Closet Land (PAL Format)
by Radha Bharadwaj
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alan Rickman, Madeleine StoweDirector: Radha Bharadwaj
DVD: Region Code 2
Audio: English (Unknown); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: PAL
Running Time: 93 unknown-units
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: S.A.V.
Movie Reviews of Closet Land (PAL Format)
Movie Review: Two People in a Room, No Names, No Identities
Summary: 5 Stars
I originally saw this video for Alan Rickman's performance and as usual he doesn't disappoint. But be prepared for a very unpleasant movie.
This is the story of a children's author that is brought in for "questioning" by a nameless government. The whole film takes place in one room where she is questioned (tortured) by a government official (Rickman). The story quickly becomes psychological warfare between the two characters as the "victim" is not as easily broken as the government inquisitor first thought. By the end of the movie the balance of power has shifted and it's the inquisitor who may break under his own sadism.
The violence in the movie is not horror movie graphic but it is far more brutal in its realistic potrayal. The actual acts are cut-aways that you don't see(mostly) but the suggestion of the acts make you squirm.
I did find the strange sub-plot of their relationship revealed at the end to be out of place. I didn't think it necessary to the stark experimental plot. But that's just my opinion. The ending is left up to the viewer.
Did he free her or kill her?
After seeing this film you will feel grateful for the freedoms that we have. To read, critisize or praise any film or book. I know I am.
Summary of Closet Land (PAL Format)
Spain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), Spanish ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), Spanish ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Filmographies, Interactive Menu, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: There are a handful of famous torture sequences in movies: Laurence Olivier performing unwanted dental work on Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man, Michael Madsen mutilating the cop in Reservoir Dogs, and Mel Gibson on the rack at the end of Braveheart, to name just three. Closet Land is unique because it takes torture as its entire setting. Unremittingly bleak and oppressive, Radha Bharadwaj's film assaults the senses and the mind. Shot on a single, sparse set in a style that recalls German Expressionism, there is nothing to divert one's attention from the horrific interrogation. The most atrocious acts of physical violence occur off-screen, although the screams and sobs that result from them are quite audible. Torture is the milieu, but not the theme of the film. The lighting, art direction, and the fact that the only two characters are nameless all underscore the fact that Closet Land is an allegory for oppression anywhere. This is a remarkably unpleasant film to endure, which is the point -- the filmmakers harrowingly communicate that all oppression and torture are horrific. The biggest complaint that can be levied toward the film is that the audience knew this before they entered the theater. The ambiguous ending is similar to Brazil, allowing viewers to decide for themselves if retreating into the mind is escape or defeat.SCREENED/AWARDED AT: San Sebastian International Film Festival, ...Closet Land
Similar DVD Movies
![Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny [VHS] Image](/images/Rasputin-Dark-Servant-of-Destiny-VHS-630415674X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny [VHS]Hbo Home Video; Release date: 1998-01-13; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Snow CakeGenius; Release date: 2007-09-11; DVD
Best price: $13.28
Price in other shops:
Close My EyesRelease date: 2011-12-15; DVD
Best price: $19.99
Truly Madly DeeplyRelease date: 2001-12-26; DVD
Best price: $149.99
![Judas Kiss [REGION 2] Image](/images/Judas-Kiss-REGION-2-B00006JY6G-X.jpg)
Judas Kiss [REGION 2]DVD
Best price: $8.94
MesmerFIRST LOOK HOME ENT.; Release date: 2006-05-17; DVD
Price in other shops:
Dark HarborRelease date: 2000-04-11; Published: 2000-04-01; DVD
Best price: $29.99
Nobel SonRICKMAN,ALAN; Release date: 2009-06-09; DVD
Best price: $4.73
Price in other shops:
An Awfully Big AdventureWarner Brothers; Release date: 2005-04-19; DVD
Best price: $5.51
Price in other shops:
The Search for John GissingFox; Release date: 2008-08-12; DVD
Best price: $69.99