Product Details

• Actors: Tilda Swinton, Judi Dench, Sean Bean, Nigel Terry, Michael Gough
• Directors: Derek Jarman
• Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Zeitgeist Films
• DVD Release Date: June 24, 2008
• Run Time: 313 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00167TTG2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,859 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Window into Jarman's Central Question: How Can Outsiders Form Community?, June 26, 2008

By 

David Crumm "Editor of ReadTheSpirit magazine" (Canton, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug) (DVD)

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, January 24, 2011

By 

Schpaack - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug) (DVD)

My favorite film in this collection is Caravaggio, the cinematography is something to marvel at. But my most favorite thing is the half hour interview with Derek on The Angelic Conversation supplement, which adds dimension to The Last of England among others. Everything is great in this set. Now all I need is The Garden, all his short films and music videos, then I can die happy.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection of films... problematic packaging, February 24, 2010

By 

Stephen Dedalus (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Glitterbox: Derek Jarman (Caravaggio / Wittgenstein / The Angelic Conversation / Blue / Glitterbug) (DVD)

This is a superb collection of films by arthouse director Derek Jarman. It contains his most accessible film (the wonderful CARAVAGGIO) and perhaps his most experimental (the aesthetic tone-poem THE ANGELIC CONVERSATION). Amazon.com's product review illustrates the generous amount of extras that Zeitgest has provided with these films and the booklet of essays is also a must for fans.

Unfortunately I must deduct a star from my rating due to the boxset's design. Zeitgest has decided to package the discs in tight cardboard pockets. While it saves space on your shelf and looks very nice, the DVDs themselves are susceptible to scratches every time you slide them out of their respective slots. While three of these titles are available for individual purchase, BLUE (Jarman's devastating meditation on his deteriorating health from AIDS) is exclusive to this set.