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Andrzej Wajda's controversial attack on the brutality of the Stalinism that held Poland in its thrall during the 1950s stars Krystyna Janda as Agnieszka, whose final project for film school is a documentary investigation into the fate of 1950s worker-hero Mateusz Birkut (Jerzy Radziwilowicz). Birkut seems to have disappeared without a trace, but Agnieszka, probing the past, discovers the Herculean bricklayer to have been an honest yet painfully naive figure who unblinkingly swallowed Soviet propaganda. Indeed, Agnieszka unearths censored agitprop footage featuring Birkut as a willing promotional tool of party bosses. Interviewing the propagandists, she learns of the actual misery of the bricklayer's life during the period of his fame and of the manner in which his existence was erased from party records once he had the audacity to try to use his renown to greater political effect. As her research brings her increasingly closer to the ugly truths of the Stalinist era, Agnieszka's anxious superior tries to shut down her film, using the excuse that she's gone over budget. The inexorable power of Wajda's indictment of the rigidity of Stalinism--and the vigor of his celebration of naturalness and authenticity--makes this arguably his best film since his classic World War II trilogy (A GENERATION, KANAL, ASHES AND DIAMONDS).DVD Features:Region 0Keep CaseFull Frame - 1.33
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Yasujiro Ozu's most widely distributed and best-known film presents the story of an elderly couple in post World War II Japan who come to Tokyo to visit their various children and realize that the family has essentially fallen apart. The couple is received coldly by their two modernized children and only their widowed daughter-in-law seems glad to see them. The children shuttle their aging parents off to a health spa in an attempt to get them out of the way. They learn later that the mother has fallen ill upon her return and arrive too late to say their good-byes.DVD Features:Region 12-Disc SetKeep CaseSingle Side - Dual LayerAdditional Release Material: Audio Commentary - 1. David Desser - Ozu Scholar Featurette - 1.Talking With Ozu (30 Minutes) Documentary - 1.I Lived, But... (120 Minutes) Interview With Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta Original Theatrical TrailerText/Image Galleries: Essay by Author David Bordwell
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25 Messanic Signs (DVD)
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
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French New Wave master Jean-Luc Godard continues his fascination with dime store novels and American crime films with 1964's BAND OF OUTSIDERS, a free-spirited romp in the same vein as the director's breakthrough smash, BREATHLESS. More traditional than BREATHLESS in its technical execution, BAND OF OUTSIDERS sparkles with freshness and originality--it uses comical, poetic narration by Godard himself, and has a bouncy musical score by Michel Legrand. The performances from Claude Brasseur, Sami Frey, and especially Anna Karina combine satirical melodrama, overflowing hipness, and moving sincerity, giving the film plenty of heart. An irreplaceable contribution to 1960s film, this movie is much more than a mere genre reworking.The story follows two friends, Arthur (Claude Brasseur) and Franz (Sami Frey), who are searching for a way to make a big score. When Franz meets the beautiful Odile (Anna Karina) and she informs him of a large chunk of cash her aunt keeps hidden in her house, the duo are convinced that this is their lucky break. Odile is a sensitive young woman who, out of fear and guilt, opposes their plan, but Arthur and Franz coax her to go along with the idea. When the time comes to pull off the heist, a miscalculation delays the seemingly perfect plan, resulting in a confrontation that has dire consequences.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseFull Frame - 1.33Single Side - Dual LayerAudio: Mono - EnglishAdditional Release Material: Interviews - 1. Raoul Coutard - Director of Photography








2. Anna Karina - Star








3. Jean-Luc Godard - Star Additional Footage - 1. Behind the Scenes Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer (by Jean-Luc Godard)






2. Original Theatrical Trailer (by the Studio)Text/Galleries: Glossary (Visual Glossary Detailing Cultural References, Wordplay, etc.)
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Mak is a drifter who returns to his wife, Nak, from war. Before long Mak begins to realize that his wife and son are not quite as they appear to be, and he gradually becomes aware of the painful truth. A haunting ghost story based on a Thai legend, with a unique style and look. Winner of four awards at the Pan Asia Film Festival including Best Picture.DVD Features:Region 0 (All Regions)Keep CaseLetterboxedAudio: Dolby Digital - ThaiInteractive Features: Scene Access Interactive Menus
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
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