and they soon fall into something like love. When her husband discovers her affair he forces her to accompany him to rural China, where cholera is ravaging the population. Wow! If she thought life back in London was a bummer, this brings misery to a whole new level!

Besides cholera, there is political unrest, so danger presents itself on all sides. She and her husband soon detest each other and she tries to contact her ex-lover to rescue her. Alas! she learns that she was only one of a string of dalliances that this cad had indulged in.

I won't divulge the rest of the story. See this and enjoy it for yourself!

Naomi Watts' performance equals Norton's and they are fascinating to watch as each of them evolves. The shots of China are lovely without being overwhelming. This is a perfectly satisfying movie on all levels.

Lawrence of Arabia (50th Anniversary Collector's Edition) (1962)

** UPDATED NOV-15-2012 **

An extraordinary film has now become an extraordinary Blu-ray. David Lean's 1961 desert epic film about the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence and his successes and struggles in the Arab countries during the early 20th Century remains (sadly) as relevant as ever regarding the Western world's unending struggles in the Middle East regions. The Oscar-winning classic is also a landmark event in film history, as it set a very high standard in epic film-making, acting, and, for the making of this Blu-ray, in film restoration as well. Director Lean and then-unknown actor Peter O'Toole's contribution in this film remain influential in the five decades since the film's initial release. And if it had not been for the efforts of restorers Robert A. Harris and Jim Painten, who discovered the film's original negative inside crushed and rusting film cans in Columbia's vaults in the 1980s, and proceeded to restore it to its original glory, we would not have had the pleasure of holding this Blu-ray in our hands. This 2-disc Blu-ray exclusive (no corresponding DVD is available) and a 4-disc (3 Blu-rays plus CD soundtrack) box set are the result of multi-year efforts on the part of the best professionals in the film business.

The aforementioned restoration by Harris & Painten, completed in 1989 and yielding a 227-minute director's cut, was the basis of this Blu-ray release. The running time is sometimes erroneously printed as 217 minutes, but that is actually the shortened running time of the PAL version with the typical 4% speedup. The restored version has always run 227 minutes in a 24-frame-per-second presentation. Older DVD editions may show a 217-minute run time, but be assured that this Blu-ray is not gaining an extra 10 minutes.

With a great film restoration as the basis, a digital scan in 4K resolution of the negative, and the great capacity and superior video & audio specs of a Blu-ray disc, this Blu-ray is unsurprisingly the look and sound of perfect, to borrow an old phrase. The picture is across-the-board perfect. Colors, brightness, contrast, and the amount of details are presented in demo-perfect levels, making the gorgeous deep-focus photography by Freddie Young an absolute pleasure to look at. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless English track, also based on material gained from the 1989 restoration, in which the restorers went to such great lengths as having the actors re-record missing dialogs, is the best this movie has ever sounded on home video. Dolby Digital 5.1 French and Japanese tracks are also included. Subtitle options are English, French, Japanese, Arabic, and Dutch. Those who need a Spanish audio track would need to get the region-free UK Blu-ray to get it, as the US Blu-ray does not have it.

The term "4K scan" refers to the 4096 horizontal pixels, a scanning density that is believed to be required to capture all the details of a 35mm film frame. Since "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed in 65mm, almost twice as wide as 35mm film, it is apt to call this an "8K scan". Hence, some publications refer to this as an 8K scan, although 4K is a correct term as well if you talk about scanning density.

All 227 minutes of the film were put on a single Region-free dual-layered Blu-ray disc, hence no disc break as in older DVD editions. The overture, intermission, and the exit music are all played to a black screen, as per director David Lean's original wish.

Regarding bonus features, the movie disc also contains a "picture-in-graphics track" that is vaguely similar to a DVD-ROM feature (remember PCFriendly?) of the 2001 DVD edition, in which the movie playback is accompanied by on-screen trivias, stills, and maps. But fresh material seems to be used for this Blu-ray. The interface could be a little unwieldly, as the screen is divided into four areas with smallish navigational controls.

A second Blu-ray disc contains more bonuses, which include all featurettes (but not the trailers) found on the 2001 DVD edition. A couple of surprises here. Two vintage shorts, "In Search for Lawrence" and "Romance of Arabia", which were presented in crappy black-and-white on the 2001 DVD, are in glorious color on the Blu-ray, and in nice 1080p HD to boot. A nice brand-new extra is a new 21-minute interview, in HD, of Peter O'Toole, accompanied by film clips and stills.

