Plot: What’s it about?
Kleinman (Woody Allen) is a small time bookkeeper with a small life, but he soon gets pulled into something massive, to be sure. He is asleep one night until he is woken by his neighbors, who seek his assistance in a certain matter. This issue is a serial killer and the neighbors want his help, in an effort to track down the murderer. He agrees and gets ready, but just as he finishes his preparations, he discovers he is once again alone. At the same time, a circus is moving through town and Kleinman soon meets up with Irmy (Mia Farrow), a sword swallower. She wants to leave the circus life behind and Kleinman becomes a good friend soon, which causes him to forget about his search for the serial killer. But as the night moves ahead and Kleinman pushes deeper into the shadows, what will become of him, his new friends, and of course, the unknown serial killer?
The title of this movie is Shadows and Fog, which pretty much summarizes the visual approach involved. As you’d expect from Woody Allen, the writing is terrific and the cast is better than most, though this is not the typical Allen flick. This movie has a larger scale and uses some pretty impressive set pieces, which aren’t elements often seen in Allen’s projects. I suppose by normal standards this is still a smaller scale effort, but in terms of Allen’s cinema, this is pretty much an epic. Shot in black & white and drenched in shadows, this flick looks excellent and on a visual level, I find it to be unforgettable. The story isn’t too cohesive, but the smaller parts are interesting and add up to more than the whole, which works in this case. The performances are great also, with such names as Donald Pleasence, John Cusack, