The Big Animal (Duze Zwierze)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: B-
When
noted directors like Krzysztof Kieslowski (Three
Colors Trilogy, Decalogue)
leaves us, there is always a rush to see and hear all the films that artist was
involved in. He wrote The Big Animal (Duze Zwierze) and it is
a charming, funny story. Jerry Stuhr (a
former actor for Kieslowski) would direct this version that was released in
2000 and it could maybe become a kind of children’s classic like The Red Balloon, though this has
different appeals as well and may not be of all youngsters.
The story
evolves around a small Polish town (where this was filmed) has Stuhr also
playing the man who heads a family suddenly finding themselves in possession of
a camel. All camel jokes aside, he ands
his wife deiced they want to keep and take care of the newfound big pet, but
everyone else suddenly wants the cherished four-legger for all the wrong
reasons and it brings out the worse in everyone around. Of course, Poland has other problems
(anti-Semitism, et al) and none of that applies here, but it becomes a
serio-comic look at human nature that just sustains itself for 72 minutes.
The
letterboxed 1.85 X 1 image was shot in black and white by Pawel Edelman, whose
work includes Roman Polanski’s The
Pianist, Taylor Hackford’s Ray
(reviewed on HD-DVD elsewhere on this site) and the recent remake of All The King’s Men. Though not the think black and white of the
past (silver content being the factor), this is from a good-looking print, but
is softer than expected. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo has no surrounds, but is still good. Extras include the Milestone press kit, U.S.
trailer, half-hour interview piece with the filmmakers and a making of
featurette.
- Nicholas Sheffo
