If you’re up for a little enlightened blasphemy, this is the film for you.
While the film´s melding of religious and political critique is its most obvious feature, we shouldn´t overlook the formal achievements of this gutsy effort. The scene begins with a close-up of the Don Manuel resting his head on the table then pulls back to show a Da Vinci-esque tableau encompassing the entire room before zooming slowly back in on the count. Alea mixes more formal techniques like this with roving hand-held shots that provide a sense of the camera capturing events occurring in a real space; I hesitate to call it documentary-style, but that´s a close approximation; think of the way Altman presented crowd scenes but without the multi-layered soundtrack. This lengthy scene in one setting could easily have become a bore, but it never lags.
"The Last Supper" also strikes a curious note in its final scenes. Without spoiling the ending, I will just describe it as a mixture of inevitable tragedy, flickering hope, and the promise of revolution. It´s a potent brew that is more than a little unsettling.
Video
The film is presented in a 1.66:1 wide-screen aspect ratio. All online sources list this as a 1.33:1 ratio but it is definitely letterboxed. When I measured only the image field, I came up with about a 1.6:1 ratio, but I´m guessing this is meant to be the European standard 1.66:1. Overall, the transfer is sub-par, and has the definite look of a direct PAL transfer. The colors are muted, and the image quality looks quite dark overall, both in indoor and outdoor scenes. The transfer is not restored or boosted in any way, and damage from the source print is quite evident.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. Optional English subtitles support the Spanish audio.
Extras
Nothing other than a slim insert with an interview with the director.
Film Value
"The Last Supper" is a religious/political satire with a sharp bite. The film´s tour-de-force central sequence is worth the price of admission (or a rental) all by itself. If you´re up for a little enlightened blasphemy, this is the film for you.
"The Last Supper" also strikes a curious note in its final scenes. Without spoiling the ending, I will just describe it as a mixture of inevitable tragedy, flickering hope, and the promise of revolution. It´s a potent brew that is more than a little unsettling.
Video
The film is presented in a 1.66:1 wide-screen aspect ratio. All online sources list this as a 1.33:1 ratio but it is definitely letterboxed. When I measured only the image field, I came up with about a 1.6:1 ratio, but I´m guessing this is meant to be the European standard 1.66:1. Overall, the transfer is sub-par, and has the definite look of a direct PAL transfer. The colors are muted, and the image quality looks quite dark overall, both in indoor and outdoor scenes. The transfer is not restored or boosted in any way, and damage from the source print is quite evident.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. Optional English subtitles support the Spanish audio.
Extras
Nothing other than a slim insert with an interview with the director.
Film Value
"The Last Supper" is a religious/political satire with a sharp bite. The film´s tour-de-force central sequence is worth the price of admission (or a rental) all by itself. If you´re up for a little enlightened blasphemy, this is the film for you.
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