Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Religion > Marriage > Infidelity > Mexico > Silent Light (2007/aka Stellet licht/Palisades Tartan DVD)

Silent Light (2007/aka Stellet licht/Palisades Tartan DVD)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: C+     Feature: C+

 

 

Carlos Reygadas has been one of the most interesting independent filmmakers on the world cinema scene with films like Battle In Heaven and Japon, understanding cinema as a language and doing something with it.  I have liked his films, but as good as it can be, Silent Light (2007) plays like a small step backwards.  Beautiful but predictable, the often silent movie takes place in Northern Mexico and involves a married religious (Mennonite) man having an affair with another woman and its consequences.  If anything, instead of being himself, Reygadas is too much into Ingmar Bergman territory for his own good.

 

Not that he does a bad job of this, but the film (at its U.S. release length of 136 minutes; it was originally 145 minutes and I would like to see that cut) Is not able to distinguish itself from so many of Bergman’s films and only its naturalism and foreign origin difference distinguish it from Woody Allen’s serious attempt at the same territory.  Cornelio Wall is Johan, the married man, whose affair has been going on for a while.  If his actual wife is not sad enough, he has children and it is interesting how semi-attached he is to them.  He cares, yet not enough to end the affair and he is able to hide behind his religious ways to mask the infidelity.

 

There is more, but not enough to impress me as Reygadas’ previous films did.  However, it is worth a look for those interested and by stopping here in my synopsis, will save what the film still has to offer, which include good performances all around.

 

Whether Reygadas will return to his own form or suddenly decide to go the Bergman route is another issue, but I would prefer the former.  We’ll see.

 

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is a little soft, but in a way that the colors and items in the frame still look solid enough and this is just in the awkward way the film was transferred.  The other reason it looks so different is that is has been shot in a new anamorphic lens called LumoScope, which offers a new widescreen look that is as unique as other prime lenses like Todd AO and HawkScope resulting in a uniquely beautiful shoot.  This is also a 35mm shoot, which is a plus and is one of the first films Palisades Tartan should consider for their next Blu-ray.

 

The DTS 5.1 mix is the best of three choices that also includes Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo, but this is an often silent film so the DTS is only so distinguished.  Yet, it is still warmer and more effective than the other Dolby options and it is preferred.

 

Extras include Deleted Scenes of interest, Film Notes by Jason Wood, Interview with actor Wall and a making of featurette.

 

 

This is the first DVD release from Tartan since they temporarily folded.  Now, back under the Palisades Tartan banner, many of the older releases will be fortunately reissued and that includes two of Reygadas’ earlier films, which you can read more about at these links:

 

Japon

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3703/Japon+(Japan/2002)

 

Battle In Heaven

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3748/Battle+In+Heaven+-+Unrated+(2005

Interview with star Anapola Mushkadiz

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/interview/3696/Anapola+Mushkadiz+(Battle+In+Hea

 

 

Welcome back Tartan!

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com