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My Winnipeg: The Criterion Collection
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Criterion Collection Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (12th March 2015). |
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The Film
 I hated the first fifteen minutes of this movie. Upon first impression it seemed like a pretentious, convoluted and a self-indulgent tone-poem-turned-film. Complete with abstract imagery, droning narration and artsy black and white photography. Then something incredible happened... Guy Maddin took a deeply personal turn. The film which introduces us to the narrator telling us why he's leaving his home town of Winnipeg, Canada suddenly shines his light on his family and the events that shaped his life, for better or worse. From this point onwards, "My, Winnipeg" quickly becomes a stunning portrait, of a man, of his family and his hometown. The good and the bad. The synopsis on the Blu-ray reads - The geographical dead center of North America and the beloved birthplace of Guy Maddin, Winnipeg is the frosty and mysterious star of Maddin's "docu-fantasia". A work of memory and imagination, the film burrows into what the director calls "the heart of the heart" of the continent, conjuring a city as delightful as it is fearsome, populated by sleepwalkers and hockey aficionados. Take part in Winnipeg's annual scavenger hunt! Pay your respects to the racehorses froszen in the river! Help judge the yearly Golden Boy pageant! What is real and what is fantasy is left up to the viewer to sort out in Maddin's hypnotic, expertly conceived paean to that wonderful and terrifying place know as My Hometown. "My Winnipeg" is as much a portrait of the auteur as it is of the town, mixed with fantasy elements it's hard to say what is true and what isn't in this film - as there are so many strange and interesting happenings that took place in Winnipeg. Maddin takes these truths and lies and melds them together effortlessly into a film that constantly surprises and moves in directions that are are far from just a straight line. It was tough to get past the first fifteen minutes, this film is about as art house as one can get - abstract imagery abound, but the personal touches are what finally engaged me and they managed to hold me in a strange, terrifying and sometimes humorous grasp until the very end. Maddin's key moments in his family, recreated with actors make up some of the highlights of the film. Interactions with his mother and siblings, offer a sobering and relatable persona. Delving into the politics of the city and the hockey-mad state of the place lets viewers into the inner mindset of the average Winnipegger, and mixed with moments and events so fantastic helps to create a magical, etherial yet horrifying vision of a city nestled in winter's frosty grip. "My Winnipeg" is a surprising film, and is most certainly an acquired taste, but if given the chance it reveals itself as an imaginative and unique cinematic experience you'll not likely get anywhere else. Highly recommended.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 1.33:1 full screen, this Criterion Collection release is mastered in high definition 1080p 24/fps using AVC MPEG-4 compression. The transfer was supervised by the film's director Guy Maddin and the cinematographer Jody Shapiro. The transfer was created using the film's original 35mm interpositive. This film is made of different sources, there is footage shot directly for this film and there is also a lot of archival footage taken from various sources such as film, video etc. The results are mixed, some footage looks sharp while others are soft, scratchy and polluted with noise, contrast is sometimes an issue, etc. This is however, for the most part, intentional. The film's black and white photography gives it a mysterious feel, and that's supplemented with the fantastical archival clips. It's not a noteworthy transfer by any means, limited by the process of creating a film such as this, filmmakers have to work with what they have access to or are given. In saying that you can bet this edition is the best out there.
Audio
A single audio track is included in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 surround, mixed at 48kHz/24-bit, this is the film's original audio track, cleaned of any imperfections such as clicks, hiss, thumps, hum and crackle that tend to plague some films. The films is primarily narration, dialogue based. For the most part it's solid, the dialogue is clean and clear. The film's audio does lack some depth but the film's score helps to bolster the soundtrack. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
As expected, The Criterion Collection has added series of solid supplements to accompany this release. Included is an interview, a featurette, a collection of cine-essays, short films, a theatrical trailer and liner notes booklet. Below is a closer look at these extras. First up is a "Conversation between Guy Maddin and art critic Robert Enright" (1080p) interview which runs for 52 minutes 12 seconds. This is a wonderful conversation discussing the genesis of this project, the melding of fantasy and reality as well as exploring the themes and myths of this film. Fascinating clip that covers about all you need to know about this unique film. "My Winnipeg Live in Toronto" (1080i) is a featurette produced back in 2008 and runs for 9 minutes. This clip takes a look at a screening of the film that took place in Toronto in which the film's director took to the stage and provided a live narration while the film played. Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson collaborated on four cine-essays (1080p) in 2014, these provide further fantastic insight into Winnipeg. They each are preceded by text from the filmmakers, and they include: - "Puberty" which runs for 1 minute 26 seconds. - "Colours" which runs for 1 minute 56 seconds. - "Elms" which runs for 2 minutes 57 seconds. - "Cold" which runs for 3 minutes 48 seconds. Next up are a collection of five short films (1080p) by Guy Maddin, the first three feature new introductions by the director. They include: - "Spanky: To the Pier and Back" (2008) runs for 3 minutes 55 seconds, with introduction that runs for 1 minute 56 seconds. - "Sinclair" (2010) runs for 4 minutes 5 seconds with introduction that runs for 2 minutes 52 seconds. - "Only Dream Things" (2012) runs for 19 minutes 16 seconds with introduction that runs for 2 minutes 6 seconds. - "The Hall Runner" (2014) runs for 3 minutes 21 seconds. - "Louis Riel for Dinner" (2014) runs for 2 minutes 52 seconds. The disc also features the film's original theatrical trailer (1080p) which runs for 2 minutes 9 seconds. The package included a fold-out liner notes booklet that includes an essay by critic Wayne Koestenbaum entitled "My Guy's Winnipeg".
Overall
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