The Book of Revelation (Palace Films Collection) (2006)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Drama	Theatrical Trailer Deleted Scenes Gallery-Photo
Rating
Year Of Production	2006
Running Time	113:00
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (59:01)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Ana Kokkinos
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Tom Long Greta Scacchi Colin Friels Deborah Mailman Zoe Coyle Nadine Garner Olivia Pigeot Ana Maria Belo Belinda McClory Sibylla Budd Geneviève Picot Nina Liu Brian Lipson
Case	?
RPI	$24.95	Music	Cezary Skubiszewski

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Almost ten years ago director Ana Kokkinos in her first feature, Head On, explored the predicament of a young gay Greek/Australian male coming to terms with his sexuality. In that movie's central role Alex Dimitriades gave a sensitive, brave performance, and the film became an involving dramatic experience. Now we have this director's second feature, The Book of Revelation, and while we are once again plunged into the sexual world of the central male character, the ultimate movie experience is far less involving and satisfying.

    Daniel (Tom Long) is the principal male dancer with a modern dance company in Melbourne, dancing opposite his partner Bridget (Anna Torv). Daniel is young, handsome and aggressively assured of his sexuality, which he exploits in his performances. The company's director/choreographer, Isabel (Greta Scacchi), disapproves of Daniel's sexual seduction of his audience urging him to "dance without ego". Daniel retorts that his current audience, fellow dancers watching the rehearsal, "seemed to like it".

   The following morning Daniel leaves Bridget in their flat to buy some cigarettes. He does not return for twelve days. In his absence he is replaced in the dance production and there are worried faces on Bridget, Isabel and Mark (Colin Friels), Isabel's lover, who is a police officer specialising in female sexual abuse cases.

   Daniel ultimately returns a strangely different, tentative man. In flashback we learn that he was abducted by three hooded and masked women who drugged him and imprisoned him in what appears to be a deserted warehouse. He was chained, ultimately stripped, tortured, and sexually abused. Daniel is unable to confide any of this experience to his girlfriend or anyone else.

   The film falls into three sections : "ordinary" life before the abduction; the kidnapping and abuse; and finally the return to "ordinary" life as Daniel attempts to come to terms with his experience, and at the same time discover answers to the mystery.

  Performances are solid all round. Tom Bell may be a little wooden, but one feels Kokkinos wanted him that way. However Bell dances well, looks great and is physically, if not emotionally, immersed in the role. Greta Scacchi is always impressive and there is fine work from Colin Friels and Deborah Mailman, who has some nice moments in the third section of the film.

    This film is always a fascinating one to watch, but it left me feeling detached and unmoved. What you are left with is an impression of beautifully filmed surfaces. The receding planes of the first section of the film, all bare and sterile, broken by splashes of still life. The vividly coloured Melbourne alleys, the almost monochrome warehouse scenes, the slash of brilliantly red fingernails or Daniel's naked body draped across the screen in Christ-like  pieta pose. This is a film full of "meaning" - too full. Every line and image seems to contain an underlying message, but this intellectual game becomes just that, a game. Examine closely the cast list at the end of the film for Kokkinos final game !

Video

Audio

    This audio quality on this disc is excellent, totally appropriate to the nature of the film. There are no audio fireworks, just good clear, room filling sound. There is an excellent soundscape to the entire film, whether it is the dancer's rehearsal space, the warehouse, or the urban landscape. The rear channels contribute much to the involvement in the film, and the subwoofer adds to the total experience, though never obtrusively.    .  

   The dialogue was very clear and easy to understand, although I did at first think Tom Long was referring to Deborah Mailman's character as "Joy" instead of "Julie". There were no sync problems with the disc.  

   The musical score by Cezary Skubiszewski is one of the great assets of this film. At times reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann, the modern score is beautifully recorded and reproduced on this disc. It is like listening to a first class CD. Full advantage is taken of the 5.1 sound in the reproduction of the score. Love it !
        

    Extras are very light on with this disc, which is a pity. With subject matter like this, and an artistic approach to that matter, some input from the creators would have been welcome.

Theatrical Trailer

This is presented 1.78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. It is an excellent trailer and would certainly entice me to see the movie. Great picture quality.

Deleted Scenes

There are six brief deleted scenes, all presented 1.78:1 but not 16x9 enhanced. There is written commentary preceding each scene.

Photo Gallery

Twenty stills and portraits from the film. Superb quality.

More from Palace

Four trailers of other Palace features :Head On, Macbeth, Ten Canoes and Kokoda. Each is presented in anamorphic widescreen, except Head On, which is 1.33:1.

    There is censorship information available for this title. Click here to read it (a new window will open). WARNING: Often these entries contain MAJOR plot spoilers.

This title is not available in Region 1.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall