Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug)
by Derek Jarman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Judi Dench, Michael Gough, Nigel Terry, Sean Bean, Tilda SwintonDirector: Derek Jarman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Black & White, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 313 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-06-24
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Zeitgeist Films
Movie Reviews of Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug)
Movie Review: Fabulous Window into Jarman's Central Question: How Can Outsiders Form Community?
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm struck by the coincidence that Zeitgeist's remarkable retrospective of some of Jarman's greatest works -- was released in the same week that Disney opened "Wall.E," which also raises the question about accepting outsiders.
Of course, it's a slam dunk that people want to hug the lovable little robot. Jarman's challenge is far higher octane. He was -- until his untimely death from AIDS in the 1990s -- a real-life, sometimes-fire-breathing, British artist and activist.
Solid evidence of Jarman's stature of an artist is the Who's Who of famous British actors and actresses who worked in his avante garde productions, including Judith Dench, Tilda Swinton and even Laurence Olivier, who made his final film, "War Requiem," with Jarman. (However, "War Requiem" isn't in this particular set.)
But, Jarman wasn't interested in celebrity. Rather, he was deadly serious about probing the outer boundaries. He had no interest in producing Hollywood hits. Quite the contrary. In fact, the "extras" in this new DVD set include an interview with Jarman in which he makes precisely that point.
In one interview, he says that his whole body of work was intended as a critique of American cinema. It wasn't a question of artistic options. He had lots of lucrative work from which to choose. In his prime, for instance, Jarman was a sought-after director of music videos. When his late-in-life production, "Blue," was released -- a joint broadcast was arranged involving both British television and radio networks to broadcast the image and the audio in optimal quality throughout the UK. (And, "Blue" is in this new set.)
No, Jarman followed the road less traveled because the question he wanted to ask over and over again is: How do true outsiders form community?
In this new DVD set, you'll get a real glimpse of his range as an artist, designer and director. For example, there is painstaking work behind the shadowy opening scenes of his "Caravaggio." It's a feature-length film about the artist who took Rome by storm around 1600 with huge, dramatic canvases that reinterpreted traditional spiritual themes. These opening scenes are as gorgeous as the artist's paintings themselves. But we soon realize that Jarman is, above all, an artistic provocateur -- when we suddenly hear the distant sound of a freight train! In 1600? And, then, we discover a malicious nobleman tapping on a hand-held calculator -- and suddenly characters show up in tuxedos!
What Jarman really is doing here is extending the questions raised by "Caravaggio" into our present age. By the middle of the film, we already can see how an outsider artist can summon incredible spiritual gifts. Caravaggio's paintings helped people to see biblical stories in entirely new ways. But his status as a highly controversial and emotionally troubled rebel almost defied any community to embrace him.
Jarmans' films are challenging, intellectual, not for young viewers -- and even an aquired taste for adult viewers -- but I am amazed, on the week of the "Wall.E" release to have an opportunity, as well, to reflect on the brilliant insights of a true outsider, as well.
More Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug) reviews:
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Summary of Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug)
Painter, poet, activist and queer cinema maverick, Derek Jarman (1942-1994) is one of Britain's most visionary and extraordinary film artists. Often in collaboration with actress and muse Tilda Swinton (2007 Oscar Winner for Michael Clayton), Jarman's lush, experimental reflections on art, politics, sexuality and identity transcend and subvert both the genres in which he worked--the period costume drama, the biopic--as well as the boundaries of so-called gay filmmaking.This four-disc set boasts two of Jarman's most accomplished arthouse features (Caravaggio and Wittgenstein), and two of his most personal and avant-garde works (Blue and The Angelic Conversation). GLITTERBOX also debuts a treasure trove of additional material including the posthumously assembled 54-minute film collage Glitterbug; rare behind-the-scenes footage; extensive video and audio interviews; production galleries; and a 20-page illustrated booklet with essays, an interview with Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell and a tribute by Coil's Peter Christopherson.
DISC ONE: CARAVAGGIO
The volatile life of the eponymous 17th-century painter is gorgeously re-imagined through his brilliant, near-blasphemous paintings and flirtations with the underworld. With Tilda Swinton, Sean Bean, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gough, and Nigel Terry in the title role.
1986 - 90 minutes - UK - Color - In English - 16:9 aspect ratio - Not Rated
CARAVAGGIO FEATURES:
- Restored anamorphic transfer, created from Hi-Def elements
- Video interviews with actress Tilda Swinton, actor Nigel Terry and production designer Christopher Hobbs
- Audio commentary by cinematographer Gabriel Beristain
- Rare audio and video interviews with Derek Jarman
- Storyboard, notebook, production photo and sketch galleries
- Original theatrical trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
DISC TWO: WITTGENSTEIN
A visually stunning and profoundly entertaining portrait of the irreverent 20th-century philosopher who preferred detective fiction and Carmen Miranda musicals to Aristotle.
1993 - 69 minutes - UK - Color - In English - 16:9 aspect ratio - Not Rated
WITTGENSTEIN FEATURES:
- Restored anamorphic transfer, created from Hi-Def elements
- Video interviews with actress Tilda Swinton, actor Karl Johnson and producer Tariq Ali
- Extensive behind-the-scenes footage
- Video introduction by film historian Ian Christie
- The Clearing (Alex Bistikas, 1994), a short film featuring Jarman
- English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
DISC THREE: THE ANGELIC CONVERSATION
This ethereal Super-8 mélange beautifully layers languorous music by cult band Coil and Dame Judi Dench's emotive readings of Shakespeare love sonnets.
1985 - 78 minutes - UK - Color and B&W - In English - 1.33:1 aspect ratio - Not Rated
THE ANGELIC CONVERSATION FEATURES:
- Restored transfer
- Video interviews with producer James Mackay and production designer Christopher Hobbs
- Derek Jarman in conversation with Simon Field (1989)
- English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
DISC FOUR: BLUE
Jarman's most daring cinematic statement (a year before his death from AIDS in 1994) lays bare his physical and spiritual struggle through a rich tapestry of voices, music and a pure cobalt screen.
1993 - 76 minutes - UK - Blue - In English - 16:9 aspect ratio - Not Rated
BLUE FEATURES:
- Glitterbug (1994), 54-minute collage of Jarman's footage posthumously assembled by the filmmaker's friends and featuring original music by Brian Eno
- English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
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