Polytechnique

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Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Polytechnique

#1 Post by Calvin » Fri Oct 23, 2020 3:20 am

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Polytechnique

Released 7 December 2020

Young lives are forever changed when a gunman opens fires in a Canadian school, determined to kill as many women as possible.

A dramatization of the tragic Montreal Massacre, the events of the day are documented through the eyes of two student witnesses and the perpetrator, with the horrors of the carnage leaving a legacy far beyond the shooting itself.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario) and shot in stark black-and-white by Pierre Gill, Polytechnique is a profound achievement from one of contemporary cinema’s most original directors.

Extras
Presented in High Definition

Includes both the English and French language versions of the film

Polytechnique: Ce qu’il reste du 6 décembre (2019, 52 mins): made for the thirtieth anniversary of the Montréal massacre, Judith Plamondon's documentary gives voice to the survivors and witnesses of the event and is narrated by Karine Vanasse, actress and co-producer of Polytechnique

Trailer

**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring a new essay on the film by Jessica Kiang and a look at the career of Denis Villeneuve by Justine Smith

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Saturnome
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:22 pm

Re: Polytechnique

#2 Post by Saturnome » Fri Oct 23, 2020 3:44 am

I hope they'll correct the "Karin Evanasse" typo on the cover !

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MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
Location: Worthing
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Re: Polytechnique

#3 Post by MichaelB » Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:29 am

Full specs announced:
Polytechnique
A film by Denis Villeneuve


Blu-ray release on 7 December 2020
iTunes and Amazon Prime release on 21 December 2020

Young lives are changed for ever when a gunman opens fire in a Canadian engineering school, determined to kill as many women as possible. A dramatisation of the 1989 Montréal massacre, Polytechnique documents events through the eyes of two students and the perpetrator, and explores how the horrors of a single day leave a legacy far beyond the shooting itself.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario) and shot in stark black and white by Pierre Gill, the film is a profound achievement from one of contemporary cinema’s most original directors.

Polytechnique premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and subsequently received honours including nine Genie Awards (now known as the Canadian Screen Awards) including Best Motion Picture.

The film was shot consecutively in French and English, with the actors performing in both languages, resulting in two versions, both of which are presented here.

Special features
• Presented in High Definition
• Includes both English and French-language versions of the film
• Polytechnique: Ce qu’il reste du 6 décembre (2019, 52 mins): made for the 30th anniversary of the Montréal massacre, Judith Plamondon’s documentary gives voice to the survivors and witnesses of the tragedy and is narrated by Karine Vanasse, actor and co-producer of Polytechnique
• Trailer
• ***First pressing only*** Illustrated booklet with a Foreword by Denis Villeneuve, essays by Jessica Kiang, Karine Vanasse and Justine Smith, feature credits and credits for the documentary.

Product details
RRP: £19.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1407 / 15
Canada / 2009 / black and white / 77 mins / French with English subtitles, and English with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles / original aspect ratio 2.35:1 // BD50: 1080p, 24fps, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and PCM 2.0 stereo audio (48kHz/24-bit)

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L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Polytechnique

#4 Post by L.A. » Sat Feb 06, 2021 11:05 am


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Aunt Peg
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:30 am

Re: Polytechnique

#5 Post by Aunt Peg » Sun Feb 07, 2021 6:05 am

I'm very mixed when it comes to Denis Villeneuve but I took a chance and blind-bought it and found the film very worthwhile but gruelling stuff as it should be.

At a brief running time of just 77 minutes it doesn't waste a moment.

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therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Polytechnique

#6 Post by therewillbeblus » Sun Feb 07, 2021 2:31 pm

I saw this last month on Amazon Prime (a good way to sample it if it’s still up there) and hated it. I thought I wrote something up about its failure to communicate an intended message about gender relationships in the western world, but apparently I did not. Regardless, the film’s biggest offense is that it confronts trauma in half-measures, and worse, inappropriately exercises style to neglect the subjects it’s intending to connect with. I never felt particularly aligned with the chaotic psychological defenses detaching us like in The Tracey Fragments, nor fused with any subjective experience in an intimate way. Instead we get shots like blood tracking from victim and assassin separately and then merging, because they’re both human beings- this is the kind of didactic on-the-nose artistic vanity one would find in an immature student film, and when dealing with events this important just felt exploitative, without actually taking the time to look up from one’s selfish imagination of creative experimentation to even bother actively exploiting anyone. I don’t know if that passive condescension is better or worse.

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