Reviews (40)

A World Turned Upside Down and Inside Out: Could You Survive
This is one of the best films in the genre--historial film from autobiography. Marco Hofschneider brings to brilliant life the story of Salamon Perel, a German Jew. From the days of Kristallnacht--the Night of Broken Glass, when Jewish businesses were trashed and vandalized throughout Germany, to his final reunification with his brother--to poignant to say more about this here...this is a cinematic masterpiece.

I've seen few films that capture the turmoil of adolescent identity and identification so well. True, the Nazi era is the backdrop, but the themes couldn't be more universal. In that respect, it is also more relevant today, in 2004, than during the 1980s, when it was filmed--especially in America, where the American identity has been deconstructed so as to be hardly palpable. Also, it is equally relevant in Europe, where national distinctions could meld into a Confederacy if not a Union of some power.

Politics aside, this is an intensely personal film, one where the unquestioned identity of youth (German) falls victim to oncoming War and cruel happenstance. Perel must continually revise his vision OF himself and FOR himself, and at one point wishes for nothing more than to be an Nazi, for a beautiful young German girl becomes enfatuated with him. How did he end up in this position, wearing the uniform of the Hitler Youth at an Elite boarding school in Berlin? Or lose his virginity to a high-ranking female Party member while he is escorted by train from the Eastern Front to Berlin, as a Folk Hero (Volksdeutscher Held). Perhaps you think it unimaginable. I do not.

I've seen places in German where the remnants of Jewish culture and tradition are clear as day--such as a former High School for Jews in Berlin--with Hebrew and German inscribed clearly in the stones.

No, though Germany seems to some a heartless pillar of unemotionality, efficiency, heartlessness, the German characters in Europa, Europa are as human as those found anywhere. They fall victim to their personal aspirations, desire to please, deceitfulness, betrayal...simply put, human.

Although current fashion is to think of the period as one of the "banality of evil" (attributed to Hannah Arendt, Holocaust scholar), this film exposes the period as one more of human triumph and tragedy, and that, while we grow into adulthood, our personal identity is as much at the mercy of the passage of time and events as a unique, solitary construction.

See this film! It will draw you into the themes of Life, Love, and Redemption, and be over leaving you desperate for more.

Your friend, your enemy, you....
I caught this movie originally on cable a few minutes into the film and was instantly intrigued and completely confused. A Jewish kid in the German Army? And the Hitler Youth? And in love with a German girl who says nice things like 'If there were a Jew here right now, I'd cut his throat!' right before she asks him to father her child. What the hell was going on here?

What was going on was 'Europa, Europa', an outstanding and often funny (true) story of a teen of German-Jewish extraction named Jupp who in 1939 was in the Communist Youth League in one of the Soviet-occupied Baltic territories, and ended up being captured by the Germans when they invaded the USSR in 1941. Naturally he concealed his Jewish identity and, believing him to be Volksdeutsch (a non-German of German blood, and therefore automatically a German citizen under Hitler's laws) the Wehrmacht drafted him as a soldier-translator. This begins Jupp's double life....a few months ago he was a Communist and a Jew, and now he's a German and a Nazi....just imagine this kid's confusion. The soldiers of his unit adopt him as a sort of mascot, and even when one of the soldiers discovers his secret, he does not betray him. The mutual affection between Jupp and the soldiers becomes real over time, and leads to Jupp's first crisis of identity: how can he be friends and comrades with men who believe Jews are evil, sub-human scum? Things get even more complicated when the violently anti-Semetic commander of the unit offers to adopt Jupp and send him back to Germany to join a Hitler Youth hostel. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

Jupp finds the Hitler Youth both a dream and a nightmare. On the one hand, much of the Nazi propaganda turns out to be true -- the boys are tough, fun-loving, comradely, and loyal. They enjoy their singing, marching, and sports, and they are truly inspired by the destruction of snobbery and class privelege which was a central objective of National Socialism (Nazism). On the other hand, they sing charming songs like "sharpen your knives on the paving stone, the Jewish blood will run" and spend time in class learning to 'spot' Jews and other sub-humans through racial characteristics (Jupp is selected as a good example of Baltic Aryan blood). These kids remind you of darling young tiger cubs that will grow up into man-eaters: they are both charming and frightening.

Much of the movie is a black-comic attempt by Jupp to fit in as a loyal German youth while hiding his Jewish identity from his friends, which is tough on account of being circumcised in a society where circumcision was performed only among Jews (there are some lengths Jupp goes to to disguise this fact that will make any man watching EXTREMELY uncomfortable....I kept thinking "God, that poor kid!"). As you can imagine, when he falls for a lovely Arayan maiden, disguising this fact becomes even harder.

As the war roars towards its conclusion, Jupp is torn by the loyalty and sense of belonging he feels in the HJ/Nazi Germany and his true identity. After the defeat at Stalingrad, the mourning boys gather and sing poignantly together as brothers, and Jupp mourns with them. The fact that he is clearly not faking shows the turmoil and conflict in his young heart. Is he Jupp, the Jew, or Jupp, the Nazi?

"Europa, Europa" is different from 'Holocaust' type movies in that it injects a lot of humor into otherwise horrible situations without cheapening what happened. This is an undeniably tragic and moving film; it is also pretty damn funny. But it will also make you mad, and the really infuriating thing for the viewer is the colossal waste of it all -- the movie shows how the egalitarian ideals of National Socialism inspired, moved, and united young people, but was perverted by race hatred, anti-Semetism, and bloodlust, and ulyimately had to be destroyed at a terrible cost to everybody involved. What a stupid, criminal waste of millions of able young men, who were taught to hate people really no different than themselves. What a pity the Germans chose to forget the many Jews who served ably and courageously for their country in World War I, and bought into Hitler's insane hatred of them, a hatred which was not only stupid but hypocritical. After all, the man who in 1917 or so recommended a young Corporal Hitler for his Iron Cross First Class was a lieutnant named Hugo Gutmann....but somehow I'm willing to bet that fact never came up in any Hitler Youth class. Too bad for Jupp, and too bad for Europa.

Mesmerizing story based on true events¿
Europa Europa is set in the year before and during the World War II in Europe. The story is based on the true events of the young boy, Salomon "Solly" Perel (Marco Hofschneider), son of a shopkeeper in Poland who experienced brutality through the eye of the enemy as he had to disguise himself in order to survive as his heritage was Jewish. Initially Solly escapes the German's wearing a Nazi leather coat with the Swastika on the arm, which becomes his first disguise or act in order to survive. This continues throughout the film where Solly must hide his true identity, which deals with his circumcision, culture, and background. The constant acting by Solly leads him to begin to feel unsure about his true identity as he tries to assimilate into Nazi-German culture and reject himself. At one point Solly's feelings towards his Jewish background are close to hatred as he also struggles with the natural dilemmas of a teenager such as identity and love. Europa Europa is a dark coming of age film depicting the terrible destiny of Solly as he grows up as a pro-Nazi in order to survive and have self-discovery while hiding himself from himself. When the audience stretches their legs during the end credits there will be much room for pondering and contemplation as Europa Europa leaves the viewers with an excellent cinematic experience.

Warning - Not Much Of This Movie Is True
Mr. Perel's story - that is to say, his autobiography - is interesting and compelling. Regretably, this movie has taken literary license to an unfortunate extreme. "Leni," his girlfriend of sorts at the Hitler Youth School, was never pregnant in real life. At the end of the war, he was actually captured by the Americans in his sleep rather than the dramatic capture by the Russians depicted in the movie. He never captured a Russian position as depicted in the movie or otherwise. And, the homosexual German soldier depicted in the movie didn't merely make a casual pass at Perel - he actually tried to rape Perel on a number of occassions, once by trying to knock him out with chloroform (And yet in the end he did keep Perel's secret and they did become friends, as depicted in the movie). Not only was the movie full of drama that never happened, it also cut out significant events which did occur in real life - for example, Perel confronted his classmates and teachers at the end of the war. A very good movie, yes, but it irks me a great deal that so many "facts" were concocted out of thin air, at the expense of many true compelling events. I therefore do not recommend this movie, and instead recommmend Perel's book, and also the book "Hiding in Plain Sight" by Betty Lauer, which was published in March 2004.

I love this movie !!!
This movie is excellent! I can't believe more of my friends don't know this movie. It is truly an underrated movie by mainstream people, especially since it's a true story about a holocaust survivor. Even the music score is awesome. The music was written by Zbigniew Preisner, who has the most intense and sad music ever written for a holocaust movie. It's a crime that this movie is underrated by the mainstream. At least it won many film awards by independent film makers back in the early 1990s. There is justice afterall!!! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

wonderful.
This is a movie everyone should see. I know that everyone always writes that, but I really mean it. I've never seen another movie like it in my whole life. there's something hauntingly, charmingly true about it. The story is set in 1918, in a small french town that has been evacuated because there's a bomb hidden. A scottish soldier is sent in to disable it, but he doesn't know where it's hidden or when it's going to go off. Accidentally freeing all the inmates of the insane asylum who've been left (by the fleeing townspeople) in the town, the soldier finds himself stuck among them, trying to convince them to leave, but having no luck. the inmates are irresistibly lovable, carefree, full of wisdom and completely free of all societal restraints. it's impossible not to fall in love with the world they create in the evacuated town. I think the movie is only made better by being in another language: reading the subtitles, you can imagine the characters saying the lines in any way that you want. French is such a beautiful language: that, combined with the unobtrusive music, makes for a film strangely silent and beautiful. It makes me cry. Please go watch it. It's definitely one of my favorites.

Enchanting fantasy; topical allegory; classic movie
A fairy tale set in a French town caught between the opposing armies of the First World War, "King of Hearts" has lost none of its beguiling charm in the 35 years since its original release, nor has its message grown stale. Alan Bates shines as Charles Plumpick, a simple private in a Scottish regiment and perhaps the only sane man in the abandoned town. But is his world of war and brutality really any saner than the make-believe world conjured up by the escaped inmates of the town lunatic asylum, the only residents Private Plumpick encounters during his reconaissance? It is a point of view that depends entirely on one's perspective. This whimsical, gentle tale challenges the watcher to reexamine what constitutes true madness, just as the asylum characters force Pvt. Plumpick, having been to his initial discomfort acclaimed as the King of Hearts, to choose which role he prefers: king of the fools or fool for King George V? Broca directs his own screenplay with a deft touch and using a stellar cast of mostly French actors. A very young Genevieve Bujold makes one of her earliest appearances in a major picture. The English subtitles aren't the best I've seen (and unlike the VHS version, are distractingly present even during English dialogue), but far better than the awful English-dubbed version of "King of Hearts" that is sometimes broadcast or sold. (The best subtitles I have ever seen were on a print that circulated around theatres during the 1970s and 1980s, but I've never seen this version used for home video.) The score by Georges Delerue is one of his best.

Quelle Surprise! This DVD version has, without fanfare, at least two entirely new scenes in the film that I have never seen before (and I first saw this in 1977). The first is a lengthier "homily" by Monseigneur Marguerite (aka Bishop Daisy) in the church before Charles' coronation. But the real grabber is an added scene at the very end of the movie that offers a parting glance at the primary players and a final bittersweet twist. Where on earth did this footage come from, and why has it been missing from this film for so long? Does this DVD version offer a "better" ending than the familiar one? It's debateable. But it's certainly intriguing.

Best Ending Ever!
This movie has the very best ending ever. I'd like to see someone try and find a more surprising, happier, funnier ending than this one. The loonies are in town and they've found their king and my heart. This movie takes the bag. It's my father's very favorite movie and one of mine. I definitely recommend this movie.

A buck-naked skip with birdcage!
This gem should hit many different emotions for the avid viewer. A true parade of carnival characters set in an antiwar theme -- this bit of royalty of the heart brings up aTHE enigma: Is the difference between psychosis and psychic just a paper-thin line of cultural subjectivism? Is the lunacy of blowing up yet another vacant city on the path to glory any different that skipping naked down a path with a birdcage in one's hand?

This film started the boomers reading subtitles and (hopefully) brought them out of their fears of foreign film. (Don't get the dubbed version, it lacks so much charm.) Its popularity had a great deal to do with the country's mass-consciousness about the Viet Nam war; but I hope it would have found the same audience without such a catalyst.

One feels like dancing in a fountain and blowing bubbles on the back of a bus after seeing this great flick. Keep a kazoo handy; you'll want to have something to toot after the film is over and you are left to your organized sanity!

Better yet, follow it up with the 1972 release of "The Ruling Class" and have yourself a truly insane evening of jocularity.

Is there something extra on this DVD?
King of Hearts was, in my younger and more vulnerable years, one of my favorite movies, but I had not seen it in many years. In fact, I'd rather forgotten about it. Then I came across the DVD and bought it and watched it again. Still a great movie, but I was puzzled. My recollection was the final scene of the movie is Plumpick (Alan Bates) appearing at the gate of the asylum naked. Then the credits began (rather abruptly as I recollect). In the DVD, however, there is a short scene after this where Bates has joined the inmates and there is a brief exchange of dialog. I don't recall ever seeing this before, but maybe my memory is foggy. No one else seems to have mentioned this either in ... of IMDB, nor does the DVD tout a restored scene. Can anyone tell me if they recall this scene? ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second part of Yves Robert's filming of Marcel Pagnol's childhood memoirs completes the narrative so casually begun in My Father's Glory--and fulfills a radiant journey we hadn't even realized we'd embarked on. Marcel is approaching his teens and acquiring a more coherent sense of the world. Accordingly, My Mother's Castle boasts a more concentrated style and unspools its story over (mostly) the space of one year, as opposed to a dozen. Whereas in the first film Robert had worked entirely with little-known players who simply became Marcel's family, here he calls upon screen veterans Jean Rochefort, Jean Carmet, and Georges Wilson to flesh out sharply ironical figures who loom challengingly on the young man's horizon. Consistent with Pagnol's emphasis on Provençal locations, the focal event of the film becomes the weekly walk the Marseilles-based family makes from the trolley station to their remote country cottage--a quintessentially mundane ritual that comes to be fraught with wonder, delight, and terror. It all leads to a payoff that opens the meaning of the title only as the film is reaching its transcendent conclusion. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A Gentle, Romantic Period Piece
This new A&E production on the lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert was simply told and well-acted.It does not oversentimentalize the relationship of the couple, and the major events of their lives are reenacted without much sensationalism.
Victoria Hamilton, who may well be one of the Queen's many namesakes, captures the petite size of Britain's longest reigning monarch, making her an endearing character in the eyes of the viewer, even though many of my own forebears suffered under her regime. Jonathan Firth's Albert is potrayed as a gentle, decent, thoughtful man, made to leave his homeland and struggle to find acceptance in an entirely different country. But in the scene where this devoted father of nine comforts hs wife during labor while nearby, his critics suggest that he should be at a men's club instead, we see that, by following the German tradition on dealing with childbirth, he is a man ahead of his time. One of the more delightful moments ofthe film is when, during their courtship, he and Victoria play a duet together on the piano. One of the saddest, is when the Christmas tree, a custom Albert introduced to England, arrives a few days before his death on December 14,1861. It was nice to see a grown-up
Kate Mayberly in films again. She plays the couple's second daughter, Alice, who followed her older sister into marriage in the German Nobility, became the mother of Russia's last Czarina, and died of diptheria at the age of 35.The relationships of the Queen and her cabinet members is touched upon, as is the relationship with her overbearing mother. Peter Ustinov has a certain strained charisma as the Queen's predecessor, who is still aware of his sister-in-law's antics despite ill health. Diana Rigg is understated and dignified as the young Queen's devoted Lady-in-Waiting. The whole cast did a fine job. This elegant miniseries brings the chief players of the Victorian Era down from the oil-painted canvases and resurrects them quite nicely.

