What other movie would it be this week? Being released on DVD for the first time today (well...unless you bought a DVD for $25 on Ebay ripped from old VHS copies (like me!), or if you nabbed the Region 2 disc in the time it was available), Tarr's seven-and-a-half hour masterpiece can FINALLY be seen by everyone in what has to be a beautiful (director approved and supervised) transfer. Originally supposed to be released in November of 2006, the Satantango DVD has been a long time coming, but, as impatient as anyone can be, being able to experience the film in its best quality will be a treat worth waiting for. (keep reading below!...I was so excited this week I had to write more!)
Waiting to be bought out and move on with their lives (with a significant amount of money), Satantango follows the townspeople of a collective farm in Hungary, near the fall of Communism, who struggle to find, and take, a new direction in light of several events. They await a mysterious stranger who has promised to bring them lots of money, but they are shocked by rumors that one of their people, thought to be dead, may be returning with a message for them. The plot here, of course, is not the highlight of the film, although it is certainly an important, funny, and boldly moving film. Tarr's style had never been so assured as in Satantango, and while Werckmesiter Harmonies, and Damnation for that matter, have a lot of "wow" factor, Satantango's extraordinary length meshes makes it a real experience from the first shot on.
Unforgettable and unclassifiable, Satantango is a true miracle of filmmaking that all cineastes will be blessed to see, if not revel in. Sure, it takes patience (and if you're not into 7-11 minutes long shots, Tarr won't be your thing); yet, if you allow yourself to be immersed in the camera,, story, and characters, you will come out of Satantango in a beautiful daze that you won't soon forget.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
DVD of the Week: "Satantango" (Bela Tarr, 1994)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
DVD Release of "The Long Day Closes"!
Great news tonight that Terence Davies' masterpiece The Long Day Closes is being released on DVD. I was literally preparing a post to use The Long Day Closes as a Forgotten VHS entry and discovered that the film is soon to be released, albeit a Region 2 disc, which I know does not work for everyone. (Why don't you all have region free players yet!?) His latest film, Of Time and The City, was a well received at Cannes this year, so maybe that with a set of DVD releases will help bring his work to a wider worldwide audience. The Long Day Closes is a great place to start for those who can get it, and the BFI release should be excellent. Here is a wonderful article from Reverse Shot on the film. Make sure to check out the article, but especially the film, if you get are capable!
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