Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Victor Khomenko on March 20, 2000 at 07:47:09:

In Reply to: Report again when you watch Barry Lyndon... posted by Bob Casner on March 19, 2000 at 00:27:45:

Perhaps for the last twenty or so years I would always say that Barry Lyndon has been my favorite movie of all times. My love afair with it has been extremely intense over these years. I am not sure how many times I nave seen it, but every one of them was a true event - whether viewed on the cinema screen, of on the 27" Sony. Last time was probably about ten years ago. To me every viewing of it is somehting to be prepared for and cherished afterwards. I know its magic power and try not to abuse it.

With that new HD TV being so good, I naturally decided it was time to see Barry again - this time, of course, using the progressive-scan DVD player as a source. So I went and bought that disc.

We started watching it when it was already getting late - and we both get up quite early. We went through it in one easly breath, almost in complete silence and with just one short intermission. The next day we could not contain ourselves - and all this while being so familiar with it over many years that there was hardly any forgotten scene.

When it comes to that movie, I get emotional. To me it is simply the best movie ever made. This while being reasonably well informed about the movies of the world - both classic and modern. I completely ignore what critics tend to say about it - strangely they often rate it as 3 on the scale of 5. There are other movies that represent tremendous artistic achievements, but to me this one simply is head and shoulders above all the rest in its unstoppable, relentless, yet subtle and elegant push. Its director himself had never risen to that level again - in my view this one represents his pinnacle too.

Some critics had accused it of being just about images... how stupid. How can anyone overlook its thorough completeness. As an adaptation of a classical novel, there is no rival to that one.

Perhaps I could go on and on, but that is hardly required. I will simply close by saying that unfortunately, the DVD transfer is far less than perfect. It s also just the 3:4, and that makes all characters fatter than apropriate on the 9:16 screen. I wish they made some day the true widescreen version - but that seems unlikely at this point.

In the meantime, for the sheer visual effect and beauty, Run Lola Run is perhas one to sit on top of the hill. Let's face it, the great majority of movies that are super-impressive from the image quality standpoint, are not that interesting from the artistic perspective. Lola is many steps above your average "demo" DVD. I would not call it a great movie in a full sense of that word, but is it a *good* movie in my view, and the image quality is simply outstanding. As a good demo, I would take it any day over, gulp, things like Lost in Space. To me that representd a wonderful relief from the necessity to watch junk.