Film
Reviews
HISTORICAL EPIC I-IEIMAT 2: CHRONICLE OF A GENERATION (15) l560min
(Tartan Video DVD retail) ooooo
Hei'mat - Edgar Reitz's epic chronicle of life in a 20th century German village — has been selling faster than hot kuchen since its DVD release last October. Now comes a box set of Reitz’s second. even more colossal magnum opus. first seen in 1992. The third Hei'mat. completed last year. opened in London earlier this month.
Hei'mat number one revolved around the figure of village matriarch Maria (Marita Breuer) and spanned the years from 1919 to 1982. He/mat 2 focuses on budding classical composer Hermann (Henry Arnold). Maria's youngest son, and his friends at university in Munich during the 608. It‘s a decade of radicalism in art and politics: Hermann plunges into wild musical experimentation reminiscent of Cage and Stockhausen; one of his friends ends up in the Baader-Meinhof gang.
Hei‘mat 2 originally found less favour with critics and audiences than its predecessor. perhaps because Reitz had narrowed his social and generational focus (note the subtitle), or perhaps because of its length. But as the series unfolded over 13 two- hour episodes, patient viewers discovered it had the richness and depth of a great 19th century novel, and the addictiveness of a TV soap. (Jason Best)
(A. Loud
9% °Cleor
EXPERIMENTAL
BERLINSUPER 80
(12) 120 Min DVD/53 Min CD
(Monitorpop Entertainment DVD retail) 0...
An essential chronological compendium to Julian Cope’s Krautrocksampler, Berlin Super 80 is the kind of non-exhaustive yet meticulous box set you wish more labels with passion could release.
Presented as a CD/DVD and accompanying book, the set documents the music and film undergrounds which emerged from West Berlin between 1978 and 1984 from the then ‘walled in’ state of GDR. As the title suggests, it’s an homage to not only the post-punk new wave era, but to the ingenuity of filmmakers who resorted to utilising Super 8 cameras as a means of instant expressionism in the face of expensive video and unavailable technology. There is an industrial feeling throughout this set, but it’s not one led by the communist policies of the time. The sense is borne more from art-led minimalism and a DIY ethos, a similar reflection indeed, of movements that were concurrent in London and New York.
In contributing filmmaker Rolf S Wolkenstein’s words: ‘This new attitude was based on individualism and rebellion, and perfectly suited my generation’s overall existentialist mood.’
Christoph Doerings’ Night on Earth film precursor - a simple documentary of the night life of Berlin as seen through his taxi driver eyes (a job he took to fund college studies) - highlights this, with its dark undertones complemented by an array of highly watchable and at times comedic characters. With a rapid fire edited soundtrack, it makes for the kind of filmmaking that most wannabe
music video directors can only dream of. Or steal and then replicate with extremely regrettable consequences.
Musically, it connects in all the right places too, with acts like Malaria, Einsturzende Neubauten and Die Todliche Doris all well represented amongst others. It’s no surprise then how influential this underground scene was in changing the face of modern day music as we know it. Whether that be underground techno or pop crossover, one cannot deny the influence Berlin has had. All in all this is an indispensable item that is bursting with enough archive material to fill in the missing links in contemporary European popular culture, and all without running the documentary gauntlet. Excellent.
(Simon Dehany)
MELODRAMA PEYTON PLACE (15) 150min
(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment DVD
retail) .0.
Peyton Place
So pOpular were Grace Metalious‘ sensational bestselling novel and its Subsequent screen adaptations that the name Peyton Place became a polite euphemism for small town America. Indeed ‘polite' seems the fairest way of describing the 1957 film version, which so sanitises Metalious' groundbreaking depiction of rape. incest. abortion. adultery. illicit marriage. suicide and murder in a seemingly unremarkable community as to render it utterly inoffensive.
That said. there are still aspects of this vanguard soap opera to savour. not least the stirring score and beautiful New England scenery. coastal Maine being painted in bold Technicolor. And there are some striking perf0rinances too. in particular Lloyd Nolan as the fastidious town doctor and Lana Turner as an ambivalent. neurotic matriarch. This DVD release sorely misses an engaging commentary or aCCIOllll_)allylllg documentary.
(Allan Radcliffe)
BLACK COMEDY TANGO
(15) 86min .0. (Second Sight DVD Retail)
Patrice Leconte's all-star black comedy is a slickly presented. amusing and sardonic look at the battle of the sexes. Vincent Baraduc (Richard Bohringer) promptly bumps off his Wife and her lover and. given a not guilty verdict by a sympathetic judge (Philippe Noiret). is
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asked to do much the same to the judge's wife.
Leconte's films generally respect romanticism more than realism. obsession over compromise (The Hairdresser 's Husband. Le Par‘fi 1m (1 'Yvonrie) and so it's no surprise when the filmmaker melancholically sides With the jealous over the victimised. no matter if the Victim ends up burned up in a car or drops thousands of feet to her death.
It is as though by combining elements of what has been called the comic climate (where. say. Violent acts have a slapstick dimenSIOn). with a romantic tone that
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makes jealousy as mournful as it is comic. Leconte arrives at something that is hardly politically correct but drny humorous and mildly, suggestiver intriguing instead. Minimal extras.
(Tony McKibbin)
SPORTS DRAMA
2 SECONDS (15) 100min (Millivres Multimedia DVD retail) 0..
This is a perky, part autobiographical romantic comedy- drama. released in 1998. from French-Canadian writer/director Manon Briand. It was shot in 30 days and showcases summertime in Montreal. where pintsmed former downhill mOuntain bike
racer Laurie (Charlotte Laurier) finds herself relocating to Montreal and falling into bike c0uriering. Meeting cantankerous Italian ex racer 'bike shop owner Loren/o (Dino Ta\.«'aroi‘.ei. she enjoys friendship through spokes. war stories and girls. Briand's direction sensitiver creates vibrant and idiosyncratic characters — peppered With hints of existential self-doubt. Questions around relativin of time and speed are tucked succinctly into the narrative. and Laurier's gainine gestures work well against Tavarone's heavy-set ennui. The film finds its feet as a humanistic tale of Winning. losing and friendship rather than a Persor 752/ Best - type drama (a lesbian love plot tWist comes too little. too late). Hoax/ever. an inventive soundtrack miXing ja/x. ska ant. city noises create further emotional weight. ‘.‘.'fli(:fl the film lacks at times. No extras of note except the trailer.
(Selina Robertsoni
ALL DVDS WERE WERE REVIEWED ON A SYSTEM SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED BY LOUD 8: CLEAR
50 THE LIST 26 May-E} .Jun 2005)