Raúl Ruiz

[zedz]

You do realize you'll still have to buy the Portugese DVD box set to see the full-length Mysteries of Lisbon, don't you? And will thereby acquire a fourth copy of the film cut!

[Finch]

I might some day. The theatrical cut works beautifully for me just now.

[ianthemovie]

Oh my God, City of Pirates. I'd been waiting to see this movie for a few years ever since I saw it come up on this forum's list of horror films. Turns out the whole thing is on YouTube with English subs--less than ideal circumstances under which to watch any film, let alone one this atmospheric and immersive, but I was so absorbed by the film it ended up not mattering. I don't think I've ever seen a film like this before; for me it recalled The Company of Wolves and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (two personal favorites), but its tone is utterly unique: hypnotically beautiful, whimsical, innocent, and yet undeniably frightening. So first off thank you to this forum for putting this little-known gem on my radar.

One of the unique things about City of Pirates is that it's quietly terrifying; rather than assaulting the viewer with scares or deliberately laying on thick some sort of Gothic atmosphere, it slowly and quietly gets under one's skin. This might be one of the reasons why the word "innocent" seems appropriate to describe it; it's as if Ruiz, in telling the film from the perspective of the (seemingly mentally unbalanced/childlike) Isidore, is pretending not to be fully aware of how strange and unsettling the details of the film are. It is a daringly childlike approach to the material that I found fascinating and powerful. As dread-inducing as some of the moments were here, there is also something comforting and peaceful about this film that makes me want to inhabit its atmosphere. Strange as it may sound, I could see this becoming a "comfort food" movie for me in the way that Company of Wolves already is.

Having finished the film yesterday I am still haunted by certain details:

Spoiler

the glee with which Isidore's employer (?) announces "It's finally happening! Isidore is going to commit suicide!" as she heads toward the sea; the way that Malo smiles after Isidore puts on the magic ring and he tells her "we're engaged now"; that curious conversation between Malo and Isidore ("Can I kiss you on the mouth?" / "No" / "Is it because I'm a kid?"); and of course that haunting final image in which Malo's shadow rises up over the horizon.

I will confess that I don't really have much of a theory about what "happens" in this film on a narrative level, but I don't really care. I was content to let the images wash over me like waves breaking on the rocks. Speaking of which, I found the score for this film to be superb--evocative of Bernard Herrmann at points in its lushness and grandiosity. Listening to it again (I can't get it out of my brain) I'm noticing how often the musical effects resemble the crashing of the waves. Brilliant.

Pardon my gushing; this may be the discovery of the year for me and I had to share my thoughts about it here. (It's a particularly hard film to talk to others about since so few people have seen it.)

[aox]

Mysteries of Lisbon (Raoul Ruiz, 2010)

This film has seemingly arrived in my queue, but a five hour feature takes a lot of planning and preparation for me (intermissions aside and barring exceptions, I mostly insist on seeing a film in one sitting). I see that it was a favorite on many of the dynamic Top 10 lists on this board for various years (depending when it was released in your region), but there was no thread for it. What are your thoughts on this film whether initial or years later?

[zedz]

Mysteries of Lisbon (Raoul Ruiz, 2010)

This film has seemingly arrived in my queue, but a five hour feature takes a lot of planning and preparation for me (intermissions aside and barring exceptions, I mostly insist on seeing a film in one sitting). I see that it was a favorite on many of the dynamic Top 10 lists on this board for various years (depending when it was released in your region), but there was no thread for it. What are your thoughts on this film whether initial or years later?

It's a wonderful film. Far, far straighter than a lot of Ruiz's films, but nevertheless full of characteristic quirks. Making time for it is a good idea, because you might want to see the whole thing through once you start, and the plotting is quite complex and will be easier to follow if you stick with it. But if you don't, it's probably not too big a deal, since the film is very episodic and originated as a TV series.

