Review Wanted: Element of Crime, The: Criterion Collection

MrBEAViS · 02-15-01, 08:05 PM

film/dvd

Tony Block · 02-15-01, 08:40 PM

I just watched this film for the third time last night in the last 3 or 4 months, and I think it gets better each time. Some people feel the film is too slow, but its presented in a very gorgeous anamorphic transfer and shot almost exclusively in sepia, burnt orange, and brown tones with an occasional bright blue image thrown in to startle you.

It's about a European detective, who has lived abroad in Egypt for 13 years who returns back to Europe to investigate the murders of young girls by a serial murder. It's told in a flashback, and the detective relates this tale to the viewer after he has been put under hypnosis by his Egyptian therapist.

If you like dreamy surrealistic non-linear movies, this film will knock your socks off!

jonathan.e · 02-15-01, 09:39 PM

Tony Block, you read my mind

Would make a good double bill with Insomnia also from Criterion - A Euro cops hunting killers lose it big timetheme night if you will.

Tony Block · 02-15-01, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jonathan.e
Tony Block, you read my mind

Would make a good double bill with Insomnia also from Criterion - A Euro cops hunting killers lose it big timetheme night if you will.

I love that film too. One of the few great Noirs that takes place in 24 hour daylight & color, instead of 24 hour nighttime B&W shadows. Too bad it's a bare bone release, I would have loved a commentary, though it is Criterion's first anamorphic release and I just got my first 16:9 enhanced TV so I'll have to watch Insomnia again, for the third time, and this time on an anamorphic screen. woo hoo!

cheers, Tony Block

naitram · 02-16-01, 04:28 AM

This DVD is about 1000 times better than the terrible VHS version I saw years ago. I've also watched EoC 3 or 4 times again since I bought the DVD, and it's better every time. It's about as close to "watching a book" as you can get, if you know what I'm saying.

While I agree that's it is somewhat surrealistic and non-linear, it's not overbearingly so that you say "wtf is going on" the whole time. While it is an intellectualist's film, its' story and flow are so compelling that it's accessible to a wider audience than you'd think. One of the best DVD transfers done yet, and at this point, I'd put it somewhere in my list of the top 20 greatest films ever made. Buy it.

hueynewborn · 02-16-01, 06:52 AM

"Element of Crime" is indeed terrific, and I didn't like it at all the 1st time I saw it (didn't hate it, but it left me cold)...it's odd in its pacing, strucutre,photography, but I think (after the 2nd viewing, when it kicked in immediately) it has one of the most intriguing, disturbing "future" visions I've seen, and if you stick with it you'll be rewarded...it looks cool, and has a full-length documentaryabout Von Trier on the disc as well, if you're a fan...I also think it's a better film than "Insomnia", which is darn good and would make a very good double feature, but EOC is extremely weird and unique...

Tony Block · 02-16-01, 12:48 PM

I know this sounds weird, but when you watch it with the subtitles on, it brings home the point even more that Fisher is relating the story to his therapist under hypnosis, and it also makes you question how acurate Fisher's retelling of the events is, due to the time and memory factor, also being under hypnosis, and finally the fact that Fisher is apparently seeing this therapist (psychiatrist?), because he is suffering from some (mental/emotional/psychiatric?) problem so how acurate is his vertsion of the events in the first place?

cheers, Tony Block

Gil Jawetz · 02-16-01, 03:15 PM

My DVDTalk review is up here.

02-15-01, 08:40 PM	#2
Tony Block DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 2,421	Excellent film I just watched this film for the third time last night in the last 3 or 4 months, and I think it gets better each time. Some people feel the film is too slow, but its presented in a very gorgeous anamorphic transfer and shot almost exclusively in sepia, burnt orange, and brown tones with an occasional bright blue image thrown in to startle you. It's about a European detective, who has lived abroad in Egypt for 13 years who returns back to Europe to investigate the murders of young girls by a serial murder. It's told in a flashback, and the detective relates this tale to the viewer after he has been put under hypnosis by his Egyptian therapist. If you like dreamy surrealistic non-linear movies, this film will knock your socks off! __________________ "I like to remember things my own way...how I remember them, not necessarily the way they happened." SNAPORAZ!

02-16-01, 12:48 PM	#7
Tony Block DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 2,421	Watch it with the subtitles on...... I know this sounds weird, but when you watch it with the subtitles on, it brings home the point even more that Fisher is relating the story to his therapist under hypnosis, and it also makes you question how acurate Fisher's retelling of the events is, due to the time and memory factor, also being under hypnosis, and finally the fact that Fisher is apparently seeing this therapist (psychiatrist?), because he is suffering from some (mental/emotional/psychiatric?) problem so how acurate is his vertsion of the events in the first place? cheers, Tony Block __________________ "I like to remember things my own way...how I remember them, not necessarily the way they happened." SNAPORAZ!

02-15-01, 08:05 PM	#1
MrBEAViS DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: May 2000 Location: Chicago, Illinois Posts: 4,174	film/dvd

02-15-01, 09:39 PM	#3
jonathan.e DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: OFF-WORLD Posts: 5,978	Tony Block, you read my mind Would make a good double bill with Insomnia also from Criterion - A Euro cops hunting killers lose it big timetheme night if you will.

02-16-01, 04:28 AM	#5
naitram DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Update: DEAD Posts: 2,641	This DVD is about 1000 times better than the terrible VHS version I saw years ago. I've also watched EoC 3 or 4 times again since I bought the DVD, and it's better every time. It's about as close to "watching a book" as you can get, if you know what I'm saying. While I agree that's it is somewhat surrealistic and non-linear, it's not overbearingly so that you say "wtf is going on" the whole time. While it is an intellectualist's film, its' story and flow are so compelling that it's accessible to a wider audience than you'd think. One of the best DVD transfers done yet, and at this point, I'd put it somewhere in my list of the top 20 greatest films ever made. Buy it.

02-16-01, 06:52 AM	#6
hueynewborn Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: ny Posts: 100	"Element of Crime" is indeed terrific, and I didn't like it at all the 1st time I saw it (didn't hate it, but it left me cold)...it's odd in its pacing, strucutre,photography, but I think (after the 2nd viewing, when it kicked in immediately) it has one of the most intriguing, disturbing "future" visions I've seen, and if you stick with it you'll be rewarded...it looks cool, and has a full-length documentaryabout Von Trier on the disc as well, if you're a fan...I also think it's a better film than "Insomnia", which is darn good and would make a very good double feature, but EOC is extremely weird and unique...

02-16-01, 03:15 PM	#8
Gil Jawetz DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: I was here but I disappear Posts: 8,407	My DVDTalk review is up here.