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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
flawless DVD transfer, priceless commentary, gorgeous package, November 13, 2008
I usually don't write reviews but as a fan I owe it to myself to spread the word about Andrej Zulawski, this unsung giant of contemporary cinema, and where better to start than this almost too good to be true release from a new DVD label Mondo Vision. I've spent more money buying bootleg copies of Zulawski films than any other director which is a sad statement to make, BUT this release will hopefully put an end to the mistreatment that Zulawski has received on digital format.
To understand Zulawski, one first needs to know a few facts and a brief biography. He is a Polish director; he was thrown out of Poland after his 1972 film "The Devil" (available on bootleg DVD by Polart) was banned by the government due to excessive violence and sexual content. He then moved to France and made "L'important C'est D'aimer" (The Important Thing Is To Love, 1975) considered by some to be his masterpiece even though that is open to debate considering he has made 12 films and every single one feels like a masterpiece of its own. The Important Thing Is To Love defied a whole generation of French filmmakers who were basically running out of ideas. Unfortunately the film did not receive mass distribution and until today it remains a lost cult classic. When you watch that film and compare it to other French films of the same era, you'll be amazed how much zulawski was and maybe still is ahead of his times. Jerry Harvey of Z Channel was an early and passionate admirer of the film and that was the only time the film was ever shown here in the U.S. After Important Thing Is To Love, Zulawski returned to Poland to direct his epic film "The Silver Glove" (also available on bootleg DVD by Polart) that was supposed to be four and a half hours long, but like "The Devil" Polish government stopped the production when 80% of the shooting was done, 10 years later Zulawski was urged by collegeous to finish the film by gluing together the missing pieces, even in its unfinished form it is one of the most haunting art house films ever made. After Silver Globe, Zulawski made "POSSSESSION" in 1981 a tour de force film that is unlike anything else I have ever seen. In my opinion POSSESSION is Zulawski's best and one of the greatest films ever made. Public Woman came 3 years after Possession followed by L'amour Braque (Mad Love) where Zulawski met Sophie Marceau, the beautiful French actress who went on to star in 4 of his films. They were married for 17 years and have a son named Vincent.
With that in mind, now here's my take on this new DVD release of Zulawski's 6th film "Public Woman". This is not a critical review, I leave that to the critics, but I say this that Zulawski may not be everyone's taste, but there is no denying the fact that during his entire career he has defied the mainstream and crafted a different kind of cinema and film language captured purely in moving images that are impossible to duplicate. When you see a Zulawski film you will know it from the first scene, the first moment; he has that auteur quality and signature that is lacking in cinema nowadays. Zulawski is a young people director, all of his films including Public Woman are contemporary, modern and extremely visual. I wanna make an important point here - prior to this release I always watched Public Woman without any subtitles as I do understand a little French. While the subtitles on this DVD are very good, keep in mind that if you have to read subtitles while watching any Zulawski film, the chances are you are bound to miss some very incredible shots and camera movements. To really soak the film in on a visceral level , first watch it with subs to get the basic plot and then re-watch it without subs and you will discover moments of pure cinema where you get goose bumps and tell yourself how the F&#$ did he just do that!!
The Package:
Video Quality: 5/5 (flawless, as a matter of fact I have never seen such a film-like and consistent DVD transfer. Play this on any upconverting or blu-ray player and see it for yourself, no BS or nonsense hype here.)
Extras: 5/5 (Don't miss Zulawski's commentary! love him or loathe him here's a real director with guts that always does it his own way and I respect him for that!)
Audio 5/5 (original mono audio, no bumped up audio here.)
Packaging (worth every dime, I would pay 3 times the price tag just to finally see this film in decent transfer and English subtitles. This edition is bound to become a rare collector item especially since it's individually numbered.) I got #2 /2000, now thats freaking lucky!
The 48 page booklet is my favorite and has some very rare interviews. Considering the limited amount of information on Zulawski, you definitely wanna read this stuff, it `s a must have...
thank you mondo vision for giving voice to this underrated genius.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
La Paquet Parfait DVD (The Perfect DVD Package), November 13, 2008
La Femme Publique (The Public Woman) (1984) is the story of aspiring young actress Ethel (played by the stunning and versatile Valérie Kaprisky), who by accepting a role in a film based on Dostoyevsky's 'The Possessed', directed by controversial Czech filmmaker Lucas Kessling (played with icy cool and raving madness by Francis Huster) is sucked into a world of manipulation, political conspiracy and confusion.
There are many subplots in this film and the line between reality and acting is blurred for both Ethel and the viewer, but this doesn't detract from the beautifully composed shots, visual style and colors or the film itself.
This was the first film I've viewed by Polish director Andrzej Zulawski and it has left me impressed. I'll definitely be seeking out more films by him.
