Customer Reviews

The Plague (DVD) William Hurt, Robert Duvall - BY GOLDEN CLASSIC COLLECTIBLES

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I received this DVD in good time and in good condition. However, I found the disc unplayable with severe "chatter" and "hesitation" when played on three different machines. The aspect ratio also was not spot-on. I also was unable to turn-off the Chinese subtitles. I am very concerned Amazon/this vendor is selling bootleg copies of films; a practice of which I want no part. I should have been more wary when I read it had "... interchangeable English/Chinese subtitles...". Amazon refunded my money promptly once I asked for a return/exchange. My first bad experience with Amazon. Pity.

This movie is one of those gems that was trampled upon by people expecting a verbatim adaptation of the book and left in the dust. It's actually surprising how many Camus fans (of which I'm one) actually seemed to take personal offense at this movie. Anyway, ignore them and appreciate this movie as a work of art in its own right, merely standing on the shoulders of Camus.
Probably unknown to most people now, it could really stand to be revived on blu-ray. Criterion, are you listening?
I think where this film succeeds is with the characters. Their complexity is well portrayed by strong actors. Robert Duvall, William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sandrine Bonnaire - all great actors with strong performances here. The film isn't pretentious with dialogue, and the emotions range from still to unleashed, from joy and hope to reflective sorrow. The human experience and conflicts are on display here and portrayed very well.

I love the cast and the European and realistic atmosphere from being shot in the region but not sure about the adaptation and the pacing. definitely recommend viewing if possible, the film is an adapation of Albert Camus's The Plague, and creating your own opinion. Personally viewed the film from an original StudioCanal VHS tape for the record.

I want to buy this movie but it doesn't exist in amazon.co.uk for region 2 (for Turkey).
It's only for region 1 :(

Although this is a chinese (?) bootleg of the film, it's worth a buy, as else you're probably not going to see it at all.
Hard to get, and decent vhs-like quality.