7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Following the mysterious death of his beloved father, classical musician Paul Bergson (Peter Firth, Equus, Tess, TV’s Spooks) is haunted by visions and nightmares. With his lover (Suzan Crowley, The Devil Inside), he travels to remote Turkey on a quest to find The Master Musician, only to encounter a creature of unimaginable evil. Steeped in mysticism and music, and mixing the avant-garde with supernatural fantasy, stunning visuals and a terrific score by Colin Towns, Born of Fire is a bold and poetic horror film from one of international cinema’s great maverick talents.
Starring: Peter Firth, Suzan Crowley, Stefan Kalipha, Orla Pederson, Jean AinslieHorror | 100% |
Drama | 71% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B, A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
What is it about the flute that has made it such a redolent symbol of seduction, and Divine seduction at that, as evidenced by any number of tales involving deities like Pan, Bacchus/Dionysus and/or Kokopelli, as well as evidently at least some depictions of Krishna (I'm not an expert in this regard, but this was one of the results in an internet search), all of whom are skilled on the instrument (or something like it)? That may be a question that is buried in some unexplored corner of the Collective Unconscious, but it’s a question that may be front and center for some viewers of Born of Fire, a weird but intermittently fascinating film from Jamil Dehlavi which explores the mystical “power” of flute playing, in this case for better or quite possibly worse. Born of Fire was evidently briefly marketed as a horror film at some point during its evidently equally brief theatrical exhibition, but it’s really more of a metaphysical inquiry which is tinged with certain horror aspects. As such, it’s probably not going to appeal to those who want either copious blood and guts, or at least a sense of increasing menace, but because the film is so discursive and just flat out gonzo at times, it frankly may also not appeal that much to inquiring minds seeking some kind of comprehensible message about what it (as in the general state of things) all means.
Born of Fire is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse Films' Indicator imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There's only some pretty standard, generic verbiage included in the insert booklet about this presentation, stating that an HD master for the release was provided by Channel Four, and that the mono audio was remastered at the same time (kind of interestingly, there's a bit more information about Qâf – The Sacred Mountain's restoration). This is a generally solid looking presentation, though it is awfully gritty looking at times, and there are some noticeable rough patches in darker scenes especially, as can be seen in screenshots 17 through 19 in particular, but also in parts of frames captured in other screenshots accompanying this review. The palette is generally very well suffused and looks appropriately warm in the almost desert like scenes in Turkey. Detail levels can be quite good in more brightly lit scenes, but they tend to falter, especially with regard to fine detail, in a number of scenes which take place in caves or other dark environments.
Born of Fire features an LPCM Mono track which capably supports the film's odd combination of sometimes bizarre dialogue with rather wide ranging musical styles. As with the visuals, there's a kind of quasi-psychedelic feel to the sound mix here, and a stereo track probably would have better opened up the proceedings to provide a little breathing room. That said, fidelity is fine here and I noticed no issues whatsoever with regard to distortion, dropouts or other damage.
Having lived through the eruption of Mount St. Helens a few decades ago, I can state with some authority that any "mystical" proclivities of volcanoes are highly overrated. That's a joke, of course, but the fact this film also includes volcanoes along with several of the other elements listed above is just another clue as to what an astoundingly weird viewing experience Born of Fire can be. It's hard to outright recommend a film this patently bizarre, but for those with a penchant for "something completely different", this will probably fill the bill as well as anything. Video encounters a few rough moments along the way, but audio is fine, and the supplemental package very enjoyable, for those who are considering a purchase.
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