I will be the first to admit that I am a commentary whore. In many instances I will rate a movie highly if it has good commentary (even if I didn’t find the movie that enjoyable). I think a part of me likes to get into people’s heads, so I really like it when the directors (or FX folks, or actors) reveal their tricks.
I received “The Duellists” this weekend. It’s an early Ridley Scott movie set during the Napoleonic era. The plot moderately interested me, and it was a costume drama, so I queued it up. As a movie, it was okay. The cinematography was AMAZING, and the fight scenes appropriately swashbuckling. There were a few editing choices I found odd, and some of the dialogue should have been looped (it was not quite incoherent). It was also (sometimes obviously) low-tech, but since it was filmed a year after I was born, I suppose I can excuse that. So, all in all, I walked away ready to give it 3-4 stars. Then I turned to the commentary section of the DVD. There was (as I’ve grown to expect) a commentary by Ridley Scott. There was also an isolated soundtrack with commentary by the composer (Blake, I think). This is the first time I’d ever seen a soundtrack commentary option, so I selected it.
I was in commentary heaven! Musically, the soundtrack is quite interesting (though I took issue with them using the sound of a modern flute for one of the early nineteenth century). There are quite a few different timbres in it. And the composer really explained it all, right down to instrumental and musical key decisions (why this bit was in the key of e-flat minor, and that in D major, why he used a woodwind quartet here, and a fuller orchestra sound there). It was awesome!
I, of course, also listened to Scott’s commentary, and learned that he had no money for this film (which made me forgive some of my editing objections). And, while I found his input interesting, I will never find it as fascinating or unique as the soundtrack. I hope more films will invest in the time for this option. We’re listening!
November 27, 2007 at 11:40 pm
I’m with you on this. I fact, I really love listening to commentary from people other than actors and directors. Fight Club is great for this, as there is commentary from the screenwriter & novelist, the set designers, the stunt coordinators, etc. You really get to see a movie differently when you walk through it with someone other than the director or the actors. I don’t understand why so few DVDs are enhanced in this way. I can’t imagine it takes all that much effort or expense.
November 29, 2007 at 9:24 am
I don’t think I’ve seen Fight Club. I’ll have to check it out now.
I, too, don’t understand why more DVD’s don’t make this investment. Maybe it’s too hard to get the “lesser people” (ie NOT the directors or actors) to participate because they’ve moved onto other projects???