Rating: 
Summary: Magnificent Movie, Less Than Magnificent DVD
Review: Since the story of "Map of the Human Heart" is found in other reviews on this page, I will focus instead on what makes the film so special and the contents of the DVD. "Map" is essentially a tried 'n true romantic story of two people who are destined for each other, but separated by fate. What makes this film so wonderful are the spectacular location shots, the superb acting, and the ambition of the storyline.
The most notable sequences are the bombing of Dresden, the "dance" atop the ceiling/roof of the famous Albert Hall theatre, the balloon sequence at the end of the film, and the most indelible site, the love scene atop a barrage balloon. Jason Scott Lee and Ann Parillaud are wonderful in the title roles and Patrick Bergan turns in a really good performance in what may be the most complex character he's ever played (though he does get a "movie star" moment in the film when he dramatically turns around to greet Avik in a London Ballroom). Special note must be made of the young Avik (Robert Joamie) and Albertine (Annie Galipeau, who possesses an interesting voice to say the least) in the Catholic hospital/school. There is real chemestry present between the actors and it shows. Particularly the scene in which both of them are trying to escape, Albertine gives Avik a knife and says, "Take a part of me.", Avik proceeds to cut off some of her hair, the scene was so moving it left me in tears. The DVD presentation is really dissapointing considering how long we've had to wait for it. While the movie itself is presented in clean widescreen (using the European cut from what I understand, it's about five minutes longer than the American version), the only extras are four deleted scenes. Three of which take place when Avik & Albertine are at the Catholic hospital/school. Apparently, the "Bunny Ears" deleted scene must be rather infamous considering a promo shot from it is used on the DVD cover. The scene itself looks like it never made it to a preview audience (the film is unprocessed) and it ends with a urination bit that left my jaw on the floor. The deleted scene with Avik tearing a hole through a wall is rather nice, ending with him and Albertine playfully kissing each other. It's rather puzzling that there were no other extras like a photo gallery (promo photos were used on the menu pages), cast & crew bios, and production notes were put in, in lieu of a director's commentary (which I can understand may have been difficult to get). "Map of the Human Heart" is one of the finest films ever made that vitually no one has seen. It's well worth seeking out and adding to your collection. Trust me, you will not be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent Movie, Less Than Magnificent DVD
Review: Since the story of "Map of the Human Heart" is found in other reviews on this page, I will focus instead on what makes the film so special and the contents of the DVD. "Map" is essentially a tried 'n true romantic story of two people who are destined for each other, but separated by fate. What makes this film so wonderful are the spectacular location shots, the superb acting, and the ambition of the storyline.
The most notable sequences are the bombing of Dresden, the "dance" atop the ceiling/roof of the famous Albert Hall theatre, the balloon sequence at the end of the film, and the most indelible site, the love scene atop a barrage balloon. Jason Scott Lee and Ann Parillaud are wonderful in the title roles and Patrick Bergan turns in a really good performance in what may be the most complex character he's ever played (though he does get a "movie star" moment in the film when he dramatically turns around to greet Avik in a London Ballroom). Special note must be made of the young Avik (Robert Joamie) and Albertine (Annie Galipeau, who possesses an interesting voice to say the least) in the Catholic hospital/school. There is real chemestry present between the actors and it shows. Particularly the scene in which both of them are trying to escape, Albertine gives Avik a knife and says, "Take a part of me.", Avik proceeds to cut off some of her hair, the scene was so moving it left me in tears. The DVD presentation is really dissapointing considering how long we've had to wait for it. While the movie itself is presented in clean widescreen (using the European cut from what I understand, it's about five minutes longer than the American version), the only extras are four deleted scenes. Three of which take place when Avik & Albertine are at the Catholic hospital/school. Apparently, the "Bunny Ears" deleted scene must be rather infamous considering a promo shot from it is used on the DVD cover. The scene itself looks like it never made it to a preview audience (the film is unprocessed) and it ends with a urination bit that left my jaw on the floor. The deleted scene with Avik tearing a hole through a wall is rather nice, ending with him and Albertine playfully kissing each other. It's rather puzzling that there were no other extras like a photo gallery (promo photos were used on the menu pages), cast & crew bios, and production notes were put in, in lieu of a director's commentary (which I can understand may have been difficult to get). "Map of the Human Heart" is one of the finest films ever made that vitually no one has seen. It's well worth seeking out and adding to your collection. Trust me, you will not be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest WWII movies ever