All other extras on the 2001 DVD are presented unchanged on the Blu-ray, except that all have English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai subtitles. These features include an hour-long making-of documentary, a Steven Spielberg interview, a newreel of the New York premiere, a montage of publicity material, and vintage shorts "The Camels Are Cast" and "Wind, Sand and Star".

** REVIEW OF 2001 2-DISC DVD EDITION BELOW, POSTED APR-06-2001 **

Apart from the slightly soft, washed-out picture quality during the opening credits of the movie, the DVD edition of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is superb. The movie itself is spread onto 2 discs, with the disc break occurs just before Intermission. The Overture, Intermission, and the exit music are all played to a black screen, as per director David Lean's original wish. The picture quality looks as fresh and clean as, quite frankly, any film made in the 90s. In the dramatic shot where Lawrence appears on the far horizon after he rescued his Arab companion, the higher picture resolution of DVD makes it possible for us to notice his tiny figure whereas on VHS tapes or laserdisc it is so small it is almost impossible to see. Anyone who is serious about watching this film should get this DVD instead of any other version in order to appreciate the opulent cinematography and majestic atmosphere of this epic.

The disc has over 100 minutes of old and new documentaries and news footage about the making of the film, plus two well-designed DVD-ROM features (for Windows PC only): a interactive map showing the various journeys undertaken by the real T.E. Lawrence, and a "split-screen" feature that simultaneously plays the movie and shows you text of behind-of-scene information of the particular chapter of the movie that is playing. Since the DVD lacks a second audio commentary, being able to watch the film while reading facts about it is not a bad substitute.

The included "booklet" is a reproduction of the 1961 program given to theater goers, we are told. A nice touch: the disc case resembles Lawrence's diary in the movie.

It is unsurprising to me that some people find Lawrence of Arabia boring. If you have the attention span of a hummingbird, this is not a film you will enjoy. It has no car chases, no bikini-clad supermodels, and nary a kung-fu move to be seen. Instead, all it offers is tortured respect for everything it touches. Lawrence of Arabia is a film that elevated the art of cinematic storytelling to new heights, and it shows. It is the journey, not the destination, that the viewer should focus on. In order to enjoy this film, you must make a commitment to watch it. Get comfortable, have something to drink on hand (you'll know why about halfway through), turn off the phone, and put the remote under a pillow. I've seen a lot of films, and some I've liked to varying degrees, and others I've simply been satisfied that Hollywood didn't butcher the underlying work or premise too badly in pursuit of the lowest common denominator. Lawrence of Arabia is different. It is one of those truly rare films that makes you feel grateful for having seen it, for the efforts of all those involved to craft, create, and perserve over the years just so you might have the chance to see it. It is such a fine film that its merits are obvious, and negative statements about it tend to simply reflect back on the critic.

Why? Many reasons. The actors are likewise gifted with rare talent, and superbly cast. The settings and scenes are invariably breathtaking. The plot is engrossing and entertaining without ever becoming heavy-handed. Film students will while away hours discussing everything from the Christ imagery to the undercurrents of homoeroticism, but they do that with every film. I suggest you simply kick back and enjoy an excellent, time-honored epic about a stranger in a strange land. It is a harrowing, draining journey, but one you will not regret.

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Dear Amazon,

Please stop posting reviews for films that are, essentially, written for another version of the DVD's (and cd's) and not the one posted.

There are several DVD versions of Lawrence of Arabia. They all differ wildly from each other in picture and sound quality.

How do you expect us to chose which is best for us if you post the same review from the 2001 version over and over and over again?

"Best dvd version yet."

Yeah, right in 2001 that may have been true. But Amazon, you've posted this review for every version of this DVD even though the review was for a DVD originally released in 2001!

Lawrence of Arabia has been remastered twice since then, and the subsquent versions are very, very different.

Please stop this and take some responsibility and post reviews ONLY for their specific versions or at least specify that the review was written for another version.

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For me this epic film is tied with "A Bridge On The River Kwai" as the best movie ever made. This film had everything & more. The peerless acting of Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, & Anthony Quinn were perfectly cast for their respective roles. Fine cinematography, direction, action, suspense, special effects, & musical score made this a mammoth production that took two years to complete.

