Public Enemies

Public Enemies / Public Enemies [no Finnish or Swedish language titles for the film]. US 2009. PC: Forward Pass, Misher Films. Released by Universal. P: Michael Mann, Kevin Misher. D: Michael Mann. SC: Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, Ann Biderman - based on the book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34. DP: Dante Spinotti - camera original: 35 mm (Kodak Vision3 500T 5219) Super 35 and HDTV: HDCAM SR - Digital Intermediate 2K - released on 35mm anamorphic and D-Cinema. M: Elliot Goldenthal. CAST: Johnny Depp (John Dillinger), Christian Bale (Melvin Purvis), Marion Cotillard (Billie Frechette), Channing Tatum (Pretty Boy Floyd), Giovanni Ribisi (Alvin Karpis), Billy Crudup (J. Edgar Hoover). 141 min. Released in Finland by Finnkino with Finnish and Swedish subtitles. A D-Cinema presentation viewed at Tennispalatsi 2, 28 Aug 2009. - I watched the first 40 minutes only to get an impression of the D-Cinema presentation. I regard Michael Mann very highly and intend to catch the whole film later. - These comments are just on the D-Cinema qualities, which had been praised by Mr. Kalle Kinnunen, always sober in his assessments. - Yes, the technical specs are excellent in all departments. - But: this is a 2K picture. - Yet: it looks ultra-sharp and brilliant. - There is no problem with the close-ups of faces and eyes. The picture starts in the prison, and there is no disappointment in the cinematography of the prison circumstances. - The gangster theme and the urban milieux are opportune for digital. - The night cinematography looks great, the black tones are fine. - The trouble starts as soon as we get into the woods, into the thickets, into the greens. They don't look bad, but the lively, organic, juicy feeling of the photochemical image is missing. - The 2K projection of a picture based on 2K intermediate still looks more like brilliant plastic than a good photochemical presentation.

The Dark Knight

Yön ritari / The Dark Knight. US (c) 2008 Warner Bros. D: Christopher Nolan. Based on the characters created by Bob Kane. DP: Wally Pfister - Digital Intermediate - 1:2,35 film print. Starring Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne / Batman), Heath Ledger (The Joker), Aaron Eckhart (DA Harvey Dent / Two-Face), Michael Caine (Alfred), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel Dawes), Gary Oldman (Gordon), Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox). Viewed at Bristol, released by Sandrew, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Janne Staffans. An obvious digital intermediate look, alas. - Already hailed by some as the film of the year. Certainly a strong fantasy film verging on horror, a picture that probes the vigilante theme, about the fascination of bypassing the legal instruments of justice. The cast is strong, but Heath Ledger stands out as the psychotic villain of pure evil. - The Tim Burton revival of the Batman world gave us Batman Returns, one of the greatest fantasy films ever. - Christopher Nolan consolidates his status as the great contender to Burton. His world is darker, more serious, better storywise; Burton is the greater creator of visual imagery. - Jack Nicholson created an outlandish Joker; Heath Ledger gives us one of the most frightening and disturbing monsters in film history. - A problem with all these films is their streak of sadism; we are invited to enjoy their joy of torture, disfigurement and destruction. - I recently saw again the complete Dirty Harry films; there is a significant parallel with Batman. Also the acknowledgement that the exposure to violence, even in the service of justice, is brutalizing.