Review: So far as I am concerned, this is one of the greatest movies that hardly anyone has ever seen. It is both emotionally poignant and visually beautiful. The film stars Jason Scott Lee. I have always admired him... This is the only movie that I can recall seeing him in where he does not do any martial arts / fighting scenes at all. Instead, all is focused on his remarkable acting abilities... Patrick Bergin also stars as a rather ambiguous character. During most of the movie, one is not quite sure what to think of him. His performance is top knotch. The film is set over about a 50 year time span (or so): WWI in northern Canada, WWII London and late 1960s northern Canada. The film depicts the story of a Canadian eskimo boy(later played by Lee) who is befriended by a RAF gentleman (Bergin). The boy grows up and becomes a bombadier in the RAF in WWII. Along the way, he falls in love with a mysterious Indian girl. The movie centers around the (to this day) controversial decision to bomb Dresden, Germany. By the time the option was selected to bomb this venerable city, the war was all but officially over. What made it so controversial was that 900 year old Dresden was not in any way, shape or form a military target. It contained (and still does) Germany's most valued treasures; her best opera houses, museums, art galleries and historical architecture. The lone reason for the bombing lay in the fact that the allies wanted to "teach Germany a lesson" for her audacity. The bombing caused a firestorm in the city which killed more people than the A-bombs of Nagasaki and Hiroshima combined. It is recommended that anyone who watches this movie also read Thomas Mann's "Dr. Faustus" alongside it. Dresden serves as a likely avatar for the Dresden "soul" which Mann's Faustus (the Nazis) sold to the German Mephistopheles (Hitler). Freeman Dyson's "Disturbing The Universe" and Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse 5" would also be good reads in conjunction with this movie. This is one of the most lavish and emotionally powerful movies I have ever seen. I would say that it is every bit as pungent as "Saving Private Ryan," only in a different way. The acting, direction and soundtrack are all exquisite. A must see.
Rating:
Summary: Deceptively Simply, Beautiful, & Moving ¿ Different
Review: Someone once said, "A story doesn't necessarily have to have happened to be true." This is a wonderful story that provides a unique perspective that rarely is provided in a Hollywood movie. One can study facts and statistics about history, but it takes a story like this for one to begin to understand how it all tied together to define one person's life. Many people can tell you about the US involvement in World War II and the Eskimo culture, but few know how they affected each other. This film does just that with sincere compassion and beautiful cinematography.
When two cultures collide the "assimilation" of one into the other has profound effects. If one assimilates completely into the dominating culture they will lose their heritage. On the other end, if one does not assimilate at all then they will be destroyed, thus unable to pass on their heritage. This movie does not try to make a point about right or wrong, but rather focuses on the human realities of such a conflict. If you enjoyed the book, A Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter, you'll love this movie. Also, this has moving cultural aspects as did "Dances with Wolves," but better represents the "White Cultures" as struggling to protect their ways of life. Finally, for you country music fans, this movie has a plot line somewhat close to that of the song "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" by Johnny Cash (which is a true story). That's all I'm saying - you'll have see it yourself.
The first time I watched this movie was in Alaska with a Siberian Yupik (Eskimo) friend of mine. From both of our perspectives we were impressed with how historically and culturally accurate it seemed to be. The interesting part came at the ending - he expected it, and it caught me with an emotionally gripping surprise I'll never forget.
I own about ten DVDs. I only purchase DVDs if they are magnificent and hard to find. This one is both.
Rating:
Summary: the DVD is finally here
Review: The five stars are for the movie, not necessarily the DVD, which, after an inexplicable wait, has finally arrived on shelves. I'll leave it to others to talk about the movie itself; I'll just make a few points about the DVD.
