Plot: What’s it about?
Colin (Russell Crowe) and Midori (Youki Kudoh) have gotten themselves into a very dangerous situation, but the path to this point wasn’t a smooth or even planned one. In Australia, Midori and her new husband were on their honeymoon, but this was not the usual vision of newlywed bliss, not in the least. After she decides to leave her new husband behind and run away with her other lover, Midori soon finds herself alone in a strange country, as her lover was hesitant and decided not to remain by her side. So she ventures to a local bank to exchange some cash, when she is drawn into a bank heist and ends up being taken hostage. So now, when it seems like nothing else could happen to surprise her, Midori is saved by the getaway driver for the robbers, Colin (Russell Crowe) Now as the two travel across the countryside, chased by the police, Colin’s criminal cohorts, and Midori’s husband, they somehow manage to fall in love. But this kind of love is usually doomed, so can these two newfound lovers keep their love alive?
I think Heaven’s Burning is a very average overall motion picture, but it had the potential to be very good and in truth, I think another adaptation of the material might be worthwhile. Some films can blend several genres together and maintain a consistent tone, but in this movie, it seems more like individual pieces, as opposed to one whole creation. As such, some of the sequences stand up well enough, but other lack cohesion and that sinks the film in the end. I think if this movie were assigned to a more experienced, talented director things might have turned out better, but Craig Lahiff is unable to control this one in the least. In the almost one-hundred minute running time, we’re driven through genres such as action, romance, road movie, film noir, B movie, and drama, which in the end, never weave together well. I will say that the ending is excellent and shows just how good this movie could have been, but in truth, the destination is worth the rough ride to get there. I recommend this title as a rental and though it is a strange ride, I think it is worth taking just once, although I would never want to venture down this path again.
Now that Russell Crowe has made friends with the masses, we have started to see his earlier works emerge on various formats. I am sure some folks love Crowe’s performance in the schlocky epic Gladiator, but I happen to think it stands as one of his lesser overall turns. But since it made him a star and allowed some of his better works to surface on our beloved format, I will be content that Crowe chose the role of Maximus. In Heaven’s Burning, we see Crowe is decent enough form, but thanks to a confused storyline, he never gets off the ground much. I’m sure Crowe is doing his best to work within the material, but he simply can’t find a foothold with this character. But if you’re like most recent Russell Crowe fanatics, then his performance is of little consequence, so long as it is indeed him. If you want to see Crowe in better form, then I recommend L.A. Confidential, The Sum Of Us, Romper Stomper, Virtuosity, and The Insider. The rest of the cast includes Youki Kudoh (Mystery Train, Snow Falling On Cedars), Ray Barrett (The Empty Beach), and Kenji Isomura. This film was directed by Craig Lehiff, who has also directed a couple television features in his career.
Video: How does it look?
Heaven’s Burning is presented in a 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. This transfer looks better than previous editions and it is nice to see the film in widescreen, but this is still a lackluster presentation in the end. The main problem here is the source print, which is in serious need of a complete overhaul. I saw a lot of grain present here and in some sequences, it is very heavy and means the rest of the image suffers as well. I know some grain is unavoidable in low budget films like this, but I think this is too much and I think some work should have been done prior to this release. The print also shows a lot of debris and marks, which is not acceptable when you consider the film’s young age. Now when the grain is not overpowering, the colors and contrast look solid, but since that isn’t too often, I am forced to give this transfer a low score.
Audio: How does it sound?
A 2.0 stereo track is tacked on and while it is adequate, the dialogue is a little hard to decipher at times. This is because the vocals were mixed in too low, which means even if you turn up the volume, the other elements make it tough to hear all the dialogue. But this doesn’t happen a lot and as such, I won’t knock the score too much. The sound effects and music seem well mixed and while louder than the vocals, still come off very well here. I am lowering the score a little because of the low dialogue level, but this is still a decent enough audio presentation. The disc also includes subtitles in Spanish, French, and English, which might come in handy in this case.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc has some nice supplements packed in, such as an audio commentary track, selection of deleted scenes (with optional commentary), two short films from the movie’s director, a series of cast & crew interviews, some script to scene comparisons, and the film’s theatrical trailer. I wasn’t too impressed with most of these features, but I am pleased to see Trimark include some bonus materials here.