Set in world war one in the turbulent middle east, T.E.Lawrence attempts to unite the Arabs to overthrow their Ottoman Turkish rulers. He starts as a mapmaker for British intelligence in Cairo. From the very first frames you can feel the extraordinary WILL of this man. He burns himself with matches saying to his comrade "the trick is not to mind that it hurts." He is sent to spy on King Feisal{Alec Guinness}, but he soon finds that he identifies more with the arabs than with his fellow Brit's. His brutal journey to the king under the scorching desert Sun alone is worth four stars. He develops an unexpected & intruiging relationship with an arab chieftain Sherif Ali{Omar Sharif}, that moves the film ever forward. Without orders he crosses the desert to lead a motley group of fifty men joining Auda Abu Tayi{Anthony Quinn}, to attack the Turks at Aqaba. With the victory comes his fame as US reporter Jackson Bentley{Arthur Kennedy}, brings the story to the media's attention. He moves from one gruelling adventure to another showing an indomitable will that encourages his men to fight above what they thought their own abilities were. Lawrence Of Arabia is an epic that celebrates the empty silence of the arabian desert. the vast clips across the glowing desert show a tiny rider approaching, mesmerizing sunsets, battles, & camp details make this a masterpiece. Peter O'Toole gave the greatest performance ever in this film. I'm not saying that Gregory Peck did not deserve the Oscar for "To Kill A Mockingbird," just that O'Toole deserved it a little more. The former still has never won the Oscar, which for me is an unpardonable sin!

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There are actually 4 versions of this movie on DVD:

1. Bare bones single disc version (don't bother; I agree with reviewer)

2. 2-disc limited edition (which has lots of extras but the film quality is not the best of the versions out there) 2001 release

3. 2-disc superbit edition (which doesn't have the extras but the film quality is superior to the limited edition) 2003 release (out of print but can get on amazon marketplace or ebay)

4. 2-disc collector's edition (which has the extras and the superbit version of the film which is an excellent version also) 2008 release

Hope that helps.

PS I would only recommend #3 or #4 as the film quality is better on these version than #1 or #2.

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To Catch a Thief (1955)

After reading the gushing, swooning review from the DVD critic in last Tuesday's NY Times, I immediately ordered the "Special Collector's Edition" of TO CATCH A THIEF from Amazon. When it arrived, I compared it to my original Paramount "Widescreen Edition" from 2002. Well, the critic was right--there's simply no comparison. This new version has a 2.0 Dolby Surround soundtrack (in addition to the original mono version) and a cleaned-up, enhanced, crystal-clear picture, start to finish. It looks like they took the drab, blurry, faded old stock and actually washed it, removing years of dirt and grime and smoke and hair and whatever else was there, not to mention a computerized removal of virtually all scratches and glitches. The result is astounding.

As for the color, see for yourself. Pay close attention to the first car chase down the mountain, the meeting in the flower market, and the costume ball near the end. Not to mention the many night scenes on rooftops, where everything is now much more visible than before. And Grant and Kelly? Well, the two most beautiful people who ever lived look even more beautiful. Wait till you see the famous fireworks scene now!

I don't have to tell you that this film is wonderful, no matter which version you have. But I can guarantee you that this newly restored version makes it seem better than ever. If you're as nuts about Hitchcock as I am, it really is worth the upgrade. Enjoy!

Update (11/8/2009): The new To Catch a Thief The Centennial Collection (1955) (2pc) is essentially the same as the 2007 "Special Collector's Edition," with the same upgraded print. This review applies to both editions.

Is there a difference in this latest version of this DVD release? Or is it simply a marketing "repackage"? There is a difference!

In my opinion, the DVD transfer of this "Special Collector's Edition" is far superior to the original DVD release. In a side-by-side comparison, I was amazed to see the job that was performed on this restoration. While, the original DVD contains plenty of dirt, scratches, conversion-related distortion/noise, etc., the Special Collector's Edition looks nearly pristine.

There are plenty of scenes in the movie where I experienced, how can I describe it, the illusion of depth and/or three-dimensional effect.

This version will certainly replace my original copy.

Buy To Catch a Thief (1955) Now

This travel brochure to adventure and romance is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most entertaining films. The gorgeous vistas of the French Riviera are matched perfectly by the stunning duo of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Robert Burks' cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award and Edith Head gives Grace Kelly the look of an American princess. A fine screenplay from Michael Hayes based on a novel by David Dodge, and a light romantic score from Lyn Murray combine with all the other elements to make this a true film classic.

American John Robie (Cary Grant) has been living well in a beautiful villa on the French Riviera for the past 15 years. Once the most notorious thief in France, the man known as "The Cat" has been quiet for many years. He was in prison during the war when the Germans bombed it. He chose to stay and fight with the French Resistance upon his escape, and became a legend. It led to his parole, which is rather precarious now that a string of jewel robberies mimicking his exact style are occuring on the rooftops of the rich.

The French police want him for it, and his old pals are angry that he's brought them this unwanted attention after all these years. Since the only way to clear himself is to catch the thief himself, he hooks up with an insurance agent whose company is paying out the claims on all the robberies and begins a game of cat and mouse with the thief. The cheese in the trap is the delicious Grace Kelly.

Francie Stevens (Kelly) and her mother, Jessie (Jesse Royce Landis), are vacationing on the Riviera. Robie, posing as a lumber tycoon from Oregon, wants to keep they and their diamonds company until the thief strikes. Francie throws off his game, however, when she learns early on who he really is and displays a wild enthusiasm for helping him steal! Robie isn't there to steal, of course, but has trouble convincing Francie of that when her mother's jewels are stolen. Coming on the heels of a romantic interlude between the two, it is especially insulting.

That evening together is framed beautifully by Hitchcock, cutting back and forth between the fireworks outside on the Riviera and the fireworks going on inside. Kelly is like a playful kitten with a gleam in her eye, and Grant the older cat, who's seen her kind of kitten before and isn't sure he wants to play. There is a wonderful chemistry between the two, who seemed to be made for each other on the screen. A wild ride in her sports car along the coast that has Robie a little worried and a picnic in elegant dress are a treat to watch.

Complicating matters is another sexy kitten, Danielle Foussard (Brigitte Auber). She is the daughter of one of his old pals (Jean Martinelli) and would like nothing better than to run off with Robie to South America. But she is a different kind of kitten, perhaps harder to handle than Francie. When her father is murdered and pegged as the thief, she lashes out at Robie at his funeral. By this time, Francie's wise mom has set her straight about Robie, and together they set a trap for the real thief at a posh costume ball.

It will lead to an exciting and entertaining chase on the rooftops as Robie unmasks the imposter. Since he's enlisted Francie's help this time, he is forced to admit he may not be the lone wolf he thought he was. There is a terrific conclusion as everyone gets what they want, especially the viewer. Look quick for Hitch on the back seat of the bus Grant uses to evade the police! This is elegant escapist entertainment that you can't help but fall in love with. A marvelous film to get lost in on any weekend.

Read Best Reviews of To Catch a Thief (1955) Here

Beautiful, well-casted and a classic romantic, suspenseful thriller from Alfred Hitchcock.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"TO CATCH A THIEF" looks great for a 1955 film on DVD. One thing that Hitchcock really utilized on this film is color. From the beauty of France, set design, costume design. Everything was well done and vibrant. The film looks beautiful and is featured in Widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TV's.

As for the audio, audio is presented in Dolby Digital English 2.0 Surround/English, French and Spanish Mono.

As for subtitles, subtitles are in English, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There are a good number of special features on the Centennial Collection of "TO CATCH A THIEF" with a few new featurettes plus the previous features included in the 2007 DVD release. The majority of the special features are included on the second disc (commentary on the first disc). Included are:

* Commentary: The Centennial Collection forgoes the original commentary featured on the 2007 DVD by Peter Bogdanovich and Laurent Bouzereau and now features commentary by Dr. Drew Casper, Hitchcock Prof. of American Film at USC who definitely knows his Hitchcock (even Hitchcock's family are surprised with his knowledge for the "A Night With the Hitchcock" events). Casper is passionate about the filming and his commentary is just informative and well-done.

* A Night with the Hitchcock's A new 23-minute featurette filmed on Nov. 2008 at the University of Southern California (USC). The Hitchcock class is one of the most popular classes at the university and the family has come to these events for several years answering questions from students in regards to Alfred Hitchcock as a director and also insight of his family life. Pat Hitchcock (daughter of Alfred Hitchcock), Mary Stone (granddaughter of Alfred Hitchcock) and moderated by Dr. Drew Casper, Hitchcock Prof. of American Film at USC. Very informative and enjoyable to learn about the family life of Alfred Hitchcock.

* Unacceptable Under the Code: Film Censorship in America A new near 12-minute featurette about the strict restrictions imposed on the film industry, this film shows how Alfred Hitchcock would find ways to work around the censorship code.

* Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief A nine minute featurette about the film, the screenplay and casting Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Original featurette from the 2007 DVD release.

* The Making of To Catch a Thief A near 17-minute featurette about the making of the film, shooting in the US at the Paramount lot and shooting in France. Interview with Hitchcock's daughter Mary Stone who gives insight of the film, especially the challenges of filming the kissing and beach scenes which the censorship code wanted eliminated from the film but how Hitchcock created the film to ensure that the scenes stayed in the film. Interviews with production manager Dock Erickson who provides technical insight and using VistaVision. Interviews with Steven DeRosa, author of "Writing with Hitchcock" who shared his knowledge about Hitchcock and interviews with Pat Hitchcock in regards to Edith Head's fashion designs for the film and much more. An original feature used on the 2007 release.

* Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly A new six minute featurette about the film featuring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly and how these two had instant chemistry together on screen.

* Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation This seven minute featurette is about the humor of Alfred Hitchcock and how Grace Kelly and Hitchcock were good friends. Mary Stone (Hitchcock's granddaughter) discussing her personal experiences with her grandfather including working with him on a college paper about a film they both enjoyed and getting a C and more. Originally featured in the 2007 DVD release of "TO CATCH A THIEF".

* Edith Head: The Paramount Years A 13-minute featurette featuring Edith Head known for her costumes for "Columbia Pictures" and the many memorable films that she took part in.

* Trailers: Original Theatrical Trailer (2:11)

* If You Love To Catch Thief, You'll Love this Interactive Travelogue A segment that allows people to see a map of the French Riviera. When you click on one of the nine cities featured on the map, you get to see parts of the film while a narrator talks about the city and its surroundings.

* Galleries A section to see image galleries for the movie, publicity, visitors to the set and production.

And like previous Centennial Collections from Paramount, a booklet is included with information and tidbits about the film and its stars and also a cardboard slipcase that holds the DVD/case.

JUDGMENT CALL:

There are plenty of Hitchcock films that I would love to see receive a "Centennial Collection" treatment but it'll probably never happen since "TO CATCH A THIEF" is the only Hitchcock film that Paramount still owns (note: the company sold all rights back to Hitchcock in the 1960's which now, the majority of his films are distributed by Universal). But if anything, with this being the sole Hitchcock film owned by Paramount, they really did give an awesome "Centennial Collection" tribute to Alfred Hitchcock with the number of special features included on this DVD. The new features are just great, especially the interviews with his daughter Pat and granddaughter Mary who give us this personal side of Alfred Hitchcock.

"TO CATCH A THIEF" is one of those films that showcase a side of Alfred Hitchcock that doesn't go dark or hardcore into the suspense. In fact, the film is quite beautiful with the amount of cinema work done in France and thus you really get beautiful cinematography during the outdoor scenes.

The chemistry between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly was just well done. Knowing that before Grant took the part, he was set on retirement and felt his career was pretty much done but it was that keen eye of Alfred Hitchcock that wanted these two together and he did what he could to get him to accept the role of John Robie. Grace Kelly, a favorite actress that Hitchcock would have in several of his film (and this film would be her last for him before comitting to her duties as Princess of Monaco) was just absolutely dashing and charming. Both talents just clicked.

Of course, part of the beauty of the film is that it utilized the Technicolor technology, VistaVision for its widescreen shots (Hitchcock's first utilization of the technology in his films) and utilized stereophonic for audio. The film won an Academy Award for "Best Cinematography" and the film is quite deserving. In fact, watching it again, I'm just amazed at the beautiful shots in the film. Well done!

For those who purchased the 2007 DVD, many may wonder if the "Centennial Collection" is worth it? I own the 2007 version but it all depends on the viewer. If the three extra special features and the new commentary are worth it. Personally, I found the added footage and commentary to be well worth it. Dr. Drew Casper's knowledge of Hitchcock is just incredible and his commentary is absolutely well-done and again, "A Night With the Hitchcock's" was just a pleasure to watch. So, yes...this Centennial Collection version is worth it!

Overall, this "Centennial Collection" for "TO CATCH A THIEF" is another solid DVD release for Paramount's collection. Personally, I would love to see these Centennial Collections in Blu-ray but for now, this DVD is just the definitive version to own.

Although, not my favorite Hitchcock film, as I'm more into his more suspenseful and psychological thrillers, I've always enjoyed "TO CATCH A THIEF" for it's overall presentation and the talent involved onscreen but watching this DVD and its special features, it gave me more of an appreciation towards this film.

This film is, to me, is Hitchcock's most passionate and strikingly beautiful looking films that he has ever done so far.

The film is elegant, beautiful and memorable and the many special features included really does give tribute to one of the world's most prolific director's ever.

Alfred Hitchcock fans, "TO CATCH A THIEF CENTENNIAL COLLECTION" is highly recommended!

Want To Catch a Thief (1955) Discount?

"To Catch a Thief" is the 3rd of a quartet of Hitchcock films that starred Cary Grant. This film has just about everything going for it and is a personal favorite of mine, one which I have viewed many times over many years now. I love this movie!

With that said, this review will focus on the actual video and sound quality rather than the film itself so you the reader can decide whether this Blu Ray disc is a good upgrade from your standard VHS or DVD version (of which there are more than a few) .

This film is packaged in an ultra cheapo 'Eco Case' (I HATE them) and mine came with a cardboard slipcover that Paramount defaced with a sticker touting a contest they are running. (thanks Paramount) The disc is a 50Gig with a plain one color/etched surface similar to other Paramount titles.

Simply put, the image quality of "To Catch a Thief" is STUNNING on this Blu Ray transfer. Shot in VistaVision back in 1955 (the year I was born) we are treated here to a visual FEAST. The visuals truly POP with both excellent resolution and vibrant color and much of the time it is so good that a three dimensional effect occurs while watching. I actually experienced depth of field in many scenes to the point where it was almost disorienting at first. Even after reading all the current great reviews for this disc I wasn't fully prepared for what awaited me.

Color timing is spot on. Just GREAT! No encoding artifacts are noticeable and the print itself has been beautifully cleaned and scanned. Yes you will get some grain and softness in the composited shots (rear projection scenes, etc.) but nothing nearly as bad as the effects shots in Ten Commandments on Blu. In motion the transfer shines as well. Things are smooth! I detect no over-usage of sharpening or DNR and there is detail to spare in almost every scene.

Check out the wipsy blonde hair on Grace Kelly's arms, hereto unseen.... The coarse black hair on Cary Grant's knuckles are fully resolved. If only he didn't wear stripes during the first third of the film! (Parallel lines and fog/mist/smoke are the pitfalls of digital and have yet to be properly rendered IMO no matter what player or processor you use to feed your display)

There is one 15 to 20 second moment when the source switches obviously to SD as Cary,Grace and Jessie come down the stairs in their party costumes, blown up and grainy/blurry as heck, then right back to crystal clear. Apparently that one small piece of film was destroyed or badly damaged and they had to substitute this inferior rendering to keep things from becoming choppy and missing a KEY line... otherwise this transfer really doesn't ever drop the ball!

The bit /data transfer rate is VERY high and it shows on screen. My hat is off to the team that prepared this film for Blu Ray. They did a SUPER job!

The best way for me to describe the picture is to say it bests the very best James Bond 'Lowry' restorations from the 60's. Granted by only a few notches, but this transfer bests "From Russia With Love" which is an achievement in itself!

Ok, the picture totally rocks, how about the sound? You get numerous audio options including a good DolbyTruHD Stereo mix which is very good. Also the original MONO is offered in lossless DolbyTruHD as well. I found the MONO to sound very flat and lifeless compared to the reworked Stereo track so I watched using the Stereo option and let my receiver convert it into Dolby ProLogic II for pseudo surround effects. It worked perfectly and sounded great. You can hear everything that is said with ease. With the enhanced resolution you can also notice every time an actor has been dubbed by someone else or by themselves in post production. The music is full of life and more vibrant than I have ever heard it. Lyn Murray's score sounds very much Bernard Herrmann and I had to keep reminding myself it wasn't, but that is a good thing as it fits Hitchcock to a tee!

While not being as noticeably great as the video, the sound on this disc is as good as it could possibly be and I was more than satisfied with it. It is a large step up from the DVD and as good as we will ever get in this lifetime, of that I am sure! Kudos go to the audio engineers for a great job on the soundtrack!

Bonus features abound on this disc and frankly I am surprised they could fit them in with so much space already used by the high bit rate transfer. You get eight documentaries of varying length (some are very short but all are interesting), a commentary by Drew Casper, noted film historian and Hitchcock aficionado, and some great Photo Galleries presented in luscious 1080p which you can capture on your computer for some super wallpapers or prints. Of course the original theatrical trailer has been included as well.

Bottom line, even if this disc contained NONE of the bonus features and shipped in a plain white paper sleeve, I would have gladly paid much more than the current asking price. "To Catch a Thief" on Blu Ray rewards Cary Grant fans for their patience and gives us THE BEST video quality of ANY of his movies currently released. I own them all (Charade, An Affair to Remember, Notorious and North by Northwest) and find it hard to imagine any of his films looking any better than this one does. I would venture to say this is one Blu Ray transfer even Hitchcock would gladly approve of! I know I do! My VERY HIGEST recommendation!

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Kes (The Criterion Collection) (1969)

Kes

Directed by Ken Loach

Starring David Bradley, Colin Welland, Brian Glover

Criterion | 1969 | 110 minutes | Rated PG-13

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Audio:

English: LPCM Mono

English: Dolby Digital Mono

Subtitles:

English SDH

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

Region A locked

The film contains brief nudity and scenes which may disturb young children.

Kes is a very British film, winning two BAFTA awards from its five nominations. Colin Welland won for best supporting actor and was the only professional actor in the film. David Bradley won for most promising newcomer.

The story deals with a troubled young boy, Billy Casper (Bradley). He is bullied by his older brother at home and similarly treated by his peers in school. He's insolent, not above lying or stealing and does little to encourage people to like him. He's a loner.

The setting is Barnsley, Yorkshire, in the north of England. If you have ever seen this part of England depicted in other films, you'll know that it's a poor area populated largely by working class people. In the 1960s, that was very much the case. Billy's brother worked in a coal mine, as did most of the town. The two had to share the same bed, so you can imagine how poor they were.

Anyone unfamiliar with British accents may find the thick Yorkshire dialect hard to follow. It's the main reason that Kes wasn't given a wide release outside England. I'm completely at home with the accent because my grandfather came from Barnsley. He often talked about his tough upbringing and it gives the film additional meaning for me. His father was a miner and my grandfather only escaped that fate by joining the army.

We see Billy on his paper route, taking time off to read his comic. He also steals eggs from the milkman. Milk is still delivered to each home in the UK in this manner. When his mother and brother go out to a bar on the weekends, Billy is left at home on his own. His brother beats him and the house is generally filled with the sound of his mother and brother arguing loudly. He doesn't say much at school, but is often the target of bigger boys.

Early in the film, Billy is taking a walk through the countryside and spies a kestrel. He watches for a while and sees that two kestrels are taking food to a nest. After stealing a book about falconry from a local bookstore, he climbs up to the nest and steals a young kestrel. The bird provides an escape from his unpleasant existence and quickly becomes the focus of his life. This seemingly uneducated boy has discovered his passion. He reads the stolen book and trains the kestrel.

One day, in class, he is asked by a teacher, Mr. Farthing (Welland), to tell the other kids a true story about his life. He's reluctant and says that he doesn't have any, but one of the kids mentions his kestrel. This leads to one of the strongest and most emotional scenes in the film. He's disinterested in everything he is taught and the people around him, but talking about the bird is a different matter. Billy comes alive when he describes how he devotes his time to feeding and training the bird, who he names Kes. Farthing is engrossed in the story and sees for the first time that there's more to Billy than he imagined. He starts to look out for the boy and even visits him to watch him train Kes. It's a strong performance from Welland and he deserved his BAFTA award.

The other teachers wouldn't have a job in modern society. They shout continually and are deeply suspicious of the kids' behavior. The headmaster uses the cane and doesn't seem to mind whether those being punished were truly to blame. The gym teacher cheats at soccer and punishes Billy with a cold shower for conceding a goal. Farthing is the only one who looks at the kids as if they are young people with a chance to make something of their lives.

There's a strong political message in the film, confirmed during interviews in the special features, that many kids have no chance to escape their miserable reality. Billy visits a careers officer who only seems interested in placing him in a pigeon hole. He'll either work in an office if he has the aptitude, or he'll become a miner. The writers talk about how two-thirds of their generation suffered a similar fate. When we see Billy so animated, talking about Kes, it's a sign of his true potential. Will it be recognized or will his life be written off by others as insignificant? This is the essence of the film, along with how Billy substitutes friendship with his love for Kes.

Billy's dishonest nature eventually becomes a problem for him and there are some extremely sad scenes.

The story is based on the book A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. Bradley was 14 when the film was made and was chosen from pupils who attended the school mentioned in the book. All of the children came from one of three schools in the town. The gym teacher (Brian Glover, Alien 3) was a real teacher at the time and Kes was his first film.

Video Quality 4.5/5

The film was made in 1969 on a low budget, but looks wonderful. Criterion's restoration was approved by director Ken Loach. There are occasional white speckles and softness, but the new transfer looks natural and full of detail. This is exactly what I would expect from Criterion, who, along with Disney, continue to maintain the highest possible standards.

