(Ana) develops a fantasy world which centers upon her increasingly morbid fascination with death
Today, Carlos Saura is best known as a director of Spanish dance films, but at the time he was identified very much as an art-house director, one of the few Spanish-grown directors who stayed at home unlike Luis Buñuel who quickly left home to film in Mexico and Europe. "Cría Cuervos" was one of Saura´s biggest critical and commercial successes, though he later received an Oscar nomination for "Mamá cumple cien años" (1979).
Cinematographer Teodoro Escamilla makes great use of scale to alternately portray the crumbling mansion as sprawling and intensely claustrophobic. The home is an alternate reality, a pocket universe for Ana to play in, one where ghosts mingle freely and quite matter-of-factly with the living. For Ana, this world appears to serve up equal parts wonder and horror, but who can really tell what´s going on behind those dark reflecting eyes?
Video
The film is presented in the European standard 1.66:1 aspect ratio. It´s awfully boring writing Video sections for Criterion releases. The transfer looks great. It looks a little dark, but then again it´s supposed to. I was just trying to find something to complain about. Forget it, another stellar transfer.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Monaural. Optional English subtitles support the Spanish audio.
Extras
I must admit upfront that I have not had a chance to watch any of the extras included in this 2-disc set. Disc One contains only the restored film, with no commentary track.
Disc Two offers a substantial documentary "Portrait of Carlos Saura" (2004, 62 min) by José-Luis López-Linares which includes interviews with the director, his family, Geraldine Chaplin, and Vittorio Storaro. The disc also includes 2007 interviews with Geraldine Chaplin (21 min.) and Ana Torrent (8 min.)
The insert booklet contains a lengthy and insightful essay by Paul Julian-Smith which explains much more about the film´s political context.
Film Value
"Cría Cuervos" provides an odd perspective on childhood, one told from the perspective of an eight year-old girl but without a hint of sentiment. Even "Pan´s Labyrinth" creates a more cheerful mood. Ana Torrent and Geraldine Chaplin both excel as mother and daughter (as well as daughter and older version of daughter). The film also makes superb use of a sparse and repetitive musical track: the pop song that Ana stoically "enjoys" over and over again will drill into your head like an earwig and not stop until it chews through to the other side.
Cinematographer Teodoro Escamilla makes great use of scale to alternately portray the crumbling mansion as sprawling and intensely claustrophobic. The home is an alternate reality, a pocket universe for Ana to play in, one where ghosts mingle freely and quite matter-of-factly with the living. For Ana, this world appears to serve up equal parts wonder and horror, but who can really tell what´s going on behind those dark reflecting eyes?
Video
The film is presented in the European standard 1.66:1 aspect ratio. It´s awfully boring writing Video sections for Criterion releases. The transfer looks great. It looks a little dark, but then again it´s supposed to. I was just trying to find something to complain about. Forget it, another stellar transfer.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Monaural. Optional English subtitles support the Spanish audio.
Extras
I must admit upfront that I have not had a chance to watch any of the extras included in this 2-disc set. Disc One contains only the restored film, with no commentary track.
Disc Two offers a substantial documentary "Portrait of Carlos Saura" (2004, 62 min) by José-Luis López-Linares which includes interviews with the director, his family, Geraldine Chaplin, and Vittorio Storaro. The disc also includes 2007 interviews with Geraldine Chaplin (21 min.) and Ana Torrent (8 min.)
The insert booklet contains a lengthy and insightful essay by Paul Julian-Smith which explains much more about the film´s political context.
Film Value
"Cría Cuervos" provides an odd perspective on childhood, one told from the perspective of an eight year-old girl but without a hint of sentiment. Even "Pan´s Labyrinth" creates a more cheerful mood. Ana Torrent and Geraldine Chaplin both excel as mother and daughter (as well as daughter and older version of daughter). The film also makes superb use of a sparse and repetitive musical track: the pop song that Ana stoically "enjoys" over and over again will drill into your head like an earwig and not stop until it chews through to the other side.
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