DVD Talk Forum - Review: Tears of a Black Tiger (R2)

Review: Tears of a Black Tiger (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0269217)

Ok, I got this Thai flick in the mail a while ago, but I haven't had a chance to watch it till tonight.

To begin with, the plot is really a pretty generic Romeo and Juliet variation with an ending you anticipated from the beginning, the sort you've seen in dozens of other movies -- and probably done better in nearly every one of those.

However, the key feature is not the plot, and the ending is merely a reference point in the greater scheme of the movie. The draw in this film is how the director takes you from one end to the other.

Imagine a traditional western (most reviewers have compared this aspect to Peckinpah, but I'm honestly not sure I've seen anything by him), with bandit cowboys, fighting the police (who look a good deal like your average Latin American state police), with six-shooters, rocket launchers and machine guns......in early to mid-20th century Thailand (the cowboys ride horses, but other people drive cars). Are you still following me? Included in this, is just about every western cliche you can imagine, from painted-on villain mustaches, to fake booming laughter, the drawn out stand-offs, and the ridiculously fake sets.

Added to this is the color scheme of this film. There is hardly a single shot in the entire movie that does not feature some absolutely absurdly bright colored item -- from makeup, to costumes, to flowers, to the actual painted backdrop (straight out of your old-school western). The color scheme forms an absolutely integral part of the film.

At the same time, the costumes are impeccable despite the situation, and hair stays in place perfectly regardless of rain or wind.

The music ranges from traditional Thai folksongs, to Ennio Morricone inspired pieces, all of which fit the setting perfectly strangely enough.

Lastly, as in any western, there are a number of interesting action sequences. In contrast to the traditional cliched, somewhat sappy general plot, these shots literally gush with blood in a very Tarantino-esque way. The first few scenes are relatively shocking in contrast to the general mood, but by the halfway point, it starts to reach the point of absurdity with some of the closeups and the geysers of blood. IMO, they never really overdid it, but I may be in the minority with that opinion. The contrast was so shocking compared to other scenes that these scenes were never really overdone, plus there weren't that many of them, compared to some movies.

Anyhoo, the DVD itself seems to be of pretty good quality, but it's barebones, excepting the trailer. There wasn't even an option to turn subtitles on or off. It's possible that you may be able to do this with your remote, but I couldn't figure out how to do it with my DVD program.

Again, my speaker setup on my PC is pretty lousy, but all the sound seemed very clear. The DVD says it's DD 5.1, but I have no way to test that.

The picture was very crisp and clear. This is the kind of movie that necessitates a perfect picture by it's nature alone.

Overall, I'd say this is a very unique movie, and I'd highly recommend a watch for the visuals at the very least. It was theatrically released in the UK, but probably won't see anything outside of the occasional fest here in the US. Miramax bought the rights to it (eliminating the R0 version in the import market), so AFAIK, this is the only version available.

Movie: 8/10
Video: 9/10
Audio: 8/10 (not really any way for me to test properly)
Extras: 1/10 (trailer)

feel free to ask for clarification on any points or if you want more info. I got mine from bensonsworld (http://www.bensonsworld.co.uk/detail...=7000000068250)

Tuan Jim