DVD Reviews

<jats:p> <jats:bold> <jats:italic>High and Low/Tengoku to jigoku</jats:italic> </jats:bold> (1963) Japan <jats:bold>Director</jats:bold> Akira Kurosawa <jats:bold>Screenplay</jats:bold> Hideo Oguni, Eijiro Hisaita, Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa <jats:bold>Based on the book</jats:bold> <jats:italic>King's Ransom</jats:italic> by Ed McBain (aka Evan Hunter) <jats:bold>Producers</jats:bold> Ryuzo Kikushima, Tomoyuki Tanaka <jats:bold>Directors of Photography</jats:bold> Asakazu Nakai, Takao Saito <jats:bold>Production Designer</jats:bold> Yoshiro Muraki <jats:bold>Costumes</jats:bold> Miyuki Suzuki <jats:bold>With</jats:bold> Toshiro Mifune (Kingo Gondo), Tatsuya Nakadai (Inspector Tokura), Kyoko Kagawa (Reiko Gondo), Tatsuya Mihashi (Kawanishi), Tsutomo Yamazaki (Takeuchi), Yutaka Sada (Aoki), Isao Kimura (Detective Arai) <jats:bold>Runtime</jats:bold> 143 minutes <jats:bold>DVD</jats:bold> USA, 2008 <jats:bold>Produced and Distributed by</jats:bold> The Criterion Collection (region 1) <jats:bold>Aspect Ratio</jats:bold> 2.35:1 <jats:bold>Sound Mix</jats:bold> Dolby 4.0 <jats:bold>Extras</jats:bold> New, restored high-definition digital transfer with original four-track surround sound. Audio commentary by Stephen Prince. New subtitle translation. 37-minute documentary on the making of <jats:italic>High and Low</jats:italic>. Interview with Toshiro Mifune. Interview with Tsutomu Yamazaki. American and Japanese theatrical trailers. 35-page booklet with essays by Geoffrey O'Brien and Donald Richie.</jats:p> <jats:p> <jats:bold> <jats:italic>Muriel, ou le Temps d'un retour</jats:italic> </jats:bold> (1963) France <jats:bold>Director</jats:bold> Alain Resnais <jats:bold>Producer</jats:bold> Anatole Dauman <jats:bold>With</jats:bold> Delphine Seyrig, Jean-Pierre Kerien, Nita Klein, Jean-Baptiste Thierree <jats:bold>Runtime</jats:bold> 111 minutes <jats:bold>DVD</jats:bold> UK, March 2009 <jats:bold>Distributed by</jats:bold> Eureka, The Masters of Cinema (region 2) <jats:bold>Aspect Ratio</jats:bold> 1.66:1</jats:p> <jats:p> <jats:bold> <jats:italic>In The Pit</jats:italic> </jats:bold> (2006) <jats:bold>Director</jats:bold> Juan Carlos Rulfo <jats:bold>Producers</jats:bold> Eugenia Montiel and Juan Carlos Rulfo <jats:bold>Runtime</jats:bold> 84 minutes <jats:bold>DVD</jats:bold> Mexico, 2006 <jats:bold>Produced and Distributed by</jats:bold> Kino International <jats:bold>Extras</jats:bold> Theatrical trailer. Stills gallery. Optional English subtitles.</jats:p> <jats:p> <jats:bold> <jats:italic>Manufactured Landscapes</jats:italic> </jats:bold> (2006) <jats:bold>Director</jats:bold> Jennifer Baichwal <jats:bold>Producers</jats:bold> Nick De Pencier, Daniel Iron and Jennifer Baichwal <jats:bold>Runtime</jats:bold> 82 minutes <jats:bold>DVD</jats:bold> Canada, 2006 <jats:bold>Produced and Distributed by</jats:bold> Zeitgeist <jats:bold>Extras</jats:bold> Additional scenes with audio commentary by director. Edward Burtynsky's photo gallery. Video discussion with Baichwal and Burtynsky. Video interview with cinematographer/collaborator Peter Mettler, Al Gore and Baichwal at the Nashville Film Festival. US Theatrical Trailer. Optional English subtitles.</jats:p> <jats:p> <jats:bold> <jats:italic>Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble</jats:italic> </jats:bold> (1972) France <jats:bold>Director</jats:bold> Maurice Pialat <jats:bold>Screenplay</jats:bold> Tito Carpi and Maurice Pialat <jats:bold>Producers</jats:bold> Jacques Dorfmann, Maurice Pialat and Jean-Pierre Rassam <jats:bold>Director of Photography</jats:bold> Luciano Tovoli <jats:bold>With</jats:bold> Marlene Jobert (Catherine), Jean Yanne (Jean), Macha Meril (Franoise), Christine Fabrega (Catherine's mother), Jacques Galland (Catherine's father) <jats:bold>Runtime</jats:bold> 102 minutes <jats:bold>DVD</jats:bold> UK, 2009 <jats:bold>Produced and Distributed by</jats:bold> Eureka, The Masters Of Cinema Series (region 2) <jats:bold>Aspect Ratio</jats:bold> Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1 <jats:bold>Sound Mix</jats:bold> Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono <jats:bold>Extras</jats:bold> <jats:italic>La Camargue</jats:italic> (1966), 6-minute essay-documentary by Maurice Pialat. 19-minute 2003 interview with star Marlene Jobert. 5-minute excerpt from the 1972 <jats:italic>Pour le cinema: Special Cannes</jats:italic>, featuring interviews with Jean Yanne and Maurice Pialat. 8-minute excerpt from the 1972 <jats:italic>Vive le cinema</jats:italic> featuring Francois Truffaut in conversation. 12-minute excerpt from 1972 <jats:italic>Vive le cinema</jats:italic> featuring Maurice Pialat. Original trailer, plus six other Pialat trailers. Booklet with new essay by former <jats:italic>Cahier du cinema</jats:italic> editor-in-chief Emmanual Burdeau.</jats:p> <jats:p> <jats:bold> <jats:italic>Passe ton Bac d'abord</jats:italic> </jats:bold> (1979) France <jats:bold>Director</jats:bold> Maurice Pialat <jats:bold>Screenplay</jats:bold> Maurice Pialat <jats:bold>Producer</jats:bold> Maurice Pialat <jats:bold>Director of Photography</jats:bold> Pierre William Glenn and Jean-Paul Janssen <jats:bold>Editing</jats:bold> Sophie Coussein, Martine Giordano and Arlette Langmann <jats:bold>With</jats:bold> Sabine Haudepin (Elisabeth), Philippe Marlaud (Philippe), Bernard Tronczak (Bernard), Patrick Lepcynski (Patrick), Valerie Chassigneux (Valerie) <jats:bold>Runtime</jats:bold> 81 minutes <jats:bold>DVD</jats:bold> UK, 2009 <jats:bold>Produced and Distributed by</jats:bold> Eureka, The Masters Of Cinema Series (region 2) <jats:bold>Aspect Ratio</jats:bold> Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1 <jats:bold>Sound Mix</jats:bold> Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono <jats:bold>Extras</jats:bold> Interview with Pialat contributors Arlette Langmann and Patrick Grandperret. <jats:italic>Apres Le Bac</jats:italic> (2003), a 26-minute documentary featurette by Serge Toubiana and Sonia Buchman. Original trailer, and six other trailers for Maurice Pialat features. A lengthy booklet with newly translated Pialat interviews.</jats:p> <jats:p> <jats:bold>The dumbing-down of Tavernier and James Lee Burke</jats:bold> By Patrick McGilligan</jats:p>