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Betty Blue

paul wmids (Mostly Harmless) posted this on Sunday, 11th July 2004, 17:27

Has anyone purchased Betty Blue on DVD? I am puzzled by the fact it states that the (original) French soundtrack is in mono and the (dubbed presumably) English soundtrack is in stereo; and what about the music?

Paul

RE: Betty Blue

Aslan (Elite) posted this on Sunday, 11th July 2004, 21:30

The dialogue is French stereo. Additional language is English. Music is DTS 6.1 (not!!!).
More importantly....do you like French arty farty films? If you don`t, then stay clear, regardless of sound presentation. This is a film for fine art students. Why do fine art students open their curtains in the afternoon?...........It gives them something to do!!!!!! :)

RE: Betty Blue

floyd_dylan (Elite) posted this on Monday, 12th July 2004, 06:12

Also there`s a lot of bonking. Which is very unusual for a French film ;)

floyd


DVD collection & WANTED list

RE: Betty Blue

jeffthegun (Elite) posted this on Monday, 12th July 2004, 08:41

I have to agree. Betty Blue is the most overrated piece of schiete ive ever seen. And its one of the few directors cuts ive seen that makes the story even more boring and weird.

It just takes her slightly longer to go crazy and her boyfriend just acts like a pecker.





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RE: Betty Blue

paul wmids (Mostly Harmless) posted this on Tuesday, 13th July 2004, 18:04

Thanks for the info - if I didn`t like the film I wouldn`t be asking the question! I saw the directors cut at the cinema 11 years ago and it has been on Channel 4 once many moons ago.

Personally I don`t go overboard on `arty` films, but given that 99% of what comes out of Hollywood is sh*te, than anything is preferable.

Paul

RE: Betty Blue

Jonpy (Competent) posted this on Tuesday, 13th July 2004, 18:41

Arty film?
What a crock!!

Betty Blue is one of the finest examples of detailed cinema you could see. It`s just beautiful and moving.

And no I`m not French. Or an Art/Film student.

But hey, I guess the lack of explosions and car chases may put some people off, it takes all sorts.

J.

RE: Betty Blue

Butterfield8 (Elite) posted this on Tuesday, 13th July 2004, 20:12

Yeah, whatever.....you Frenchy Art Student ;-)





Rob

RE: Betty Blue

Bryter Layter (Harmless) posted this on Wednesday, 14th July 2004, 07:53

Personally, Betty Blue is one of my favourite films, the acting through out is superb, as is the destruction of the relationship in which ironically the roles are reversed, usually it is the man destroying things and the woman trying to hang on. It also contains probably, for me, the most moving scene ever in the `piano` scene...pure beauty without anywords.

I don`t have the new dvd of it I have an import version, but after years of watching an old second copy vhs version the colours and direction are beautiful.

Yes, this film isn`t for everyone, but to dismiss it as a foreign arty film is wrong, it`s like saying that (for example) Star Wars is a babys film..it`s an easy critic and a very inaccurate one.
Just because a film is in a different language its get the tag `foriegn film` I dont recall Hollywood films being classed as foreign which they are to me.

European films do tend to be more dialogue based than your average hollywood movie, the Three Colours trilogy being a good example, which is a good thing. It`s probably why Hollywood dips it toes into europe and `steals` the odd film for rehash. Im glad they haven`t touched Betty Blue.

RE: Betty Blue

jeffthegun (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 14th July 2004, 09:05

Well, in all honesty, I dont dismiss it as an `Arty Film` at all. I dismiss it as incredibly dull piece of crap.

Its one of those films like `Ai No Corrida` that people seem to treat as a quasi religious experience, a stunning treatise on human sexuality, when in fact its just an excuse to show a bit of T + A (in this case Ms Dalle`s, which is no bad thing, if im honest).

The problems i have with the film is that the characters act in the most idiotic and boring way. Zorg (father of Buzz Lightyear?) puts up with so much crap from Betty that I lost all sympathy for him. The scenes appear in an almost random chronology and the addition of an extra hour to the proceedings in the Directors Cut does nothing to help this.

Admittedly, the film looks beautiful, even now, and this alone is enough to disguise a multitude of sins for most people. But for me it is a shallow experience and one that i find repeated throughout french cinema. The over exaggeration of utterly unlikable traits as a way of exploring `The Human Psyche`, for me is just unforgivably boring.






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RE: Betty Blue

Jonpy (Competent) posted this on Wednesday, 14th July 2004, 21:17

Nick the Gun?

That`s a kind of name that doesn`t put up with any crap from a women, even if he was in love with her. He`d just bust her lip and walk away!

LOL

God bless taste, eh. :D

For my twopenneth, I don`t see it as "a stunning treatise on human sexuality" at all, I see it as a beatifully tragic story of mental illness and obsession.
As for it being shallow, I couldn`t agree less. As Betty sunk deeper and deeper into madness I felt the film sucked you in deeper also, almost until you were enveloped by her obsession and Zorg`s desperation. Just marvellous.

Oh, and the soundtrack is one of the best you`ll hear, utterly haunting.

J.

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