Video/Audio:
The Hi-Def Anamorphic film transfer (approved by Zulawski) retains the film's original 1.66:1 ratio and was undertaken by gifted UK videophile David Mackenzie (http://www.lyris-lite.net/) and it is a visual feast - clean, vibrant, film-like (grain!) and overall - amazing. The audio is crisp and well-balanced.
Supplements:
Commentary with Zulawski
An interesting interview with the director where he talks about, among other things, co-writing the film with the Dominique Garnier, author of the original novel.
Trailer
Image gallery
Package:
Here's the other area (besides the film transfer) where this DVD really shines. The Premium Collector's Edition packaging is absolutely gorgeous. It is black box with red holo-foil stamping, great artwork, 10 B&W photo reproductions (with their own envelope), a Certificate of Authenticity (ltd. to 2000), a CD soundtrack (track list is included) remastered by composer Alain Wisniak (I am a huge fan of DVD sets that include this) AND a glossy 48-page booklet featuring an essay by Daniel Bird (who moderates the DVD's Commentary) and interviews with the director and cast members from 1984. Best of all the whole package fits on your DVD shelf next to all your other standard clam shell cases (it's only slightly larger overall).
Final Thoughts:
This is a perfect film for fans of unconventional/drama/art house/indie/foreign flicks. Thank you Mondo Vision, this DVD set gives Criterion a run for their money. Here's hoping for more quality packages from this company. I only wish more films were treated this well.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
****/***** for this erotically charged drama
*****/***** for the Premium Collector's Edition DVD by Mondo Vision
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW!! Zulawski's Long Overdue Classic Finally Coming To DVD!, July 7, 2008
This review is from: Andrzej Zulawski's La Femme Publique (The Public Woman, 1984) UNCUT Special Edition [Digipak] by MONDO VISION (DVD)
5 star rating is for the Film itself not the DVD as I have not seen the transfer yet. From the screen grabs circulating the web, looks to be promising. With most of his films badly bootlegged, this could be considered the first proper treatment that Zulawski has received in any region in a long time. Amazon does not have the DVD Contents listed yet, here's some info on what to expect from this release. Following details were posted on Andrzej Zulawski's forum few weeks ago, let's hope they are accurate. enjoy...
FULLY UNCUT & UNCENSORED available for the first time on DVD
in North America!
- Digitally restored high definition progressive transfer
- Feature length audio commentary with Andrzej Zulawski
- Exclusive new interview with Andrzej Zulawski
- 1984 theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- DVD-ROM content (original screenplay and high resolution photos)
+ 24page Booklet including a newly written essay by Daniel Bird
Technical Details:
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: French Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual Mono
Brand New English Subtitles (optional)
Disc Type: dual layer
Packaging: Digipak Inside Hardcover Slipcase
For diehard Zulawski fans, There is also a 2Disc version listed on Amazon here.
Andrzej Zulawski's La Femme Publique (The Public Woman, 1984) UNCUT Premium Edition (DVD+OST CD+10 Lobby Cards+48pg Booklet) [LIMITED: 2,000 Numbered Sets] by MONDO VISION
Update: Nov 15, 08
Hey folks, just received my copy of the special edition and I'm very happy with the overall quality and the contents that come with it. It's obvious that this new label has spent a lot of time putting together this nice little package. I was very skeptical at first knowing the treatment other Zulawski films have received on DVD. This release of Public Woman, however, is an exception and is nothing compared to those terrible releases of Silver Globe, The Devil, and My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days all of which are being sold here on Amazon for $29.99 with no special features, cropped aspect ratios and standard interlaced conversions. Public Woman is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 enhanced for 16x9 TVs, not only that but the transfer is extremely film-like; a true progressive unfiltered transfer. On my 32" sharp LCD, edge enhancements are almost non-existent. The audio commentary and the interview with Zulawski are very informative; they are both in English and the interview is even subtitled in English too. The 24pg booklet is full of content and comes with a very nice essay by Daniel Bird. Before getting this DVD, I was under the impression that the packaging was one of those slim single digipaks like the one that was issued with "There Will Be Blood", BUT NO, this is as thick as any 2disc digipak and it comes with a hardcase so it won't get damaged easily especially during shipping. DVDTalk recently wrote a very nice review of this edition, you should definitely check it out before making a decision to purchase it. The transfer on this DVD alone is worth the price tag, and I can't get over the unique artwork that was inspired by the film, it really stands out in my collection, that's just my 2cents. By the way, Mondo Vision is currently working on the next Zulawski line-up which includes L'important C'est D'aimer (The Important Thing Is To Love, 1975) and L'amour Braque (Mad Love, 1985) with Sophie Marceau, both schedueled for release in 2009, no other details have been released yet.
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