[Lemmy Caution]

I think the film can be broken into two viewings fairly easily.
I found the first half -- the set-up -- to be intriguing and effective.
But the second half seemed largely repetitive and somewhat fizzled.
I seem to recall there being an intermission on the discs I had.

Why hasn't Ruiz gotten a wacky C release?
Where o where is the Ruiz Eclipse set we badly need?

[Numero Trois]

Mysteries of Lisbon (Raoul Ruiz, 2010)

What are your thoughts on this film whether initial or years later?

I thought Ruiz did a masterful job on that one. A textbook case of making the most out of what (judging from the plotline) seems to be intolerable source material. He played it straight like Zedz said. The curveball was in fusing a distanced "arthouse" approach seamlessly with the hopelessly dated picaresque material.

He got into his methodology for making the film in one of the interviews included in the Music Box edition. One of my favorite extras from recent years. After watching it I came out with more respect than ever for his craftmanship.

[DeprongMori]

Just did a blind buy of The Mysteries of Lisbon today (along with about sixty other films from a video shop going out of business.) Looking forward to it. I haven't seen anything of his since Genealogies of a Crime and Time Regained.

[hearthesilence]

I might some day. The theatrical cut works beautifully for me just now.

I just found out from multiple press sources of the time that Ruiz preferred the theatrical cut. None of them really go into detail though. Was Ruiz contractually obligated from the start to deliver a six-episode television series and then delivered his own cut for theatrical release?

[Michael Kerpan]

Started watching City of Pirates on DVD (from the big French set) and got to a point 15 minutes before the end -- at which the DVD simply quit working (tried on both [layers that could handle it). ;-(

[swo17]

Mine struggled around that point too. (Though I was able to skip ahead and finish it.) Maybe they're all like that?

[Numero Trois]

I just found out from multiple press sources of the time that Ruiz preferred the theatrical cut.

He said as much in one of the extras included in the Music Box Films edition.

[Michael Kerpan]

Couldn't even skip ahead. I wound up watching the end of CoP on Youtube.

[D50]

I ordered these two sets from Alfama Films on or around July 30 and nothing yet. Is more than a month shipped to the states (NV) normal?

[Lemmy Caution]

Is there any chance Criterion is going to release some Ruiz?
He seems like a pretty major filmmaker who is relatively obscure and whose output is hard to access.
Would seem perfect for an Eclipse set.
Would love to get 3 or 4 Ruiz films, since I've seen rather few.

[D50]

I ordered the French set today...

Did you receive yours yet?

Ruiz box set

I paid for mine July 30 and they have not arrived.

[DeprongMori]

Could we get the title of this thread corrected? The director is "Raúl Ruiz". Thanks.

[swo17]

He was an international director and alternately went by both spellings.

[Finch]

Did you receive yours yet?

Ruiz box set

I paid for mine July 30 and they have not arrived.

Mine arrived on time, D50, within a week of dispatch. I don't remember where I ordered it from. May have been fnac.fr because Amazon France weren't accepting my card for the longest time for some unfathomable reason (working fine now).

Put your requests for Ruiz to Arrow, people. With a bit of luck, we might see a boxset from them November next year.

[D50]

Alfama Films just refunded my paypal payment for both sets. Where else can I get these?

Ruiz box sets

[swo17]

Is there a reason you're looking for these sets as opposed to the French one that combines them along with Mysteries of Lisbon?

[Michael Kerpan]

Well, the French box set seems to have a problematic disc for City of Pirates -- does the other set have the same problem?

[swo17]

I know the content of the disc is an exact replica, but presumably this would have nothing to do with whatever it is that gives the French disc playback issues.

[D50]

Is there a reason you're looking for these sets as opposed to the French one that combines them along with Mysteries of Lisbon?

No reason. How / where can I get the French set with Mysteries of Lisbon?

[swo17]

Gulp, looks like FNAC are out of stock, and it's only available at outrageous prices from third-parties (either there or from Amazon France).