Barcelona Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Barcelona Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 29, 2016

Whit Stillman's "Barcelona" (1994) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; deleted scenes; audio commentary with Whit Stillman and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols; making of featurette; segment from an archival episode of Charlie Rose; video essay by film critic Farran Smith Nehme; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Fred and Marta

The men and women that populate Whit Stillman’s films tend to be different -- really different. They have long conversations and express themselves like university professors even when they have downed a couple of drinks. They have an endless arsenal of rare ultra-highbrow jokes that make them feel invincible. They always look elegant even though they don’t seem to care much about style.

Watching these men and women interact is an interesting experience because it is never easy to guess what they would say or do. They want to be entertaining but they don’t do it by rehashing old clichés. They are comfortable in their own skin and it is typically up to the viewer to befriend them. Sometimes there is an instant attraction and the viewer is left wondering why there aren’t more of them around. But there are also times when the disappointment is so profound that the viewer instantly walks away and vows to never ever approach them again.

The main protagonists in Barcelona, Stillman’s second feature film, are two young American cousins who are stuck in the Catalan capital during the early ‘80s. Ted (Taylor Nichols, Metropolitan) is a sales representative for a big Chicago-based company who worries that he is underperforming and is only a matter of time before he is sacked. There is a part of him that insists that he should reevaluate his work, refocus and gather the courage to tell his bosses that in time he will deliver the results they are looking for. But there is also a part of him that is convinced that it is already too late and therefore the best thing to do is enjoy what the city has to offer until he gets the call to pack up his bags and go home. Fred (Chris Eigeman, The Last Days of Disco) is an outspoken Navy officer who has just arrived in Barcelona and decided to crash at Ted’s apartment because he is a little short on cash. Ted and Fred have not seen each other in a long time and do not have any idea how the other has matured.

The cousins start going out and quickly befriend a number of beautiful girls. Two of them, Marta (Mira Sorvino, The Replacement Killers) and Montserrat (Tushka Bergen, Voices From a Locked Room), find them attractive and begin dating them. Initially, it seems like they are all going to have a great time together, but the more they learn about each other, the more they begin to realize that they are not compatible -- in a variety of different ways.

Barcelona is a better time capsule than a romantic comedy, though its contrasting identities are actually not mutually exclusive. Indeed, there is an obvious relationship between the authenticity of the period material and the comedic overtones that pop up throughout the film. For example, many of the awkward situations Ted and Fred find themselves in, which typically have the funniest bits, emerge because the Americans and their friends either completely misunderstand each other or intentionally attempt to discredit their views. Some of the political talk feels slightly dated now, but the stereotypes that are identified are remarkably accurate.

There is a very obvious intent to frame the Americans like clueless outsiders, however, that makes the big picture rather questionable. The events in the film take place around the time when Spain voted to join NATO and there was plenty of well publicized political drama. The film tries to sell the idea that the Americans (or at least those who did not work for the government) were unaware of it and were quietly drowning in a sea of animosity for which they were somehow responsible.

Barcelona Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Whit Stillman's Barcelona arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"Supervised by director Whit Stillman and cinematographer John Thomas, this new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from the 35mm A/B original camera negative, at MTI Film in Los Angeles. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI's DRS, while Digital Vision's Phoenix was used for small dirt, grain, noise management, jiter, and flicker.
The original 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm original magnetic tracks. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX4. Please be sure to enable Dolby Pro Logic decoding on your receiver to properly play the Dolby Digital 2.0 surround soundtrack.

Transfer supervisors: Lee Kline, Whit Stillman, John Thomas.
Colorist: Jason Crump/Metropolis Post, New York."

The film looks remarkably healthy and vibrant and it has that wonderfully fluid appearance that new masters deliver when they are done right. Depth and clarity are fantastic during close-ups and wider panoramic shots. During the indoor footage where light is restricted shadow definition is quite simply outstanding. It is very easy to tell that the new transfer was carefully color graded -- the primary colors are stable and well balanced and there is a terrific range of healthy nuances. Grain is evenly distributed and resolved. Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no transfer-specific anomalies to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Barcelona Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Barcelona is primarily a dialog-driven feature, Understandably, the dynamic intensity is unlikely to impress viewers that appreciate the potent mixes contemporary blockbusters have. However, viewers that understand that excellent separation, depth, and fluidity can be equally effective should be very pleased with the quality of the newly remastered lossless track. There are no audio dropouts, pops, cracks, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Barcelona Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Whit Stillman and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols discuss the many locations in Barcelona where important sequences were shot, how select sequences were composed (after multiple takes and some changes in the dialog), some notable cameo appearances (a number of the secondary characters were played by actors who also had roles in Metropolitan), the views of the two male protagonists during the more awkward conversations, the music that is heard throughout the film, etc. The commentary was recorded in 2002.

• Trailer - original trailer for Barcelona. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Today - presented here is a segment from a 1994 episode of the Today show in which director Wilt Stillman discusses some of the obstacles he faced while shooting in Barcelona, the socio-political climate in Spain at the time, the success of Metropolitan and how difficult it was to market an independent film in a sea of big-budget Hollywood productions, etc. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080i).

• Alternate Ending - this alternate ending is presented with optional audio commentary by director Whit Stillman and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols. In English, not subtitled. (5 min, 1080i).

• The Making of "Barcelona" - this archival featurette contains raw footage from the shooting of Barcelona and clips from interviews with director Whit Stillman and actors Chris Eigeman, Taylor Nichols, and Tushka Bergen. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080i).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here are four deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by director Whit Stillman and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).
  
  1. Smart and Cheerful
  2. USO: Bombing Aftermath
  3. Party Arrival, Pre-Limbo
  4. "Of Course, Work"

• The Dick Cavett Show - in this archival episode of The Dick Cavett Show, director Whit Stillman discusses his background (including his work as a promoter of Spanish cinema), the economics of filmmaking, Metropolitan and its success, etc. The episode was broadcast on January 22, 1991. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080i).

• Charlie Rose - presented here is a segment from an archival episode of Charlie Rose in which Whit Stillman discusses Metropolitan and its success, the production history of Barcelona, his business experience and how beneficial it was for him while directing, etc. The episode was broadcast on July 29, 1994. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080i).

• Video Essay - in this video essay, film critic Farran Smith Nehme traces some of the common themes in Whit Stillman's films Metropolitan, The Last Disco, and Barcelona, the social environment in each film and the characters that exist in it, the critical reception of the films, etc. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - illustrated leaflet featuring Haden Guest's essay "Innocence Abroad" and technical credits.

Barcelona Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I find Barcelona to be much more effective as a time capsule than as a quirky romantic comedy. However, I also find some of the cultural and political generalizations that are channeled through it quite weak. Its characters can be quite entertaining at times, but they are a strange bunch and definitely not easy to embrace. Barcelona has been recently remastered in 2K with director Whit Stillman and cinematographer John Thomas' involvement and looks very beautiful in high-definition. The Blu-ray also has a great selection of supplemental features, many of which I actually enjoyed a lot more than the film. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (If you like Barcelona, also see Cédric Klapisch's similarly themed romantic comedy The Spanish Apartment).