Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Jamón Jamón Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 27, 2018

Bigas Luna's "Jamon, Jamon" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. There are no supplemental features on the disc. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Silvia and her mother

If I had to introduce Bigas Luna to someone that is completely unfamiliar with his work I would say that he was one of the key directors of the Spanish New Wave and his significance for its legitimization and popularity was every bit as crucial as Jean-Luc Godard’s was during the early stages of the Nouvelle Vague. Though employing different techniques, early in their careers Luna and Godard were essentially social deconstructionists that used their films to satirize or/and provoke. However, Luna’s films remained concerned with typical Spanish social and cultural issues and with a couple of very minor exceptions did not seek to challenge conventional cinematic canons, so they lack the obvious rebellious spirit of Godard’s films.

The events in Jamon, Jamon take place in a provincial Spanish town where people’s choices of entertainment are very limited. A small roadside bar for instance also functions as a whorehouse and attracts most of the hot-blooded men while the women can only attend the occasional disco nights or hope to find a lover to spend some quality time with. Silvia (Penelope Cruz, Open Your Eyes) and Jose Luis (Jordi Molla, Blow), however, have been able to discover true love and now that she is pregnant the two have agreed that it is time to get married. But their future seems doomed: Silvia is the daughter of a former prostitute (Anna Galiena, The Hairdresser's Husband) that owns and runs the roadside whorehouse while Jose Luis is the son of the proud owner (Stefania Sandrelli, The Conformist) of a prosperous men’s underwear plant that hires the majority of the people in the area, which of course instantly makes the two utterly incompatible. Convinced that it is his duty to persuade his parents to accept Silvia but reluctant to immediately reveal that she is carrying a baby, Jose Luis eventually gathers the courage to tell them that he and Silvia are ready to start a family -- and immediately after he does his mother crafts a brilliant plan to keep her son out of trouble. After an audition for a future underwear commercial, she hires the well-endowed bachelor and amateur bullfighter Raul (Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men) to steal Silvia’s heart and make her forget Jose Luis. At first it seems like everything will work out exactly as envisioned by the concerned momma, but when she decides to confirm that the hunk is as good in bed as advertised and then he unexpectedly falls madly in love with Silvia, all hell breaks loose.

The entire film is essentially one wild roller-coaster ride that in the States the Coen brothers probably would have loved to direct. Or maybe not, because in addition to the seemingly endless delicious twists the film overflows with distinct Spanish eroticism that only a Spanish director is likely to get right. It is the glue that effectively holds together the comedy and the drama, the beautiful and the ugly, and gives the narrative the interesting nuances that make its characters and their actions fascinating to behold.

There is also a sense of freedom that permeates the film that is very attractive. It makes some of the more surreal material actually look quite normal while it lasts and allows Luna to very gently manipulate the viewer to nonchalantly accept what otherwise might be unacceptable. (Pedro Almodovar does precisely the same in many of his films but while adding a greater dose of absurd humor). It is basically the reason why once seen Luna’s films are virtually impossible to forget.

The bulk of the film was shot in the very beautiful Aragon region by the great cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine, who over the years lensed many of Almodovar’s greatest hits.

Jamón Jamón 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, Bigas Luna's Jamon, Jamon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

Currently, the only copy of Jamon, Jamon that I have in my collection is from the OOP Bigas Luna Collection DVD box set that Palisades Tartan produced in 2007 and I can confirm that that this upcoming Blu-ray release represents a very strong upgrade in quality when compared to it. It is not sourced from a brand new remaster of the film, but the current master is healthy and with nice technical characteristics that make viewing the film on a larger screen a hassle-free experience. While ideally both delineation and density can be better -- the darker/indoor footage will likely benefit the most if some of the very light black crush that sneaks in is eliminated with a new remaster -- there is still plenty of pleasing depth and some very fine nuances. Also, the grain could have been exposed better, but there are no traces of recent compromising digital tinkering and as it is usually the case this makes a huge difference. Image stability is very good. Colors are stable and natural, and there are even some surprisingly healthy nuances. Image stability is very good. Lastly, there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, while there is certainly room for some improvements this is a very fine organic presentation of the film that should make its fans happy. (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).

Jamón Jamón Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The lossless track is free of age-related imperfections. Also, depth, clarity, and overall stability are very good. It is possible that a brand new remaster could introduce some improvements, but I believe that at best they will be cosmetic improvements that will not alter the overall quality of the audio.

Jamón Jamón Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this release.

Jamón Jamón Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

During the DVD era I was able to acquire from British and Spanish distributors all but two of Bigas Luna's films and I have to say that it is a terrible shame that he has not been treated with greater respect in the United States. Luna's early films in particular are every bit as elegant, flirty and thought-provoking as Pedro Almodovar's big international hits are, but they are very difficult to see in proper form or uncut. It is why I am very, very happy to see that Olive Films are releasing Jamon, Jamon, one of the director's best, on Blu-ray. Hopefully, Luna's masterpiece, The Tit and the Moon, and The Golden Balls are not too far behind. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.