Release Date: May 13, 2008
Film Rating: 3 ½/5
Starring: Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz and Andre M. Hennicke
Based on the Writing of Mircea Eliade
Written, Produced and Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Youth Without Youth is the return to cinema by Francis Ford Coppola after an absence of several years. But while Matt Damon makes a very brief appearance, this film is in no way similar to the more commercial fare he had been making through the 1990’s. Instead, this film can be seen as a companion piece to The Conversation and Rumble Fish, two smaller, more personal, and more difficult films. It’s not hard to see why Coppola was attracted to this material. The bare bones of the story should make that clear: the story follows a 70 year-old man pining for the lost love and unfinished goals of his life, who is then struck by lightning and somehow restored to vitality to potentially live his life again. There are thriller elements present as the man must elude the Nazis, and then romantic elements as he encounters a new incarnation of the love of his life. Without spoiling any more details, it is clear to me that Coppola saw a bit of himself in his protagonist (which is a usual feature in his films from the Godfather trilogy to Tucker and beyond.) It’s certainly an interesting story, albeit a quiet one. And Coppola, working on a lower budget and shooting in HD, manages to create many interesting and colourful images. And the performances by Tim Roth, Bruno Ganz and Alexandra Maria Lara are appropriately moody and subdued. This is not a simple film by any means, so it is unfortunately no surprise that mainstream audiences and most critics did not know how to respond to it. But hopefully, with a little time, the home video audience may come to appreciate it. I am pleased to recommend this release in the hope that more people may discover this film and this Blu-ray edition for themselves.
Youth Without Youth is being released on standard definition DVD and Blu-ray on the same day. The special features are identical between the releases, but the Blu-ray release has a superior 1080p AVC transfer with Dolby True HD sound, and much of the special features on the Blu-ray are presented in 1080i HD. If you have the choice between the two editions, I recommend going with the Blu-ray for the picture and sound.
Youth Without Youth is presented in a colorful 1080p AVC transfer that averages over 30mbps and provides exquisitely deep black levels and surprising bursts of solid color throughout. Amazingly, the aging makeup on Tim Roth holds up under the scrutiny of the HD cameras and the clarity of this transfer. This isn’t quite reference quality, given the limitations of the source material, but it’s head and shoulders above a standard definition transfer and it certainly feels appropriate to be viewing an HD transfer of an HD source.
Youth Without Youth is presented in a 3 mbps (on average) Dolby True HD 5.1 mix in English and French. This can be a lively mix at times, especially during the nightmare that opens the film, and during some of the more adventurous sequences. But this is a quiet film, to be sure, and much of the dialogue and sound lives in the front channels. The True HD mix simply brings a greater clarity to the occasion, which is always welcome.
½ The Blu-Ray presentation of Youth Without Youth includes all the special features from the standard definition release, but with the added bonus that most of them are presented in HD.
The usual pop-up menu bar is present and can be accessed during the film. The movie itself starts automatically when you put the disc into the player. There is a thorough chapter list. The film itself is subtitled in English and French, but no subtitles are available for the special features.
IN THE END...
Youth Without Youth is an interesting and challenging addition to Francis Ford Coppola’s collected works of film. It is definitely not a commercial film; instead, it’s more of a personal one that can stand alongside his quirkier efforts like Rumble Fish. This is not for the casual viewer, but it will reward those with a lot of patience and a deep love for the craft of fine filmmaking. And for those who want to see it in the best possible visual and aural manner, the Blu-ray disc is a great choice.
Kevin Koster
May 7, 2007.
