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
