In the Heat of the Sun (Jiang Wen, 1994)

[SalParadise]

Saw this excellent movie last night (downloaded it from rapidshare - no chance of buying it on DVD...)

Question: Does anybody know the flag next to the PRC one?

I also wonder if there exists a longer cut as in 'the credits' it 'credits' 4 american 'devils' but they didn't appear in the version I saw.

[Bajaja]

I am afraid that it is a flag of a non-existent country, and I do not know whether it was deliberate. I like to think yes, because I have an utmost respect for Jiang Wen, both as an actor and director.

I love the film for both its technique--photography and performances of the young actors--and its theme--a teenage coming of age during strange times, a very fresh look at the cultural revolution, without the almost distilled depression and political criticism of Zhang Yimou or Tian Zhuangzhuang. I have brought an excellent quality DVD from China (legal? not legal? do I care? (sorry)). The cover has Japanese characters on it. Unfortunately, the disc has no English subtitles. At the moment I cannot recall if it has Japanese and/or Chinese subtitles.

Come to think of it, the film would be perfect for the Collection...

[andyli]

For those who want to sample the quality of the 2k restoration I've got the Spectrum blu-ray with me.









The main feature file is at a healthy ~35GB, with no additional processing/filtering detected. Running time is 2h20 at 24 fps. I think it's safe to say this is the best the film has ever looked.

[tenia]

Yeah it's a nice looking 2013 2k restoration, though it definitely has the Ritrovata color stamp. But it's superior by a good margin to the accompanying movie (The Emperor's Shadow) though it also is quite better than many HD masters Spectrum had to rely upon for other movies.

[pistolwink]

Anyone know which of the two versions of the film this is? IIRC an "extended version" of the film was released to streaming before this Blu-Ray... I don't know if this is a cut from before the film was released or a retrospective reworking of the film.

[andyli]

Anyone know which of the two versions of the film this is? IIRC an "extended version" of the film was released to streaming before this Blu-Ray... I don't know if this is a cut from before the film was released or a retrospective reworking of the film.

Except for the rumored 4-hour rough cut, this version restores the film to the longest running time, adding back scenes cut from different theatrical showings over the years, including the Venice premiere.