PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Code Unknown (Code inconnu) (Directors Suite) (2000)

Code Unknown (Code inconnu) (Directors Suite) (2000)

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Released 11-Sep-2008

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Drama Main Menu Audio & Animation
Teaser Trailer
Theatrical Trailer-De Fem benspænd (2003)
Theatrical Trailer-La science des rêves (2005)
Theatrical Trailer-Wu ji (2005)
Theatrical Trailer-Gerry (2005)
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2000
Running Time 112:07
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Michael Haneke
Studio
Distributor
MK2 Productions
Madman Entertainment
Starring Juliette Binoche
Thierry Neuvic
Josef Bierbichler
Alexandre Hamidi
Maimouna Hélène Diarra
Ona Lu Yenke
Djibril Kouyaté
Luminita Gheorghiu
Crenguta Hariton
Bob Nicolescu
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI $29.95 Music None Given


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None French Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

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Plot Synopsis

“I’m trying to impart in my films what mainstream movies work to take away. Namely: reality.” Michael Haneke

Code inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages (Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys) (2000) is an example of Michael Haneke continuing to develop his examination of how an act of violence affects various citizens of class in a singular urban environment - as initially depicted in 71 Fragmente einer Chronologie des Zufalls. Also with Code inconnu, Haneke begins his critique of migration, racism and intolerance in modern postcolonial France, which the director would continue to develop in Caché five years later.

Importantly it is at this stage in Haneke’s career, between Funny Games which sees the vicious death of the bourgeois family for no raison d'être and Code inconnu, where Haneke no longer sympathises with his bourgeois creations. Instead Haneke would identify with his imagined immigrant protagonists in Code inconnu and later in Caché, by setting up his archetype bourgeois protagonists as further isolated, superficial and resentful in comparison with his sensitive migrant and refugee protagonists.

Code inconnu consists of forty-two sequences - and the ‘traumatic event’ of the film which signals the various protagonists’ differentiating responses is the assault which occurs on the Paris streets.

Following this ‘event’ - Haneke will observe/scrutinise each of his protagonists as Anne the actress will be rendered helpless as she can only ‘act’ in real life rather then ‘react’ - while her boyfriend Georges – a photojournalist, is unable to truly understand the brutality of his immediate environment as he can only view ‘horror’ through the camera lenses.

Also Adamou will be become the victimiser, after being rendered the victim one too many times, and despite his good intentions will continue to remain an outsider in his own environment, like other Haneke protagonists before him. While Jean is the representation of the conflict between parent and child – as Jean wants nothing to do with taking over his father’s land and instead escapes to Paris – similarly Adamou and his siblings remain culturally distant from their mother and father’s homeland - Mali. Furthermore Maria an illegal economic immigrant will be forced to leave her homeland (once again) to (shamefully) beg for money to send to her family in Romania.

Code inconnu is a series of important fragments, rather then a complete film – as scenes end abruptly - also Haneke presents some fragments somewhat deceptively to the audience. However Code inconnu remains a significant experimental film for Haneke, as the director is presenting important issues regarding migration, tolerance and individual responsibility.

Conversely one could argue Code inconnu is patronising as Haneke also takes the higher moral ground (as he does with all his feature films) – yet nevertheless Code inconnu remains an important film in relation to the filmmaker's oeuvre.

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Transfer Quality

Video

The PAL transfer is quite good, preserving the natural colour palette of the film.

Presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen, the transfer is relatively clean despite incidents of film grain. The transfer is free of MPEG compression artefacts.

The consistent bit-rate of 8.46 Mbps over a Dual Layer DVD achieves an overall smooth transfer.

Black levels and shadow detail are standard.

The optional English subtitles for the Malinka, Romanian, French, German, Arabic and French Sign Language dialogue appears in a clear yellow Arial font.

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

Audio

The audio presentation is standard. There is only a French Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack available.

As expected the soundtrack does not make full use of the surround sound but dialogue remains clear and the audio track is faultless.

The dialogue is mostly emitted from the front of the soundstage with occasional atmospheric sound and score emitted from the rear speakers.

As with other Haneke feature films – there is no score – only environmental audio.

(In regards to the design of soundtrack, pay close attention to the scene in which Anne is ironing in her apartment).

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

Extras

Main Menu Audio & Animation

The main menu is animated and features score and dialogue. It is a minimal design but well suited to the thematic concerns of the feature film and the cover-art. There are 12 scene selections, set-up options and access to extras (16x9 enhanced).

Theatrical Trailers and Teaser Trailers.

A collection of teaser trailers and theatrical trailers for Code inconnu (4:34). (Full frame)

Directors Suite Trailers

An anti-piracy warning focused on the Australian film industry, precedes the following trailers for Directors suite titles:

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

Code inconnu was originally released in R4 via Accent. In terms of technical specifications the Accent release is identical to the current Madman release – (bar different trailers).

The R2 (UK) Artificial Eye release features fixed English subtitles and the following collection of extras:

  • Introduction by director Michael Haneke (4:27)
  • Making-Of Documentary (27:25)
  • Filming the Boulevard featurette (11:29)
  • Theatrical trailer (2: 55)
  • Director’s statement (text)
  • Filmographies (text)

    The R2 (FR) MK2 release only includes a 5.1 soundtrack and a collection of French language extras (with no option of English subtitles):

  • Introduction by director Michael Haneke (4:27)
  • Making-Of Documentary (27:25)
  • Filming the Boulevard featurette (11:29)
  • 3 theatrical trailers

    The transfer on the R1 (US) Kino release is PAL-to-NTSC and it is not 16x9 enhanced.

    The R2 (UK) Artificial Eye release is the better option for English speaking audiences.

    Summary

    Code inconnu is a series of important fragments, rather then a complete film – as scenes end abruptly -also Haneke presents some fragments somewhat deceptively to the audience. However Code inconnu also remains a significant experimental film for Haneke, as the director is presenting important issues regarding migration, tolerance and individual responsibility.

    Code inconnu is also another solid release from Madman Entertainment, who have now released all of Haneke's features films under the Directors Suite label (with Funny Games U.S. soon to be released on DVD in 2009), however the DVD features no extra feature content beyond the teaser trailers and theatrical trailers. In terms of extra feature content the R2 (UK) Artificial Eye release is the winner for English speaking audiences.

    Ratings (out of 5)

    Video
    Audio
    Extras
    Plot
    Overall

    © Vanessa Appassamy (Biography)
    Saturday, October 18, 2008
    Review Equipment
    DVDOPPO DV-980H, using HDMI output
    DisplayPanasonic PT-AE 700. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p.
    Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with THX Optimizer.
    AmplificationYamaha DSP-A595a - 5.1 DTS
    Speakers(Front) DB Dynamics Polaris AC688F loudspeakers,(Centre) DB Dynamics Polaris Mk3 Model CC030,(Rear) Polaris Mk3 Model SSD425,(Subwoofer) Jensen JPS12

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