Audio Quality 4/5

Two options are offered on the menu: The filmmaker's original soundtrack with production dialogue (English LPCM 1.0) and the internationally released soundtrack with postsync dialogue (English Dolby Digital 1.0). I recommend the original version. Everything is clear, including the dialogue, but some viewers may benefit from the English subtitles due to the heavy Yorkshire accent.

Special Features 5/5

Making Kes (45 minutes, 1080p) tells you everything you might want to know about the film. Criterion interviewed director Ken Loach, producer Tony Garnett, actor David Bradley and cinematographer Chris Menges in 2010 to discuss their recollections.

The South Bank Show (50 minutes, 1080i) looks at the career of Ken Loach.

Cathy Come Home (77 minutes, 1080i) is an early film from Loach and Garnett shown here in its entirety.

Trailer (3 minutes, 1080p)

Booklet (22 pages) including an essay by Graham Fuller

Kes is a wonderful human interest story with a number of deeper themes thrown into the mix, although the story ends rather abruptly. The largely amateur cast was authentic and did a good job of portraying life in Barnsley. It's on record at IMDB as being director Krzysztof Kieslowski's (The Double Life of Veronique, Three Colors Trilogy) favorite film. I wouldn't quite go that far, but it's certainly worth owning. Amazon.com has it at the bargain price of $18.99 at the time of writing. I'm glad I took advantage.

Overall score 4.5/5

A beautiful and tender story that turns around a 15 year-old Yorkshire boy who tames and trains his pet. One of the most remarkable films of that decade directed by that young and raising promise. Ken Loach.

Buy Kes (The Criterion Collection) (1969) Now

I enjoyed this story when I read it at school in the 70's and this is the fourth or fifth time I have watched the movie.

Very realistic socially (I grew up just a few miles from where this is filmed) and don't doubt that the PE teacher is based in reality.

Touching and emotional.

Read Best Reviews of Kes (The Criterion Collection) (1969) Here

This film is so beautiful-i saw it in the U.K.I really wish they would release in U.S format so i could have it to keeeep!!It is very realistic real film that gets right under your skin and into the little boy's head.Life is stark and hard for him but when he flys or handles that bird ,it sets his soul free.Not much time left-he's soon going to grow up and have to work in the mine and be smothered by mundane grind like folks around him.Heartbreaking without an once of sentimentality so this film gets you.Somewhat upsetting.But so goddam beautiful.

Want Kes (The Criterion Collection) (1969) Discount?

4 1/2 Stars

Ken Loach's acclaimed 1973 film "Kes" is one of the saddest films I've ever seen, literally ever. 90% percent of this film is shown with scenes displaying the public disapproval of small loner Billy Casper; be it by his teachers, peers, or family. No matter where he gos there is always Something someone finds to disapprove of in poor Billy: His appearance, attitude, or just the simple fact that he exists. He is a kid whose past is percieved as horrible, present is obiviously miserable, and whose future is looking as dim as the mine shaft he's destined to plunge into. But in all of this darkness there is one small bright shade of light: Kes. A beautiful kestrel taken from a monastery wall by Billy. He seems to be the only thing in this world that Casper takes a natural interest to. "It's just a bird!" His mother shouts, but it's not. Its his sole reason left for existing.

We have all felt down and out in our lives, but only a few of us have ever reached the level of hopelessness that fills Billy's life. The flying scenes with Billy and kes are brief but beautiful, for they show a kid regaining his reason to live when his society told him he had none. "They beat him. They Deprived him. They Ridiculed him. They Broke his heart. But they could not break his spirit." That is the tagline for this film, and I don't think they could've made one that summed up this film better. In some ways I believe that Kes represents Billy in that he feels the need to take flight, to go make something of himself, but is trapped by the forces of his own environment (that leash).

At Kes' Conclusion we are left in want of a resolution, but are sadly denied it. That to me is what makes the film so painful, we hope deep down that Billy finds a way out of his current situation but everything looks doubtful. All I keep thinking is how many children out there share a similar childhood to Billy's, and all I hope is that each of them has their own Kes. Because without hope, without that spirit, what reason is there for living?

This is not a film that would be enjoyed by a massive american audience. This is not Old yeller and it is certainly not Free Willy. Many will find it overly depressing (which isn't an irrational complaint) and the thick yorkshire accents are difficult to follow (These are not Gosford Park accents). But I would state that this film is incredible for its poigancy, emotional power and the very natural performance by David Bradley. The cinematography is exceptional, especially since the film had such a meager budget, and Ken Loach's directing is acclaimed for a reason. If you are looking for a film with a powerful emotional impact, thou can't go wrong with Kes.

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