First of all, you should be aware that this is the European edit, not the American one, which for reasons unknown to me was not the version chosen for the DVD transfer. The American version runs about 109 minutes, the European PAL version about 5 minutes longer. There are a couple of scenes that until now only the Europeans could see (for example, after Walter tells Albertine, "I'd do anything for you," he takes her into the next room where he has secreted a horse into their apartment!). Now this is included. Another difference that will be immediately noticeable is that the voice of Avik and Albertine's daughter is no longer voiced over with that sweet and mellifluous voice, but is now the raucous and heavily accented voice of the actress you see: quite jarring if you've never heard it before. In addition, the European version was much more leisurely with the editing pace (such as during the interview between Avik's daughter and him on the snow: there are many extra lines now), with longer establishing shots, Avik nearly getting run over by a snowplow, etc., and this more relaxed pace has been preserved.
THE GOOD:
1. "Map of the Human Heart" was not filmed in 1.85:1 as I long thought, but full widescreen, 2.35:1, and provided your player is set up to play it, this DVD will play the full "dollar". This is not, however, the tremendous experience rabid fans of this movie might think it is, since I feel director Vincent Ward didn't really use that extra space off to the sides, so you haven't been missing much. As far as I know, ONLY widescreen is available, and no "fullscreen" version of this movie is even offered on DVD. The version you would purchase from this page (ASIN: B0001MDQ58) is letterbox, though Amazon doesn't make that clear.
2. The deleted scenes are interesting but frankly I understand why they wound up on the cutting room floor. There are only four included. I happen to know of a couple of other deleted scenes which were filmed but haven't made it on this disc: Avik in a POW-type convoy after Dresden, and Walter searching among the overturned tables and chairs for the missing Albertine (!) during the final dream sequence with the air balloon. However, I was dumbfounded at the urination sequence!
THE BAD:
1. I was hoping that the subtitles would clarify some lines I've always wondered about, but instead they were poorly done -- evidently by somebody who was in a great hurry or who simply didn't care. Just a couple of irritating examples: When Avik bombs Dresden, the subtitles have him saying, "We are on target," instead of, "What have I done?" Or when Jeanne Moureau as the imperious nun rips the sheet off the two kids, the subtitles have her saying, "The worn skin only stands so much damage," instead of "The walls can only stand so much damage," referring to the kids' hijinks in a scene that didn't make the final cut. Subtitles are also available in Spanish (with the same errors), but not in any other language.
2. There is no commentary or any kind of interview with the director, Ward, or anybody else, such as Louis Nowra or Gabriel Yared. This was a disappointment, even though the quality of Ward's voiceover on the "What Dreams May Come" DVD is less than tremendous.
Incidentally, if anybody knows where principal locations of this film were, I would appreciate the clarification. For example, I have heard that the sanatorium used in filming is located in Canada but not near Montreal at all... Anybody know?