The Art of Personification
One of the reasons I love so many of the BBC productions is because they can turn someone foreign in concept, like in this case the incredibly famous Queen Victoria and her almost forgotten husband Prince Albert, into characters you bond with and are sad to leave. For one of the first times in recent production history BBC has created a film about real people, and made it touching and incredibly interesting.

Authentically costumed, scripted, and filmed, this incredibly well acted film brings to life two of history's most influential characters and makes them human. Something hard to do when they lived in a different time, place, and are in that untouchable zone of fame. It's a love story of an arranged and somewhat accepted marriage between Victoria and Albert, and how they grow to love, respect, and ultimately need each other in life and politics. They shrink 20+ years of history into 4 hours quite nonchalantly and in a captivating and bright manner. It also makes for a very interesting history lesson. I daresay I never knew that much about Albert, and he really impacted our world and what is known as the Victorian era (hey, we wouldn't have Christmas trees without him!)

This story is sweet, poignant, runs smoothly, and though very different, is a worthy descendant of it's BBC predecessors. You'll be hesitant to leave it.

A royal cinematic feast
"Victoria and Albert," directed by John Erman, stars Victoria Hamilton and Jonathan Firth as Britain's Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert. The superb supporting cast includes an impressive band of acting veterans, among them Peter Ustinov (as William IV) and Diana Rigg (as young Victoria's governess). The film follows the courtship and married life of this royal couple.

V&A is a visually stunning period piece, but ultimately it's the fine performances that really make the film work. There is a wonderful chemistry between the two leads, who furthermore capably rise to the challenge of portraying the pair over a long span of time. It's an onscreen relationship that is complex and tender. The supporting cast is great--Ustinov is especially entertaining as the cantankerous King William. It's a juicy role that Ustinov plays with relish.

Although it's a period piece, V&A seems remarkably timely in light of the continuing saga of the British royal family. The film raises a number of intriguing issues--the politics of royal marriage, the relationship between the royal house and the citizenry, etc. This is a classy, well-made film--a must for those interested in British royal history.

A Great Period Piece
I'm sure if I was a Queen Victoria historian, I would probably have given this a lower number for the innaccuracies presented as fact. Since I'm not, and since it seemed to cover what I do know of her fairly accurately, I'm giving this movie a high mark. First off, I happen to really enjoy period pieces that can pull the viewer in and help them to understand life from another time in history. Braveheart, Gettysburg, Three Soverigns For Sarah, Charles Dickens/Jane Austen movies, and even films about more recent times such as Enemy At The Gates and American Graffiti. If they keep them in their proper time and place (clothing, speech, sets, etc.), I'm glued. (Titanic was almost perfect except for the "Can I bum a smoke" line DiCaprio made after stopping Rose from jumping off the ship).
Victoria and Albert caught my attention right off and held it til the end. It not only brought two historical figures to life, but it made them both human, with being vulnerable to human feelings and emotions. One can imagine how Victoria felt when she angrily spoke to her mother as THE QUEEN. One can also imagine how her mother felt being spoken to in that manner by her daughter THE QUEEN. How about Albert's feelings when Victoria poo poo'd him when he would try to help her with her duties, instead giving him a frivolous task to keep him "happy."
I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship that Victoria and Albert had with their children, which was only touched upon and glossed over. Also, it would have been nice to see Victoria's affect first hand on the everyday people of England - her subjects - as she ruled for the majority of the 19th century. After all, a whole period in time was named for her. But that would have increased the time of this movie from four hours to six hours, I'm sure - not that I would have minded.
I feel this is probably the best version out there of these two larger than life figures. A&E, Masterpiece Theater, and others of this ilk always do a marvelous job when it comes to the historical period pieces, and Victoria and Albert is right up there with the best of them. It's well worth the money.

A personal look at the life of Queen Victoria
I bought this set thinking it would be just another movie to add to my growing costume drama collection. I was really wrong. From the first minutes of this movie the viewer is hooked. I was amazed to find out how Queen Victoria became Queen, how she struggled with her mother and how she picked a husband.

I must say A&E did a great job portraying the lives of these well known people. I really felt as though I was there living out her life.

The costumes are great, acting is supurb and nothing could be improved on save for the fact that it wasn't long enough and tons of time was skipped.

Good job and a great movie. I would reccomend to anyone who wants to learn more about Queen Victoria or someone who just loves good movies! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Among the bounteous literary and cinematic legacy of Marcel Pagnol, poet laureate of Provence, is a two-volume memoir, My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle. The enormous success of Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring (Claude Berri's 1986 remakes of two Pagnol films from the '50s) encouraged Yves Robert to shoot another Pagnol diptych. Like Garlaban, the great bluff overhanging Pagnol's childhood home, the result is "less than a mountain, much more than a hill." The first part, My Father's Glory, spans Marcel's early years from infancy to preteen. The film keeps faith with its juvenile subject, leaping from one quirky detail of landscape, character, or biography to the next--whatever has caught the child's fancy and lingered in the adult narrator's memory. This makes for episodic storytelling, but it's an appropriate way to reflect childhood experience, and it doesn't prevent Robert from developing loving portraits of Pagnol's nearest and dearest, or paying luminous tribute to the Provençal countryside Pagnol loved. You can almost feel the sunshine, smell the wild thyme. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Idyll of Boyhood
This film is one of the most honest and beautiful accounts of family life and boyhood in the Auvergne and in Marseilles. The warmth of the Langudoc shimmers through the colours of the film as also through the lives of this happy family drenched in the browning sunlight in the last few years of the nineteenth and the first few of the twentieth century. This warmth is reflected also in the son Marcel's friendship with the young peasant boy, Lili, who modestly asks if he may keep the sailor suit which fits him. In a sense, this is a 'lower professional' childhood rather than the aristocratic one of the Tadzio in 'Death in Venice'. It is completed by a continuation film, equally wonderful, called 'Le Chateau de ma Mere' - and this, too is a must. The two together make for a wonderful winter evening and make you realise just what dross we are generally offered on the television.

Lavish, Beautiful, and Sentimental
My Father's Glory is the first of two films dealing with the novelist/filmmaker Marcel Pagnol's childhood. The film really does not have a plot. Marcel's parents Joseph, a beloved school teacher, and his mother Augustine, a dressmaker meet, fall in love, and get married. Soon afterward Marcel is born, as is his brother and sister. Marcel's family, along with his Uncle Jules and Aunt Rose, vacation in the South of France, and his father wins a hunting contest. On the surface there is not much to hold the film together. Yet the plot of the film is not what makes it so worthwhile. The film's chief strength is the way that each character is developed. We can see that Joseph is a good and descent man, a masterful teacher, and most especially a devoted father and husband. Young Marcel idolizes his father, and wants all others to realize the father's great qualities. The father is not perfect, and Marcel has questions about his doubt of all things religious. Marcel admires his mother as well, who is a nurturing and caring soul. The other major characters are both richly developed and varied.

The setting of the film is sumptuous. The small French town where Marcel and his family hail from seems realistic and the viewer can feel as if he/she has stepped back in time. The music adds to the film and perfectly blends with the scenes and characters.

Some may feel that the film is too saccharinely sweet. This can be an easy dismissal of a film that is unashamedly lavish, nostalgic, and sentimental. Such critics are wrong, however. The film shows Pagnol's appreciation for his parents, and how their good qualities played such a significant role in the man he would later be.

One of the best childhood films ever
This is, quite simply, one of the best films about childhood ever made. But then again, to write this film off as a film about childhood is too easy. This is a gorgeously filmed adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's memoirs of growing up and vacationing in Provence with his family. The cinematography is beautiful, and the cast is uniformly excellent. And as a real treat to film viewers, there are no sentimental or treacly moments that can often bog a film down. A friend noted that while I watched this film, I had a smile on my face the entire time. That's the best kind of film. This is followed by the equally stellar but more somber "My Mother's Castle."

"Le Gloire de Mon Pere". C'est bonne filme
"Le Gloire de Mon Pere" is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. The first time I saw it was in my french class. I thought it was cute and decided to see if the library had it, they did. After I saw it the second time I realised how good it is. The true story of Marcel and his father is unique for the 90's. I highly reccomend this film and its sequel "La Chateau de Ma Mere", the rest of the story of Marcel and his family. It has a sad ending but is worth it.

charming and uplifting
What a beautiful film! This is one of those films where everything works. The visuals are beautiful, the script spare and heartfelt, and the characterizations profound. Can Americans make films like this; where there is warmth and nostalgia but where the humor and the modesty keep sentimentality under control? Forget irony and cliches...this is wonderfully real and exciting. ... Read more

Description

The crowning achievement of the Weimar cinema, The Blue Angel is an exquisite parable of one man's fall from respectability, presented in both the newly-restored German and English-language versions.
Emil Jannings, the quintessential German expressionist actor, stars as Professor Rath, the sexually-repressed instructor of a boys' prep school. After learning of the pupils' infatuation with French postcards depicting a local nightclub songstress, he decides to personally investigate the source of such indecency. But as soon as he enters the shadowy Blue Angel nightclub and steals one glimpse of the smoldering Lola-Lola (Marlene Dietrich), commanding the stage in a top hat, stockings and bare thighs, Rath's self-righteous piety is crushed. He finds himself fatefully seduced by the throaty voice of the vulgar siren, singing, "Falling in Love Again." Consumed by desire and tormented by his rigid propriety, Professor Rath allows himself to be dragged down a path of personal degradation. Lola's unrestrained sexuality was a revelation to turn-of-the-decade moviegoers, thrusting Dietrich to the forefront of the sultry international leading ladies, such as Greta Garbor, who were challenging the limits of screen sexuality. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Kino's 2-disc DVD version
Relative newcomer Marlene Dietrich's electrifying performance in the 1930 sound film THE BLUE ANGEL overshadows the perhaps even greater performance by Emil Jannings as a sexually-repressed professor. Her screen presence also more than overcomes Josef von Sternberg's rather static direction that was typical of early sound films, elevating this romantic melodrama into its classic status.

Kino's region-free DVD contains both the German and the English versions of the film, each on a separate disc. Both versions look very clean for a 71-year-old film, although just a tad less sharp than I would have liked. The English version looks a bit cleaner still. The supplements include a side-by-side comparison of the two versions (with the German version shown on the left), and the English version indeed looks better. The German version is supported by optional, white-on-black-bar English subtitles. The black bars, of course, cover up part of the picture. I would suggest Kino use white, black-bordered lettering for subtitles in the future instead.

The German version runs 102 minutes, and has a few scenes that are not shown in the English version due to censorship (such as the moment when Lola rotates her body to reveal her bare back side to her nightclub audience). The English version runs 100 minutes. Although it was supposedly made for English audiences, only Dietrich's role is all English-speaking, while the other actors speak a combination of both languages -- English for important dialogs, German for less important ones.

The included audio commentary on the German disc is a mild disappointment. Although historian Werner Sedendorf's analytical comments are excellent, he just does not speak often enough. Long stretches of silence are frequent. Kino should have thought of filling the vacancies with additional comments (either by Sedendorf or someone else), especially when a lot of relevant topics are not adequately covered, such as the legendary collaborations between Dietrich and von Sternberg, the details about the censorship practiced on the English version, the period of German Expressionism that inspired directors like von Sternberg, etc.

The DVD does include a generous amount of extra material. There is a wonderful biography section that includes photos and credits of about 30 cast and crew members. There are about 150 photos, some of which are then-and-now comparisons of some of the props and costumes in the movie. There are text screens of the film's production history. The best extras, unquestionnably, are the 4 film clips of Dietrich's screen test and concert performances. There is a memorable clip of the 1930 screen test of Dietrich singing "You are the Cream in my Coffee." There are 2 clips of televised concerts from the 60s and 70s showing Dietrich performing two of the songs in the movie (English renditions of "Falling in Love Again" and "Lola Lola"). There is another TV footage of her singing "You are the Cream in my Coffee" after reminiscing about her 1930 screen test.

The "Stepping Stone" for Marlene Dietrich's World Conquest
Joseph von Sternberg 'packaged' his muse, Marlene Dietrich to become a world star with "The Blue Angel". The disturbing story of a revue entertainer (Dietrich) and the middle aged professor(Emil Jannings)who falls madly in love with, and later is destroyed by her, based on the novel "Professor Unrat". Many unforgettable songs by Friedrich Hollander are featured, most noteworthy of course "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt" ("Falling in Love Again") and "Ich bin die feche Lola" ("They Call Me Naughty Lola"). -- There is a dub-version available, but I recommend the original German with subtitles. Many effects are lost with the former. I can highly recommend this film, a must for fans of either the stars or the director!*****

Falling Too Hard
This memorable, iconic film stars Marlene Dietrich as the showgirl Lola Lola, Emil Jannings as the Professor, and is directed by Josef von Sternberg. Stodgy, upright Herr Professor enters the cabaret after following some of his pupils, whom he's discovered with postcards of the singer Lola. He is shocked by the degradation of the place, but then catches sight of Lola and finds himself fascinated. In spite of himself, he returns again and again to the nightclub, driven by his feelings for Lola, a mixture of blatant lust and intense curiousity. Through a series of dressing room encounters, the Professor becomes acquainted with Lola, who views him as an amusing distraction, a relic with his gentlemanly ways and old-fashioned manners. The Professor proves useful in his way, serving as a foil between her and unwanted advances from customers and unwelcomed suitors. With the best of intentions the Professor offers Lola his hand in marriage, offering her his protection, and his good name. This is meaningless at the cabaret, no one plays by his rules. The befuddled Professor tries to fit in, but cannot, and in the process loses himself entirely. He can't change himself, just as he can't change Lola ~ to change Lola would be to destroy her, just as the Professor, through the change he endures, destroys himself. There is a sort of backhanded morality here: Lola cannot help for what she is, she is a product of what she has seen in her life, what she has been forced to do in order to survive, just as the Professor can't help for what he is, the product of his own background, mores, and values. He might have survived had he realised that what a person portrays on stage is not necessarily what that person truly must be, once the curtain is wrung down. The film arrives to its inevitable tragic end, climaxing with a scene of devastating humiliation. Many underlying psycho-sexual themes run through this film, the most obvious being repression vs freedom, and at what cost 'liberation' is achieved. To view the film in the context of the era in which it was made ~ a time portending many social and moralistic upheavals ~ makes for some interesting discussion. Marlene Dietrich, in her role, is in turns cold and unbending, charming and vexing, wise and vulnerable, and always, always absolutely luminously beautiful. Jannings is heartbreaking as the Professor. A must-see for anyone interested in cinema.

One of Kino's best packages. A must for Marlene Fans!!!!!!!!
I like most the DVDs that Kino makes but I must say that this is their most impressive package. A two disk set, the features are marvelous, including both versions of the film (which look great)! Marlene Dietrich musical performances, scene comparison, informative commentary, and a not to be missed screen test with Marlene. The film alone is great, but the DVD package makes it outstanding. Its about a professor, Emil Jennings, who is perfectly cast, and his downfall after meeting a nightclub dancer named Lola Lola, played with great charisma by Marlene Dietrich. A must, don't hesitate to but the Kino 2-disk set if your a Dietrich fan!

A classic of world cinema
A German cinema classic from the late Weimar-era, and the film debut of super-sexy Marlene Dietrich, who is stunning in her role as a flirtatious, heartless cabaret singer whose carnal wiles bring an infatuated school teacher to ruin. But then, what is *really* responsible for his downfall? Dietrich as the temptress, his own repressed sexuality and concurrent fetishization of her beauty, or the close-mindedness of the society around them? As with much of the art of this era (in Germany and without), this film depicts the clash of the old world and the new -- the modern, open, crass, liberating and chaotic world of the individual against the older, stable, stifling, communal and "moral" world of the village and church. At any rate, the transformation of actor Emil Jannings from a fusty old humbug into a degraded shell of a man is a dramatic triumph, and the direction, by Josef von Sternberg, is flawless -- filled with darkness, closeness and brooding claustrophia. The new DVD version features both the German and English-language versions (the English version isn't dubbed, it was actually *acted* in English by the same German actors, and has a few interesting differences of moral tone...) and also includes, as an added bonus Marlene Dietrich's first screen test, which is hilarious, and a must-see for her fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jane Campion's The Piano struck a deep chord (if you'll excuse the expression) with audiences in 1993, who were mesmerized by the film's rich, dreamlike imagery. It is the story of a Scottish woman named Ada (Holly Hunter), who has been mute since age 6 because she simply chose not to speak. Ada travels with her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) and her beloved piano to a remote spot on the coast of New Zealand for an arranged marriage to a farmer (Sam Neill).She gives piano lessons to a gruff neighbor (Harvey Keitel) who has Maori tattoos on his face, and, well, things develop from there.The picture takes on a powerful dream logic that simply defies synopsis. It's a breathtakingly beautiful and original achievement from Campion, a unique stylist.The Piano won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscars for Hunt, Paquin, and Campion's screenplay. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (137)

Exquisite erotic classic
Jane Campion's "The Piano" does what many truly great films do: It inspires fascinating discussion and provokes mixed reactions. The male friend with whom I saw it back in 1993 and I were so enthralled that we kept our significant others waiting to leave for our respective Christmas vacations because we kept phoning each other to discuss symbolism and interesting themes in the movie. While I continue to absolutely love the film, I also recognize why some viewers have not shared my reaction. Perhaps you have to have at least considered a forbidden love affair or perhaps you have to have found yourself trapped in a relationship where you feel you have lost your voice to appreciate what Campion explores.

The story centers around Ada (Holly Hunter in an Oscar-winning performance) and her daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin--who also won an Oscar for her extraordinary performance). They leave their upper-class home in Scotland after Ada's father (apparently) arranges her marriage. Ada, who has willed herself not to speak since age 6, expresses herself through her beloved piano.

The true story of who fathered Flora is never revealed in the movie, but the context suggests that she is Ada's illegimate child born from an illicit affair. The hinted-at story of Flora's conception provides a key to understanding both why Ada later begins an affair with her New Zealand neighbor Baines (Harvey Keitel) and why she makes a mail-order marriage in the first place. I suspect that Ada's aging father may have wanted to see her settled--preferably far away so that her unconventional behavior would no longer be a source of social embarassment--and given Ada's muteness and out-of-wedlock child, her father probably couldn't find a suitable suitor in mid-Victorian Scotland.

Stewart (Sam Neill) first encounters his future wife on a lonesome gray beach surrounded by her crated belongings. His Maori porters begin carrying many household items up the muddy path to his dreary homestead. But Stewart refuses to bring the piano along, despite Ada's apparent distress and Flora's pleas that her mother MUST have her piano.

Ada's piano, abandoned on the barren New Zealand beach, captures the sense of what 19th century colonial life might have been like for too many women--treasured possessions, the last ties to "civilization" left behind.

Rendered voiceless without her piano, Ada begs Stewart to return for her instrument through notes and more pleas from Flora. Finally she persuades Baines--a colonist whose tattoed face evidences the extent to which he has "gone native" and who is considered less civilized by his neighbors--to guide her back to the beach. Ada comes to life again as she, at last, gets to play. Drawn by her passion for the piano, Baines arranges with Stewart to trade land for the piano. Without consulting his wife, Stewart assures him that Ada will provide lessons too.

During first of these lessons, Ada strikes her own bargain with Baines, whom she still considers a boor: She will trade sexual favors to earn back her piano, one key at a time. Ultimately, her reluctant bargain grows into full-blown love and passion. The dark, brooding tone of "The Piano," however, suggests that something in this situation will go tragically, and probably violently, wrong.

Campion has filled her movie with haunting piano music (actually played by Hunter) and intriguing imagery. The metaphor of piano as voice and losing and regaining one's voice, Flora's role in changing her mother's fate, the question of whether Ada's bargain reflects a woman taking control of her life or just being victimized in a different way, and many other complexities make this a movie worth watching again and again and again.

Words cannot convey...
Words cannot convey...and this is one of the things this incredible movie teaches us. The Piano is one of my favorite movies of all time. The scenery is breathtaking. Holly Hunter is brilliant as Ada, the mute (by choice) "victim" of an arranged marriage. Her facial expressions and physical movements express more than words could ever say. In fact, I found that once I become aware of watching her gestures, I began watching the expressions of other characters in the movie also. Harvey Kietel is cast in a very different role for him and the result is impressive and shows a much larger range of his acting ability. The music in the film is beautiful and is Ada's true "voice".

This movie must not be watched in the ordinary way one would watch any other movie. If you're just going to watch it in a literal way, this isn't the movie for you. The Piano is a wonderous combination of music, scenery and symbolism. It's like a dream sequence. The movie feels almost enchanted. The filming of 2 major scenes of violence is exquisite. I didn't notice the violence itself so much as I felt the pain of the characters.

I highly recommend this film...no matter how many times I watch it, it never fails to move me.

A moody drama that was very bittersweet.
This is the first film I have seen with Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel. They both gave good performances, and the movie itself was strange but likeable. Anna Pacquin and Sam Neil also gave great performances. The movie did have a lot of nudity that was really un-neccesary. The cinematography was good and the setting was a cool, dark, but beautiful place. The film was very different and really surprised me, like most films do. I recommend this for romantic buffs, and people who love to watch great performances.

A Different Look At Romance
All the things that characterize a Hollywood romance are turned upside down and changed about in this film. The usual fare is the interactions between two urbanites with huge polished smiles stuck to their faces. They enter a relationship which is loud, giddy, and giggly.
In The Piano, the woman doesn't speak at all and both men are stoic sorts who have lived in a hard land. A lot happens under the surface where we can only guess at it. In mainstream films, the emphasis for the man is rushing in and grabbing the woman of his dreams with all possible speed.
But here, just once, the quiet, patient, and tender man emerges with the lady. And what's more, when we first see him, we fail to see through his hard exterior. Even the viewer comes to know this man's virtue only over time.
I found this to be an incredibly beautiful story and as if that alone wasn't good enough, I also greatly enjoyed the cinematography and the music. This is one of those films that I find guilty of being incredibly good on all counts.

And a final note about male nudity: Yes it is in this film. Both male and female are seen completely nude. And there's nothing wrong with the male part. We men have beautiful bodies too. Art of the past has had no compunctions about showing nude males and correctly so. I'm not sure I can understand this modern prudery.

BREATHTAKING!
I haven't seen this movie for a long time, but saw it again the other day. I forgot how powerful it was and how breathtaking all the actors are as well as the scenery. Strong performances and beautiful music (I bought the soundtrack long ago and had to dust it off after seeing this movie again!). As for some of the negative comments of seeing Harvey Keitel naked (full frontal, too), and found him disgusting looking, well, folks, that's how most people look in real life! ... Read more

Description

Heishiro, a noble Samurai, sets out in search of the renegade who stole his clan’s treasure and killed his best friend. Heishiro should be able to hold his own against the villain Rannosuke, who has only killed hundreds of men and fought entire armies while simultaneously defending himself against dozens of deadly ninja assassins. This is Samurai Fiction. Don’t believe everything you see in Chambara movies! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Encore! Encore!
Just about the most entertaining film I have see so far this year!! This is such good stuff!! It's reassuring to know that less can certainly be more in a movie. The black & white approach to the film was a nice "retro" touch. The soundtrack was enjoyable as well. A little jazz a little spaghetti western and a little surf music?!? Oh well, sounds strange but it certainly enhanced some scenes. The story line was typical but the dialogue certainly wasn't. Who ever wrote the script certainly wasn't going for that purist kinda thing, refreshing it was!! What really made this film work was the obvious pleasure the actors displayed in making it. That's always a big plus and also infectious!!! At least it infected me!!!

If you have to see one Samurai movie this year....
See this one. Forget about the one with Tom Cruise - this is so much better as to be not even a comparison. Hotei's acting and hot guitar licks make for a pleasing sound and sight. It's almost a mime performance - he has so few lines. I'd call him the Japanese equivalent of Clint Eastwood - cool and tough. Nakano's use of black and white and color make this film as beautiful and artsy as it is well told and acted. It proves that you don't necessarily need a huge budget and millions of bucks to make a great movie. It's also wonderful because it doesn't take itself to seriously.

I will say it again - if you have to see one - see this one.

come on see it i know you will like it
This was one of the first movie that i ever felt so good.I bought this movie becouse wanted something diferent.when i finish seen it i was speechless it was just what need it to see.The film has great story amazing cast and the director and also the dir of photography is damn good.THIS IS A MUST HAVE YOU WONT REGRETED

Great
This movie is funny, yet still maintains a serious theme. A must have for any foreign movie buff!

One Amazing Movie
The plot is as follows. A samurai clan entrusts a talented but unknown ronin to guard their ceremonial sword. He ends up stealing the lovely weapon for his own use. Upon hearing this, a young swordsman and his two best friends go on a journey to retrieve the sword. Their first confrontation causes each of the three warriors to take a path separate from the other.

The plot is fairly basic (the stealing of the sword reminds me of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), but the way director Hiroyuki Nakano sees it is very original. Shot mostly in black and white, it's an obvious way to get the audience to appreciate his artistic vision.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of "Samurai Fiction" is the musical score, composed by Tomoyasu Hotei, who you may know as "...the guy that made that song from Kill Bill" (Battle Without Honor or Humanity, the part where O-Ren is entering the house of blue leaves). Every fight scene and many simply well directed scenes are pulled from 1696 to modern day with hard rock or techno anthems.

This is a must have DVD for any martial arts fans, particularly those looking to see where Quentin Tarintino got "Kill Bill" from. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

An Epic Masterpiece!!
"Lion of the Desert" tells the story of a school-teacher turned guerrilla fighter, trying to put a stop to Italian invasion and colonization of his country, Libya. This movie is excellently filmed, and the scenery and action are spell-binding. Most critics in America disliked this movie simply because it's about Libya, and an important episode of its history. But if you view this movie with an open mind, you'll see that not only is it well made, but it's also inspirational. The characters and conflicts portrayed are real, and I find the movie a fine tribute to the courage and tenacity of the Libyan patriots who fought and died against Fascist Italy, long-before Mussolini's forays into Abyssinia, Civil War Spain, and the Second World War. These people were fighting for their freedom and independence, and their heroic example should inspire all of us.

This Movie is good. 4.5/5
This movie though not popular is one of the good movie I've seen. It's all about a man (Mukhtar). who tries to save his homeland from colonization for twenty years.

Anthony Quinn is incredible as Mukhtar. but I also praise Oliver Reed for potraying as Graziani the "Governer of Libya" sent by Mussolini to quell this rebellion. But there was a draw back of the film. It was a bit one sided, showing the Arabs as hero (righttfully so) while the Italians (as in soldiers etc) as ruthless and barbaric. While colonialization of other lands is wrong. I feel this film was a bit too slandorous against the Italians. But remember Mussolinni was the founder of the oppressive system of Facism.

Pros: Exellent History of Libya Between the 2 World Wars

Battle scenes are awesome Amazing actors (Oliver Reed, Anthony Quinn, Rod Steiger etc)

Cons: One Sided,too biased against the Italians

Poor sound Quality, music audio tracks takes over the action (I have a surround systems)

But the movie was good

A hidden gem in the repetoire of great war films.
Given that not all war movies issued in DVD format by MGM and Fox are truly good, it is a shame that a masterpiece such as
"Lion of the Desert" is released in the more obscure Anchor Bay label. Aside from picture and sound quality that is rather good for such an old film, the story, the characters and the battle scenes exceed one's expectations. Anthony Quinn plays a wise teacher who moonlights as a rebellion leader in Italian-occupied Libya. Oliver Reed plays an Italian general who was sent to Libya by "Il Duce" Mussolini, played with humourous gusto by Rod Steiger, in 1929 to crush the rebellion. This film emphasizes that it was this general, named Rodolfo Graziani, who was the first to employ tanks in the desert, and one sees alot of light tanks being used against Bedouin horsemen. Aside from regular Italian army officers, there are fascist Black Shirt officers who, like Hitler's S.S. officers, just love being cruel and sadastic. If you like watching desert warfare, you will find this film to be more than satisfying and learn, like the arrogant Italians did, not to underestimate the resourceful Omar Mukhtar and his people's rebellion against colonization.

essential viewing - a masterpiece with riveting performances
''Destined to remain a dubious footnote in books of movie trivia'' ?? Reviewer Jeff Shannon, who I would bet would not warrant a footnote in any directory of influential film critics (thank God for that!) sounds like he would do well as a Bush policy advisor. This movie is amazing, with riveting performances from the entire caste. It is not only extremely well made with very convincing battlefield scenes and clinically dispassionate portrayals of brutality, and with a simple but telling script, it is also an all too rare look at the world from a different but necessary perspective. Omar Mukhtar was a real person, not a Hollywood hero. He was and remains an Arab nationalist hero. It is almost eerie how the film, even after more than 12 years, mirrors the logic of what is going on in Palestine and Iraq today. The more people see a film like this and are touched by it, the better they would understand the nuances of nationalism, spirituality, culture and geopolitics.

Splendid Historical Epic
When one thinks of the name Moustapha Akkad, if one thinks of it at all, the thought most likely concerns the "Halloween" franchise. After all, Akkad financed the first film and eventually took over the rest of the series. Every time you witness a new entry in the "Halloween" canon, Akkad is probably the one to blame. But few people know that Moustapha Akkad also directed epic films about Arab history in the late 1970s and early 1980s, or that these films are extraordinarily laudable cinematic pieces well worth watching today. Arab history certainly wouldn't rank high on anyone's list nowadays with the explosion in Islamic fundamentalism and the terrorist attacks of September 2001 still in the forefront of our minds. That's too bad because this picture starring Anthony Quinn, Rod Steiger, and Oliver Reed is not only immensely watchable, it also presents a different viewpoint on the relationship between the West and the Arabic world. Most importantly, this movie shows that Moustapha Akkad hasn't always sat around collecting checks from his "Halloween" projects.

"Lion of the Desert" opens in the year 1922 right after Benito Mussolini took control of the Italian government. As many historians know, Il Duce quickly decided one way to bolster his fascist dictatorship was to present it as a renewed Roman Empire. One of his first priorities as a conquering Augustus was to renew efforts to pacify the Bedouin tribes in the Italian colony of Libya. After ascertaining that the leader of the Bedouin resistance is a man named Omar Mukhtar, Mussolini handpicks one of his most ruthless and capable generals, Rodolfo Graziani, as the new governor of the colony. Graziani's mission is to go to Libya and smash these pesky desert nomads in any way he sees fit. The Italian presence in Libya dates back some twenty years, and Il Duce isn't about to lose the territory on his watch. His general soon sails to Libya with a few novel ideas on how to defeat the Arab resistance, and he won't let anyone stand in his way. Graziani is such a ruthless tyrant that even Omar Mukhtar recognizes his name when told the general is now the new governor. Mukhtar isn't about to just let Graziani roll over his people, while the general intends to teach Mukhtar a lesson he and his people will never forget.

This movie overflows with magnificently choreographed battle sequences involving thousands of extras. Moreover, Akkad and his crew took great pains to reproduce the Italian military equipment down to the smallest details. It must have killed some of the craftsmen on the movie to watch months of painstaking labor go up in a two second explosion, something that happens on a frequent basis during the film as the Bedouins routinely destroy endless numbers of armored cars and tanks. According to the makers of "Lion of the Desert," Graziani was the first military commander to use tanks in the desert, and the movie portrays this historic battle in expansive detail. It is difficult to say which battle sequence is the best, although I would definitely lean towards the artillery barrage in the valley when Italian field cannons open up on entrenched Bedouins in the caves on the side of a mountain. The sound and fury of this encounter looks great on DVD, with the explosions of the shells literally booming out of my sound system.

The performances really make this film a winner. Rod Steiger plays Benito Mussolini with all of the swagger you would expect from an actor portraying the pompous fascist dictator. Oliver Reed works wonders as the cold-hearted Graziani. The best performance in the film is definitely Anthony Quinn's turn as Omar Mukhtar. Not only does he look like the actual historical figure, as seen by photographic comparisons made in one of the extras on the DVD, he strikes just the right balance of compassion and controlled ferocity. The meeting between Mukhtar and Graziani towards the end of the film fills the screen with drama, along with several statements made by Mukhtar that would apply to any conquered peoples on the face of the earth. The 162 minute runtime insures that most of the characters receive appropriate development.

Arguably, the most emotional and tense scenes in "Lion of the Desert" occur when Graziani institutes his plan to put the Bedouin population in concentration camps in order to force Mukhtar and his freedom fighters to surrender. The film ingeniously stages scenes of the concentration camps and then, without missing a beat, tacks on real film footage from the Italian occupation showing an aerial view of the prisons. Unlike Hitler with the Jews, the Italians did not gas Bedouins in these camps, but thousands of Bedouins did die from poor conditions. Moreover, Graziani ordered the fields burned and the execution by both bullet and noose of innocent civilians to avenge Italian battle casualties. For a PG rated movie, the atrocities and battle deaths are extremely bloody.

The DVD looks great, with a widescreen picture transfer and a slew of extras. The making of documentary outlines a score of interesting facts about the production of the film, such as the need to build an entire city in the desert to house and feed the thousands of people used during the production. According to the trailer and a few references in the making of documentary, the film originally bore the title "Omar Mukhtar." I think the title they went with was a smart choice, however, because it makes you think about who qualifies as the real lion of the desert. Is it Graziani or is it Mukhtar? Well, it is both men as they test each other's mettle through years of combat. If you like historical epics, be sure and watch this one soon. ... Read more

Amazon.com

At the start of the most recent film from Chinese director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Shanghai Triad), a young man returns to his native village after the death of his father, the village's schoolteacher, who died while trying to raise money for a new schoolhouse. His body is in a neighboring town; the young man's mother insists that it be brought back on foot, lest his spirit not find his way home. From this starting point, the young man recounts the tale of his parents' courtship, which involved a red banner, mushroom dumplings, a colorful barrette, and a broken bowl. The Road Home is beautifully filmed, particularly the luminous face of Zhang Ziyi (from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), whose performance is a heartrending portrait of hope and yearning. A simple but deeply emotional film. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (92)

A simple, yet wholly moving and beautiful film.
Eclipsing any romantic comedy or drama from Hollywood in the last 30 years, The Road Home achieves so much by doing very little. Master filmmaker Zhang Yimou successfully captures what it's really like to fall in love for the first time through his use of cinematography (sumptuous as always), unparalleled attention to detail, and, as always, a super strong cast (spearheaded by relative newcomer, the beautiful Zhang Ziyi). Unlike most romance movies, there is no love-making in this film. There is no kissing. The characters show their love through little things that we often take for granted: preparing food, giving small yet meaningful gifts, and other gestures. Like most of Zhang Yimou's films, there is relatively little music, however, the music that is there is perfect. It rises to the occasion when needed and dies down when not.
All of the elements of this film work together like clockwork...better than clockwork. It manages to get its message across more than western romances through uncomparable use of setting and shot framing, costume and make-up, lighting (with some brilliantly-back lit shots of the actors), and figure behavior.
Now about the DVD. This is a film whose setting was meant to be seen only in widescreen. The picture holds up well both in sun-lit outdoor conditions and slightly darker indoor scenes. The voices are set at a nice level and when the score hits its high note, the sound is heavenly...even through a plain Dolby Surround system.
Plain and simple, this is a film which should not be passed up.

A romantic fantasy with a universal theme
This 1999 Chinese movie is directed by Zhang Yimou, who also brought us "Raise the Red Lantern". It stars Zhang Ziyi, the beautiful young actress who, the following year , received international fame in the well received "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". "The Road Home" is a beautiful film, a romantic fantasy with a universal theme.

The first fifteen minutes and the last fifteen minutes are shot in black and white, bookending the story within the story. It is set in a remote village in China, where the land is beautiful and it always seems to be winter. The schoolteacher has died in a distant city. And his widow wants to follow tradition and have his body carried home for burial. At first her son, an engineer in the city who has rushed home, is reluctant to make arrangement for this, but later agrees and her wishes are carried out.

This is not the main story though. Between these two black and white segments, there is another story, filmed in vivid color. It is the story of the mother and father's romance. It is sweet and touching and beautiful. The schoolteacher is only 20 years old. The girl is only 18. We watch them fall in love, suffer a separation, and then come back to each other. And this is all told without any physical contact between the two. It's a "feel good" story all the way.

I enjoyed the film and the simple story. And I also enjoyed the view of life in China and the fine cinematography. Recommended.

A gorgeous, sweet love story
This is one of the most deeply moving films I have seen in a very long while. The story is sweet and meaningful, and the acting is absolutely exquisite. This film is lovely and quiet, beautifully filmed, and restrained.

One of the things that impressed me about the movie is the obvious acting talents of Zhang Ziyi, the actress who played Jen in Crouching Tiger. If you think you'll even recognize her in this role, I challenge you to see the movie to find even one remnant of Jen in her character. She is an excellent actress and conveys realms of thought and feeling without saying a single word.

If you're hoping for a fast-paced, run-of-the-mill movie you won't absorb, see something else. See 'The Road Home' if you want gorgeous and rich cinema.

spiritual
Zhang Ziyi's performance in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" had me wondering, out of all the stellar cast involved, who this was who had me the most impressed. I researched her filmography and came across "THE ROAD HOME". Mind you, I'm mostly a fight-it-out, special-effects, action movie fan who had my reservations about getting it once I finally found someplace to buy it. I rented first and I had no regrets afterwards.
Great films done properly can tell a simple story and hold the attention of the audience if one chooses to do so. This is a great example. Scenic vistas, compelling acting and a moving story has made this a favorite of my movie collection. Without saying too much (as the previous reviews have already done so), I will recommend at least everyone rent this. It doesn't have a huge budget, no CGI, no gun-toting and no foul language. What does that leave? A movie like they used to make 'em.

OH MY GOD
OH OH OH OH OH OH OH,MY GOD ,WHAT IS THIS ,I LOVE THIS MOVIE,VERY BEAUTIFUL,THIS IS MY FAVOR,YIMOU ZHANG THE BEST FILM MAKER IN THE WORLD.HE DID A GREAT WORK ... Read more

Description

Poetic realism reaches sublime heights with Children of Paradise (Les enfants du paradis), the ineffably witty tale of a woman loved by four different men. Deftly entwining theater, literature, music, and design, director Marcel Carné and screenwriter Jacques Prévert resurrect the tumultuous world of 19th-century Paris, teeming with hucksters and aristocrats, thieves and courtesans, pimps and seers. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this milestone of cinema in a new high-definition film transfer made from the restored negative. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

A Masterpiece
This film is a glittering gem from the early days of motion pictures. Shot in B&W in Paris when the City of Light was under German Occupation during WWII, it tells the story of a French mime and the wrenching love dramas he gets caught up in between his sublime performances. But the film is so much more than that- its a microcosm of mid nineteenth-century Paris complete with costume, sets and an acurate depiction of Parisian society at the time. In this respect it boarders on epic. Barrault's ultimate rejection hits like sharp spike due to the repercussions it has on himself and others around him. The high society of Paris has a coolness which stems from experience which Barrault comes cavorting into like a reckless child- and how the glass shatters. The acting is superb and the smoothness of the direction and film style is stunning. Its a long film- I think over three hours, and it is spoken in French with English subtitles. But it is a timeless and majestic works by the early French director Marcel Carne. Its amazing that he made this film inconspicuously to to avoid run-ins with the German troops who constantly encrouched upon his film studio. Today many very bad films are made in multi-million dollar studios. Children of Paradise goes to show how real genius shines through.

A MASTERPIECE OF FRENCH CINEMA by CRITERION
Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis) possibly stands as the best french film ever made. It's production took many years due to the German invasion of France. Yet despide all problems the film is a total triumph.
The film is divided in two parts: "The Boulevard of Crime" and "The Man in White". The story spans several years in the lives of Babtiste (Barrault) who loves Garence (Arletty) who seems to end up destroying the hearts of those who fall for her. To reveal more would be unthinkable and the film presents us many subplots with great characters.
The sets are beautiful and the theatre numbers are fantastic. This is one film that brings us the true magic of Cinema with great stories, powerful drama and unforgetable characters. No other film ever captured the nineteenth century Paris like this one. A true work of art and a great homage to the french theatre. It will make you cry. It will make you laugh.
CRITERION (as always) did a wonderful job digitally restoring many print demages that were in the film. The extras are very nice (specialy the section devoted to the art direction - one of this film's greatest assets).
The film is long (but not overlong) and the two parts are placed in separate discs. So are the extras. The image is great and camera work is not to be believed!
A film that deserves to be loved! buy it now!

**
I rented this after seeing Marlon Brando's comment that it is "maybe the best picture ever made." But I didn't like it, and I think perhaps if I'd seen it in its own time, I may have liked it, but it's terribly dated. Not that I would have liked it even so, but, what is sure, I couldn't wait for it to end.

RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL BRILLIANCE
Marcel Carne's masterpiece set in the theater district of early 19th century Paris has been restored to its original brilliance.

Filmed during the Nazi occupation of France, it is ripe with visual beauty and reality.

The greatest french film ever
It's hard to put in words the essential terms which describe that brilliant masterpiece .
Marcel Carne and Jacques Prevert made an eternal film. The poetry envolves the plot from start to end. The locations, the superb performances of Barrault like the mime and Maria Casares are amazing. The atmosphere you breathe since the first sequence , seems to carry us to another dimension, to that extatic experience that trascends us. When an artistic expression gets it (like Beethoven's Eroica or Miguel Angel's Sixtine ) , becomes unique due to its originality. Carne gave us big remarkable films like Le jour se leve, The night visitors , Les portes de la nuit, Le quai de brumes and Therese Raquin, but none of them will reach the height of that monumental work . A must for every human being , in any age, because like a genuine masterpiece, it goes far away its historical circunstance and maintains the eternal freshness for all the eternity.
A venezuelan poet (Rafael Cadenas) said once upon a time: "The genius is always contemporean" .
And the rest is silence (Shakespeare - Julius Caesar) ... Read more

Description

Marianne (Liv Ullman) and Johan (Erland Josephson) always seemed like the perfect couple. But when Johan suddenly leaves Marianne for another woman, they are forced to confront the disintegration of their marriage. Shot in intense, intimate close-ups by master cinematographer Sven Nykvist, the film chronicles ten years of turmoil and love that bind the couple despite their divorce and subsequent marriages. Flawless acting and dialogue portray the brutal pain and uplifting peace that accompany a lifetime of loving. Originally conceived as a six-part miniseries for Swedish television, The Criterion Collection is proud to presentnot only the U.S. theatrical version, but also, for the first time on video in the U.S., Ingmar Bergman’s original five-hour television version of Scenes From a Marriage. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Challenging, truthful, utterly rewarding look at marriage
Ingmar Bergman's 1974 chamber-drama masterpiece was originally made as a six part mini-series for Swedish television--hence the divided tableau and emphasis on close-ups. Of course Bergman is the greatest purveyor of the close-up, and here he uses it to accentuate the psychological torment and strain that a marriage propagates on its victims (after this movie you'll view marriage as a war, if you already don't). Josephson and Ulmann shine as the dissenting couple, who first put up facades to deny the inevitable, eventually divorce, dive to relationship hell, and ultimately find a happy medium with a burgeoning love that could have never flourished if they stayed married. Interestingly, Bergman chooses to never show the couple's children (that would simply add another tumult to an already tumultuous puzzle). And, if it needs to be said, Sven Nykvist's photography is strikingly beautiful. "Scenes from a Marriage" suffers slightly from too much dialogue and being a bit lengthy--the poignancy is nullified after 170 minutes of relationship vicissitudes--but deserves to be cherished by any fan of "good" cinema or of Ingmar Bergman.

Love & Marriage
Ingmar Bergman to me is one of cinema's most powerful directors. And, "Scenes From A Marriage" is the most powerful, and haunting film I've ever seen about love and marriage.
There's just something about Bergman's vision as a director and the camera of Sven Nykvist that brings this film to life. Bergman just throws these characters right into our faces, and we are truly mesmerize by them and their actions.
For those who have never seen this film, it is basically just as it's title may suggest, a look into the life of one couple's marriage. Marianne (Liv Ullman) and Johan (Erland Josephson) are our couple in question. They have been married for a while now, and seem to have a good solid marriage. One wouldn't think anything was wrong, especially when compared to their friends like Katarina (Bibi Andersson) and Peter (Jan Malmsjo) a couple whom act like their about to kill each other at any given moment. The scene is involving them, is one of many sterling moments in this masterpiece.
If I were to go on and talk about more scenes in this film, I would clearly be ruining the entire experience for you. Just rent this movie or even better buy this movie and be prepared to see the power that cinema can convey.
"Scenes From A Marriage" is one of Bergman's best films. And, while yes, there is talk of a sequel, I can only hope, that it all remains a rumor. To make a sequel out of this masterpiece would surely be a mistake. Here's a film that is perfect as it is. Just leave it alone and don't add anything to it. Though, Bergman did make a sequel out of the Katarina and Peter characters and made "From the Life of the Marionettes", which does have it's powerful moments, but doesn't quite build up to what this film has become.
For those who have never seen a Bergman film, I'd suggest watching "Wild Strawberries" first, then "The Seventh Seal", "Cries & Whispers" and then build yourself up to this one.
Bottom-line: Truly one of Bergman's most powerful films. The single greatest film I've seen as of yet on the subject of marriage. This movie hits an intensity few have have ever achieved!

13 now 41
How I was allowed to watch this series on ?PBS? when it first came out...I'll never know. But at around 13 y/o its haunting images of a marriage "gone bad" has stayed with me for nearly 2 decades. I literally fell in love with Liv Ullman and her acting (which at the time I was not far from believing that I was watching a documentary of a real couple falling apart at the seams) It was an intense and captivating series that had me literally "willing" the week to go by faster so I could watch the next installment. Through the years I had always searched for a way to watch it again and now (BIG difference in the "disposable income" of a child vs. an adult :), I will be purchasing this as part of my collection of memories fro