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There is a noticeable difference (skin is darker on the Crit) but it looks wholly negligible.

Yeah, he just said "a step beyond". It's not a huge difference but I'd agree with the Criterion having the better contrast and richness.

White Material just popped up on NF's Watch Instantly, in parallel with today's DVD release; a nice treat for those of us who don't have enough pocket change to purchase the DVD yet.

I want to see this film!! I discovered the works of Claire Denis when I subscribed to Cinemoi, a French film channel on Sky channel 343. It screened Vendredi soir a few weeks ago. I also noticed it's showing White Material this weekend. It's my film bible at the moment.

Any chance of Criterion releases for The Intruder, 35 Rhums, or Beau Travail? Beau Travail could really use in print and proper home video treatment.

35 Rhums already has a great US release that I advise you get, because Criterion could not improve upon it it is that excellent.

Well yes, you're right about 35 Rhums, but Beau Travail's US treatment is a disgrace, an OOP and shoddy New Yorker DVD.

knives wrote:35 Rhums already has a great US release that I advise you get, because Criterion could not improve upon it it is that excellent.

There's also the UK New Wave release, which seems to be comparable in quality and is considerably less expensive. Criterion could have done the film a service by releasing it on Blu-ray as well, but I agree it's not top priority for Denis. For her feature films at least, I think the priority would be getting S'en fout la mort and Trouble Every Day in print in more countries, including the US, and on Blu-ray as well.

I guess I'm going against the grain on this one. I just thought White Material didn't go any place interesting. The commentary on European colonialism wasn't new and the denouement felt telegraphed. I'm hoping her other films are better.

I like White Material, but it is probably Denis' weakest film since Trouble Every Day. Don't let it put you off seeing her other films.

I'll second that (though I am not as well versed in Denis as Matt). She's probably my favorite living director, but this was a fairly average effort from her considering everything else. Beau Travail and 35 Shots of Rum are much more effective works in every way.

Matt wrote:I like White Material, but it is probably Denis' weakest film since Trouble Every Day. Don't let it put you off seeing her other films.

I second this. Chocolat, Beau Travail and 35 Rhums will all repay the effort.

It's interesting how little consensus there is over Denis' work. I've seen many people call Chocolat her 'least' work, similarly 35 Rhums doesn't always get ranked highly, Trouble Every Day I believe is David Hare's favourite and some others... I guess the only constants are Beau Travail and J'ai Pas Sommeil?

Anyway, has anyone heard anything about No Fear, No Die or US Go Home getting an English friendly release anywhere?

Can anyone recommend a Denis viewing list? I too have only seen 'White Material' and wasn't impressed. I'd like to know where I should start to get a better sense of her talents.

35 Shots of Rum is probably the most accessible film of hers I've seen while at the same time being a startling achievement on its own. Friday Night is also very good to start with though a bit more rough to audiences.

I agree, either one of those. For my money, her best films are Beau Travail and The Intruder, but they're also probably her most opaque.

Peacock wrote:It's interesting how little consensus there is over Denis' work. I've seen many people call Chocolat her 'least' work, similarly 35 Rhums doesn't always get ranked highly, Trouble Every Day I believe is David Hare's favourite and some others... I guess the only constants are Beau Travail and J'ai Pas Sommeil?

Anyway, has anyone heard anything about No Fear, No Die or US Go Home getting an English friendly release anywhere?

I've been a devoted, ardent fan of Denis for two decades but I've never liked J'ai Pas Sommeil. I've screened it several times over the years but it has simply never engaged me (save for one or two isolated scenes/sequences). Similarly I infinitely prefer White Material to 35 Rhums which I regard as absurdly overrated. WM seems to me to be a return to form after the disappointing prior picture. But my favorites remain No Fear, No Die, L'Intrus and, yes, Beau Travail. So at least that one remains a constant. Oh, and I don't like Friday Night much either.

How am I the first person to mention Nénette et Boni?

I love it. I love the score even more (still boot up the CD on occasion).

Peacock wrote:Anyway, has anyone heard anything about No Fear, No Die or US Go Home getting an English friendly release anywhere?

If the internet counts as "anywhere," there has been an English-friendly release of both for a few years now

jbeall wrote:I'm still slightly confused as to

Spoiler

a) who killed André, and b) why she killed her (former?) father-in-law Henri.

Anybody care to fill in the blanks?

Manuel is shown

Spoiler

walking out with a shotgun in the sequence that immediately follows the one showing Andre's corpse. But I still think it's intentionally vague as to whether it was him, the rebels or the military. Another possiblility, though perhaps a lesser one is the "Cherif" and his militia. After all, they're the one's who come across "The Boxer's" corpse in the film's opening sequence. And the Cherif is the one the father-in-law warns about halfway through the film.

cdnchris wrote:

Spoiler

b.) I took it that she was pissed he sold off the land and after everything seeing him was her breaking point.

Spoiler

Towards the end, there's a brief sequence where Lambert has the father-in-law sign some papers. Perhaps that contributed to Maria's state of mind in the climax. After all, she and the patriarch where the ones most rooted to the land, the least likely to leave. It's of a piece with her son succumbing to the madness afflicting the place.

I like the film a lot, but I do agree that things were telegraphed a bit too obviously. The most glaring weak spot to me was Manuel's abrupt

Spoiler

"Gone Kurtz" transformation

It works visually and it contributes to the sense of over-the-top madness all the characters are touched by. But as character development it's just a bit too much shorthand as compared to the rest of the movie.