Rating:
Summary: the DVD is finally here
Review: The five stars are for the movie, not necessarily the DVD, which, after an inexplicable wait, has finally arrived on shelves. I'll leave it to others to talk about the movie itself; I'll just make a few points about the DVD. First of all, you should be aware that this is the European edit, not the American one, which for reasons unknown to me was not the version chosen for the DVD transfer. The American version runs about 109 minutes, the European PAL version about 5 minutes longer. There are a couple of scenes that until now only the Europeans could see (for example, after Walter tells Albertine, "I'd do anything for you," he takes her into the next room where he has secreted a horse into their apartment!). Now this is included. Another difference that will be immediately noticeable is that the voice of Avik and Albertine's daughter is no longer voiced over with that sweet and mellifluous voice, but is now the raucous and heavily accented voice of the actress you see: quite jarring if you've never heard it before. In addition, the European version was much more leisurely with the editing pace (such as during the interview between Avik's daughter and him on the snow: there are many extra lines now), with longer establishing shots, Avik nearly getting run over by a snowplow, etc., and this more relaxed pace has been preserved. THE GOOD: 1. "Map of the Human Heart" was not filmed in 1.85:1 as I long thought, but full widescreen, 2.35:1, and provided your player is set up to play it, this DVD will play the full "dollar". This is not, however, the tremendous experience rabid fans of this movie might think it is, since I feel director Vincent Ward didn't really use that extra space off to the sides, so you haven't been missing much. As far as I know, ONLY widescreen is available, and no "fullscreen" version of this movie is even offered on DVD. The version you would purchase from this page (ASIN: B0001MDQ58) is letterbox, though Amazon doesn't make that clear. 2. The deleted scenes are interesting but frankly I understand why they wound up on the cutting room floor. There are only four included. I happen to know of a couple of other deleted scenes which were filmed but haven't made it on this disc: Avik in a POW-type convoy after Dresden, and Walter searching among the overturned tables and chairs for the missing Albertine (!) during the final dream sequence with the air balloon. However, I was dumbfounded at the urination sequence! THE BAD: 1. I was hoping that the subtitles would clarify some lines I've always wondered about, but instead they were poorly done -- evidently by somebody who was in a great hurry or who simply didn't care. Just a couple of irritating examples: When Avik bombs Dresden, the subtitles have him saying, "We are on target," instead of, "What have I done?" Or when Jeanne Moureau as the imperious nun rips the sheet off the two kids, the subtitles have her saying, "The worn skin only stands so much damage," instead of "The walls can only stand so much damage," referring to the kids' hijinks in a scene that didn't make the final cut. Subtitles are also available in Spanish (with the same errors), but not in any other language. 2. There is no commentary or any kind of interview with the director, Ward, or anybody else, such as Louis Nowra or Gabriel Yared. This was a disappointment, even though the quality of Ward's voiceover on the "What Dreams May Come" DVD is less than tremendous. Incidentally, if anybody knows where principal locations of this film were, I would appreciate the clarification. For example, is there really a "horse" lake in the Midlands? If so, where? And I have heard that the sanatorium is located in Canada but not near Montreal at all... Anybody know?
Rating:
Summary: Epic movie that makes even your cats wants to cuddle
Review: This is a beautifully filmed movie of an eskimo and an indian finding each other in the midst of WW II. The burning of Dresden is one of the most intense scenes ever filmed. If you turn your surround sound up and the lifghts off, I swear you can feel the firestorm.. WARNING. When the conversation with the map maker is done, turn the movie off.. The last 15 minutes ruin the entire film; however, turning it off will remedy it easily!
Rating:
Summary: Where is the DVD?
Review: This is a movie BEGGING for a director's commentary. I doubt critics will understand the importance of the film otherwise. While most see a historical romance run amok, Map of the Human Heart is actually one of the most significant films ever made in the sophistication of its iconography. From X-rays to mirrors to cadaverous models; from inuit trampolines to observations baloons to parachutes-- there is a complex and meaningful interweaving of purely visual metaphors unmatched by any film. In time, this film will be recognized for its artistry, but a voiceover from the director would undoubtedly speed its movement to the Sight and Sound top 10 list. An academic paper or two wouldn't hurt either. Have at it grad students! This is an easy mark.
Rating:
Summary: Where is the DVD?
Review: This is a movie BEGGING for a director's commentary. I doubt critics will understand the importance of the film otherwise. While most see a historical romance run amok, Map of the Human Heart is actually one of the most significant films ever made in the sophistication of its iconography. From X-rays to mirrors to cadaverous models; from inuit trampolines to observations baloons to parachutes-- there is a complex and meaningful interweaving of purely visual metaphors unmatched by any film. In time, this film will be recognized for its artistry, but a voiceover from the director would undoubtedly speed its movement to the Sight and Sound top 10 list. An academic paper or two wouldn't hurt either. Have at it grad students! This is an easy mark.
Rating:
Summary: Such sweet sorrow...
Review: This is an artful movie that shows human emotion so palpably that you can almost grab it. The whole movie, with its wonderful direction, unusual plot, stunning visuals & music is a map to the human heart, our own! The image of the Eskimo grandma has stayed with me strong for days now... And do watch the movie to the end.
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