Chronos: Special Edition (1985) (NTSC)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	IMAX	Menu Animation & Audio Notes-Audio Explanation Audio Commentary-Filmmakers Featurette-Behind The Scenes-5 Featurettes Biographies-Crew Notes-About The Landscapes DVD Credits-About The DVD Notes-About R&B Films, Henninger DVD-ROM Extras-Behind The Landscapes Notes-Director's Shot List
Rating
Year Of Production	1985
Running Time	42:31 (Case: 68)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Ron Fricke
Studio Distributor	Simitar DVD	Starring	Constantine Nicholas Genevieve Nicholas
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	$24.95	Music	Michael Stearns

    It was with a little reluctance, not to say trepidation, that I sat down to review Chronos. When the disc first arrived for reviewing I dropped it in my DVD player to ensure the disc was OK before putting it aside pending the reviewing process. I was surprised to discover that this DVD offering from the world of IMAX cinemas was somewhat different to what I imagined when I requested it. Here is a DVD with no narration and no dialogue, just a series of images and atmospheric music. I therefore braced myself for a very long 42 minutes after which the credits would be welcomed with relief as a sign of deliverance.

    How wrong I was. Chronos turned out to be anything but a long drudge through stale images, but rather a sweeping ride through the wonders of the world. Great monuments; natural and man-made, ancient and modern; and famous artworks from the Vatican, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, amongst others, are visited on this whirlwind tour of earth's treasures.

    Ron Fricke used time-lapse photography, step-motion and multiple exposures to show the changing moods of the locations. The Grand Canyon and Monument Valley go from sun up to sun down in seconds, their changing colours a visual feast. An ancient Greek bust in a museum seems to take on new expressions as the shadows of a day move across its face. New York's Grand Central Station in stop motion dramatically displays the seething sea of humanity that modern cities have become and this is contrasted with the timeless peace of ancient Egyptian cities where the only movement is the shadows.

    It is truly difficult to explain this DVD. It is a piece of film art that is experienced, not watched. It has no plot, no intended message and no dialogue or narration. Despite this I found it moved me and spoke to me more than a lot of other films I have seen. A true experience, it made me want to visit all the locations shown, even those I had been to before. It even managed to make Los Angeles look (almost) appealing.

    Mention must be made of Michael Stearns' score. I felt the music made the film. Michael Stearns has written a score that perfectly compliments the images, adding mood and depth to the locations. The music envelopes, embraces and draws you into the images, almost guiding you from scene to scene. I usually find atmospheric music, without a melody line or clear form, uninteresting; but here it fits so well with the images and establishes just the right mood for each scene that I was absorbed into the soundtrack. As I watched I found that I became less aware of the soundtrack as a separate entity, and instead the images and music merged into a true audio-visual experience; the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Rarely do I find a score that has this much impact on the film.

Video

    Filmed on the IMAX 15-perforation 70mm format and transferred with a bitrate of between 9 and 10 mbps, the video is stunning. Colours are warm and natural, and shadow detail is superb. There are no film artefacts, although a few times I thought I noticed some flicker, only to find on a subsequent look that a cloud had flashed across the time lapse for one frame. The disc is a visual feast.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    Originally recorded in the IMAX 6 channel format, the soundtrack is offered on this disc in DTS 5.0, Dolby Digital 5.0 or Dolby Digital 2.0. Yes, you read the numbers right, no discreet sub-woofer channel. Despite this the audio is excellent.

   The DTS track is brilliant in its clarity and the absence of the LFE track does not detract from the musical experience. There is really no need for a discreet sub-woofer track for this disc, as the music, while dropping to lower frequencies occasionally, never descends to true sub-woofer levels. My decoder passed some of the low frequency work to the sub-woofer anyway to assist the main speakers.

    The rear speakers are used extensively, but with subtlety. You are never aware of them as an individual entity, but rather they are used to immerse you in the sound so that you are part of the music, rather than a mere listener.

    The Dolby Digital 5.0 channel is not quiet as brilliant and crisp as the DTS track, but is still excellent.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Menu

   A static menu with background music is provided.

Audio Commentary

    Photographer/Director Ron Fricke, Production Manager Alton Walpole and Composer Michael Stearns provide a commentary on the locations and their experiences in making Chronos as well as some of the technical challenges it provided.

Behind the Scenes - The Artists and Their Cameras (4:38)

    A series of stills of the production crews and their cameras at various location from the film. Ron Fricke, Alton Walpole and Michael Stearns chat amongst themselves, reminisce about the locations and discuss various technical aspects of the cameras and photographic techniques used.

Behind the Scenes - The Beam (4:52)

    Composer Michael Stearns introduces us to this rather unusual instrument and discusses how and why he used it extensively in the Chronos score.

Behind the Scenes - The Composer (7:13)

    Michael Stearns talks about the writing of the score and what influenced him. He also discusses the technical aspects of recording in the IMAX 6.0 channel format and then moving this to the DTS 5.0 format.

Behind The Scenes - The Production Manager (14:12)

    Alton Walpole talks about bringing Chronos together, the logistical problems and locations. He also shares a number of interesting anecdotes surrounding the project.

Behind the Scenes - The Reuben H. Fleet Science Centre (1:24)

    A promotional video for the centre which features an IMAX cinema.

About the Filmmakers

    Text biographies of the Chronos production crew.

About the Landscapes

    Text screens with information on each of the locations used in Chronos.

About the DVD

    Credits for the DVD transfer.

Behind the Landscapes - DVD-ROM

    DVD-ROM information from the Columbus Encyclopedia on each of the Chronos locations. A nice, if plain, menu links to basic black type on white pages for the information. The information is interesting, although basic, and a web link on each page takes you to... the exact same information on a web site! Word for word!

Director's Shot List

    A number of screens which list each scene and its run time in order.

    As far as I have been able to determine, there is no difference between the Region 4 release and Region 1.

    A different kind of movie experience, but a rewarding one. If you ever feel jaded by the world, this disc will lift your spirits and remind you of the richness, diversity and beauty in even the everyday.

    Video is near reference.

    Audio is an aural delight.

    Extras range from interesting to why bother.

    I only wish I had seen this film on the 80 foot IMAX screen. Highly recommended.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall