The Clearing (2004)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Main Menu Introduction Main Menu Audio & Animation Audio Commentary-Filmmakers Deleted Scenes-With Optional Commentary Gallery-Screenplay Web Links
Rating
Year Of Production	2004
Running Time	90:39
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (73:27)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Pieter Jan Brugge
Studio Distributor	Twentieth Century Fox	Starring	Robert Redford Willem Dafoe Helen Mirren Matt Craven Alessandro Nivola Melissa Sagemiller
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Craig Armstrong Matt Dunkley

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired English Audio Commentary	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    This film arrived pretty much without any fanfare whatsoever. I do not recall it getting a theatrical run here in Australia and it is certainly not a huge release in the DVD market. So does that mean it's rubbish? Definitely not, however, it is probably not the most commercial film ever made (which is not necessarily a bad thing). Having said that, I personally jumped at the chance to see and review a new thriller/psychological drama starring Robert Redford, Helen Mirren & Willem Defoe. It was actually Redford's first on-screen role since 2001's Spy Game with Brad Pitt. It is slightly surprising that he should choose a film by a first-time director for his return but it makes more sense when you realise that Pieter Jan Brugge is a well known (and Oscar nominated) producer for films such as The Insider and Heat.

    In some ways it is not really right to refer to this film as a thriller despite it having some thriller elements. The Clearing is the story of a relationship between Wayne Hayes (Redford) and his wife of many years, Eileen (Helen Mirren), how that relationship has changed over time and how Wayne's kidnapping by Arnold Mack (Willem Defoe) affects it. Wayne is a successful self-made businessman who sold his company a few years ago and has since lost direction in his life despite still being employed as a consultant. Eileen loves him and wants him to forget about business and enjoy his life. Arnold is a man who is disappointed with his lot and feels that Wayne got the success that he deserved. The relationship which develops between Wayne & Arnold is also an important part of this movie. Eileen is supported through her ordeal by her son Tim (Alessandro Nivola) and daughter Jill. The FBI also become involved, led by Agent Fuller (Matt Craven). I cannot really explain much more of the plot without spoiling it.

   There are definitely some strong points about this film but these are unfortunately overridden by a plot which does not offer very much. I understand that the filmmaker was trying to make a character driven drama rather than a thriller but even dramas need more plot than this one has. Also, by introducing the thriller elements, a certain expectation is built up in the audience which is not really fulfilled. On the positive side, the acting is top quality as you would expect with a cast of this outstanding quality. The first three alone have over 10 Oscar nominations between them, and Redford has two statuettes. Another strength is the film's use of time, cutting back and forth between timeframes and timelines. The film is certainly intriguing and tense and slowly reveals information to the viewer, however, unfortunately the ending lets that build up down and you are left feeling disappointed. The story was loosely based on a real story which occurred in the director's homeland of The Netherlands.

    So, an interesting film with some excellent features let down by a plot which promises much more than it delivers.

Video

    The video quality is very good but has some minor issues.

    The feature is presented in a 1.85:1 16x9 enhanced aspect ratio which is the original theatrical ratio.

    The picture was generally clear and sharp, however, some scenes were significantly sharper than others. During close-ups you could see every wrinkle on people's faces, which I am sure Redford would not be pleased about, however other scenes displayed a slight softness. There was also some light but noticeable grain. There was no evidence of low level noise. The shadow detail was very good but some scenes were a little too dark. Based on the commentary this is a problem with the original material rather than the transfer.

    The colour was generally very good, however there were a few examples of colour bleeding such as on Wayne's shirt at 36:55..

    Artefacts were present but really these comments should be seen as nit picking rather than major issues. I notices some very occasional black and white film artefacts, some mild edge enhancement such as on Wayne's back at 47:44 and some very minor macro-blocking such as on the wall at 41:48.

    There are subtitles in English for the hearing impaired and for the commentary. The English subtitles were clear and easy to read but slightly summarised.

    The layer change occurs at 73:27 and is well placed and barely noticeable.
    

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The audio quality is very good.

    This DVD contains an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack encoded at 448 Kb/s.

    Dialogue was generally clear and easy to understand and there was no problem with audio sync, although some dialogue was mixed too low and slightly muffled.

    The score of this film by Craig Armstrong is very good indeed, significantly adding to the intrigue and tension of the film. He has previously won a Golden Globe award for the Moulin Rouge score.

    The surround speakers added some mild directional effects and atmosphere but considering the nature of the film you could not really expect lots of vigorous surround activity.

     The subwoofer was well used, adding tension to the film, without being spectacular.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    The menu included an intro, stills, and the ability to select scenes, languages and subtitles.

Commentary by Director Pieter Jan Brugge, Writer Justin Haythe & Editor Kevin Tent

    This is one of the better commentaries I have listened to recently. Unlike many, it has a feeling of openness and honesty. They discuss areas of the film they are not happy with, sections which were influenced by the studio's desires, details which you may not pick up during viewing, the story and characters, cast, inspirations, important changes to the script driven by Redford & Mirren, how wonderful Helen Mirren is as an actress, editing choices, and how the stunts were done. There is a little bit of name dropping with Kurosawa, Michael Mann, Ingmar Bergman & William Friedkin all getting mentions. Definitely worth a listen.

Deleted Scenes (15:25)

    A set of six deleted and alternate scenes which are mostly quite interesting. Their position in the screenplay is noted and there is an optional commentary by the same three people as the main commentary. The commentary is also very good, just like the main one. The scenes are:

• Agent Duggan Retrieves Wayne's Shoes - Not too interesting
• Fuller Interviews Jill & Tim - The director mentions that he should not have deleted this scene but the studio pushed him to. It gives interesting back story on the children and how they are reacting to the kidnapping.
• Tim checks up on Eileen & Eileen's flashback - Another interesting scene. The commentary indicates that the test audiences were confused by the flashback involved so it was removed.
• Failed Drop Off & Alternate Cut of Stream Scene - the second part is interesting here as it gives more insight into Arnold and his back story.
• Extra Subway - An early deletion from the film and you can see why.
• (SPOILER ALERT: highlight with mouse to read) Wayne's Killing - As the scene was originally written in the screenplay, but test audiences found this one confusing. Interesting variation.

Screenplay

    The complete text of the original screenplay which enables you to compare to the final film. Would be of great interest to film students but maybe less so to others.

Weblink

    A link to the foxmovies website.

    The Region 4 version of this disc misses out on;

• Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtracks in Spanish & French

    The Region 1 version of this disc misses out on;

• Nothing

    From an English-speaking perspective I would call this a draw.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is very good.

    The disc has a decent selection of extras, including the entire screenplay!

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall