7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Foreign | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Farsi: LPCM 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: This film is available as part of Mohsen Makhmalbaf: The Poetic Trilogy.
Younger readers may not know the extremes some of us more “mature” film lovers used to have to go to enjoy international cinema. Typically in
the
days before home media (and frankly for a good long while after even things like laserdiscs and VHS tapes had been introduced), it used to be a
requirement to scout newspaper ads for “coming attractions” at the local so-called Art House, where frequently any given film from overseas might
only play for a night or two. One of the glories of the Blu-ray era, and of Arrow’s releases in particular, is the availability of rarer items from
countries
whose film industry has not been overly lionized, at least on this side of the pond. That’s the commendable case with The Poetic Trilogy, a
really arresting set of three films from Iranian writer and director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Two of the films in this set, 1996’s
Gabbeh and 1998’s
The Silence, are dramatic narratives that have a kind of
whimsical, folkloristic quality to them. While perhaps fictionalized to a degree, 2012’s
The Gardener is more of a documentary, though it
addresses some of the same religious aspects that are at least subliminally presented in the earlier two films.
All three films in The Poetic Trilogy are presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Academy with AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 (Gabbeh and The Silence) and 1.78:1 (The Gardener). Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the transfers:
Gabbeh and The Silence were exclusively restored by Arrow Films and are presented in their original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with mono sound. For Gabbeh, a 35mm internegative was scanned on an Arriscan in 2K resolution, and for The Silence, a 35mm interpositive was scanned on an Arriscan in 2K resolution. All film treatment and scanning was completed at Eclair in Paris. The films were graded and restored at Dragon DI, Wales. Picture grading was completed on a Pablo Rio System and restoration was completed using PFClean and Revival software. The original audio mixes were remastered from the optical sound negatives. All materials for these restorations were made available from MK2.Unlike the two other offerings in this set, The Gardener wasn't shot on film, and at least some of it seems to have been captured by Sony digital cameras, as evidenced by logos that are clearly seen in several shots of Makhmalbaf and/or his son shooting things. Detail levels are routinely excellent throughout this presentation, though Makhmalbaf plays with perspective and framings, as well as light sources, all of which can tend to add a kind of surreal impressionism to certain moments. There are also a few uses of archival footage (see screenshot 14) and some intentionally "distressed" looking sequences that are evidently meant to be POV shots from a bird's perspective (see screenshot 13), which are understandably less clear and detailed than the bulk of this presentation.
The Gardener is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 with stereo audio. The master was prepared in High Definition by Makhmalbaf Film House and delivered to Arrow Films.
The Gardener is a pretty talky enterprise, and as such the LPCM 2.0 track doesn't really get a chance for any showy sonics, but all elements here are presented cleanly and clearly, free of distortion or other damage. While not as central to the proceedings as in The Silence, the score is also rendered with a full bodied sound and is quite enjoyable.
Arrow has packaged this release with the two "narrative" films on one disc, and the "documentary" on the other. Therefore, the discs may have
supplementary material that is more generalist in nature or not specifically devoted to one particular film.
Disc One (Gabbeh and The Silence)
- Gabbeh US Trailer (1080p; 1:19)
- Gabbeh French Trailer (1080p; 1:17)
- The Silence French Trailer (1080p; 1:02)
- Gabbeh (1080p; 2:40)
- The Silence (1080p; 2:50)
Baha'i got a bit of a pop cultural boost in the United States during the 1970s when Seals and Croft, two Baha'i adherents, hit the top of the charts repeatedly with such songs as "Summer Breeze", "Diamond Girl" and "We May Never Pass This Way Again". One of the sidebars to this story features a female Baha'i follower who may come off as a bit more of a 1960s type, as in one of those loosey goosey hippie types, but even those who may be prone to roll their eyes at any New Age philosophizing may find themselves unexpectedly captivated and maybe even moved by some of the discussions in this film. As with the two other films in this set, Makhmalbaf fills the film with some astounding visuals to accompany the "story". Kind of ironically, that very "story" tended to hang together for me personally in this ostensible documentary better than some elements in the other two films. Highly recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1998
1996
Les quatre soeurs
2018
Je Serai Seule Après Minuit
1931
Château de rêve
1933
Fårödokument 1979
1979
För att inte tala om alla dessa kvinnor
1964
Fårödokument
1970
Meyer From Berlin | Die Austernprinzessin / Meyer aus Berlin
1919
1945
1946
Mon père avait raison
1936
1985
1989
My Uncle
1958
Comizi d'amore
1964
Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot
1953
Le nouveau testament
1936
Birds of a Feather
1978
タンポポ / Tanpopo
1985