La Ciénaga is a compelling drama-comedy with great performances from its lead but beyond that, an engrossing story. It’s not normally my type of film, and has little replay value, and for some, as with a fair number of Criterion Collection releases, it’s not for everybody.
La Cienaga
(2001)
Genre(s): Drama, Comedy
Criterion Collection | NR – 101 min. – $39.95 | January 27, 2015
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MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Lucrecia Martel Writer(s): Lucrecia Martel (written by) Cast: Mercedes Morán, Graciela Borges, Martín Adjemián, Leonora Balcarce, Silvia Baylé, Sofia Bertolotto, Juan Cruz Bordeu DISC INFO: Audio: Spanish (DTS-HD MA 2.0) |
PLOT SUMMARY
The release of Lucrecia Martel’s La Ciénaga heralded the arrival of an astonishingly vital and original voice in Argentine cinema. With a radical and disturbing take on narrative, beautiful cinematography, and a highly sophisticated use of on- and offscreen sound, Martel turns her tale of a dissolute extended bourgeois family, whiling away the hours of one sweaty, sticky summer, into a cinematic marvel. This visceral take on class, nature, sexuality, and the ways that political turmoil and social stagnation can manifest in human relationships is a drama of extraordinary tactility and one of the great contemporary film debuts.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.25/5
This Criterion Collection release comes in a clear HD Keep Case. Inside is an essay booklet. Features-wise, not much was included save for an Interview (18:27; HD) writer/director Lucrecia Martel, another Interview (23:40; HD) with filmmaker Andrés Di Tella and the Trailer (1:50; HD).
VIDEO – 4.5/5
Criterion Collection releases La Ciénaga presented in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. Unsurprisingly, the picture has excellent and sharp detail levels throughout, with some minor amount of grain, while colors are bright and cheery with lush greens outside while interior shots are darker and show no signs of artifacting, dust marks or scratches.
AUDIO – 4.5/5
The Spanish language 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track is a nice upgrade where dialogue sounds pretty clear, never topping out or sounding flat and other audio elements, limited as they might be in this film, are alright making the most out of the stereo track.
OVERALL – 4.0/5
Overall, La Ciénaga is a compelling drama-comedy with great performances from its lead but beyond that, an engrossing story. It’s not normally my type of film, and has little replay value, and for some, as with a fair number of Criterion Collection releases, it’s not for everybody. However, the Blu-ray release by Criterion excels in the technically department with the new 4K digital film transfer and a lossless audio track while the bonus material, although nice, a bit on the limited side.
Published: 01/19/2015