Diva

Rating:
Summary: Not a perfect DVD but a must for fans
Review: The DVD release of "Diva" is a must for those who love this great film and for those who have never seen it. Take note that this DVD could have and should have had a far better transfer. Digital glitches are evident in dark sequences; the fantastic soundtrack has not been remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1; there is no supplementary material.

Nevertheless, this DVD looks and sounds far better than any VHS release.

Rating:
Summary: Over 15 Times
Review: The plot can be confusing but for some reason I have seen it over 15 times, at home, in theaters anywhere. Fortunately, I did not buy the DVD and the VHS sound is just fine. Some movies get under your skin and into your head, this is one of them. Perhaps it is the Lone Ranger aspect of it or that good triumphs in the end. Visually it is beautiful, the acting is fine except for, at times, the Diva herself. All of the characters are outsiders, perhaps that is part of its' appeal.

Rating:
Summary: An enchanting gem that's fun and profound...
Review: The plot of DIVA is profoundly inventive and fresh -- and it's executed with 100% Grade-A pure genius. Then there is the music: an artful melange of whimsy with soul-moving passages. Fantastic!

If you've never seen this film, you're in for a treat: DIVA is like no movie you've EVER seen. After seeing it, you'll agree DIVA is a near-flawless gem of a movie that's fun and surprisingly profound. For the video buyer, this is one of the VERY, VERY RARE videos one can see an endless number of times, yet remain both entertained and enchanted.

When you view this movie, make it an event: break out some goodies, open a nice bottle of wine, get real comfortable, and enjoy the ride.

Rating:
Summary: Favorite!!!
Review: The soundtrack alone is worth seeing the movie for. This is my favorite film of all time. The imagery is beautiful and it's also a thriller with a great plot/intrigue. Willhemina Wiggins Fernandez, the DIVA, is amazing.

Rating:
Summary: A great film gets a so-so transfer
Review: This beautiful, exciting movie gets only a so-so transfer to DVD. It's far better looking than any VHS presentation I've seen but still--the audio is mono, the print is sometimes scratchy, pixelation is evident in darker scenes and not ONE stitch of supplementary material (not even a listing of chapter stops!) makes this a relative disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Horror
Review: This DVD is an insult to DVD technology. I have never heard such a bad sound, not even on video tapes. The movies worth is at least 50% sound (who ever saw it). Besides the fact that laguage is french (what I oversaw) this es my worst DVD experience ever. 1 star is too much.

Rating:
Summary: Bah
Review: This is a pretentious damn film, with an utterly absurd plot which they attempt to disguise with all sorts of slow-paced artiness.

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: This must be one of the most artistic films I've seen in a long time. The music alone is wonderful. The film contains numerous story lines from a love story to crime & corruption. Wonderful filming and spectacular music. END

Rating:
Summary: Stylish, hip thriller marred by poor transfer
Review: This stylish, hip thriller of the early 80's is a cult classic. Featuring Wilhelmenia Wiggins-Fernandez, a real-life Diva. In the film she plays Cynthia Hawkins, an opera singer who refuses to record her music.

Frédéric Andréi (Jules) is a loner messenger boy, who makes a beautiful bootleg recording of one of her recitals. He also becomes the unknowing recipient of a tape containing evidence about the Paris underworld, setting off a chain of events where everyone's motives are misunderstood.

Sad to say, this good film is seriously marred by the worst sound transfer I have ever heard on a DVD. It is muddy and indistinct, much worse than most VHS tapes. Because the voice of Wilhelmenia Wiggins-Fernandez is central to the plot, the poor audio quality makes it hard to understand why anyone would make such a fuss about recording her.

The video transfer is not great, but passable, however the audio quality seriously dimishes the impact of a good film. If you listen to the compact disk soundtrack, you'll know what you're missing. This DVD looks like it was rushed to market with very little thought or care. The film deserves a better fate.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money!
Review: Unfortunately I didn't read the reviews below before I bought this DVD. It's a travesty of the DVD medium. Perhaps Fox Lorber took the story of the movie too seriously: they've produced a disk with the picture and sound quality of a bootlegged copy. Don't waste your money on it.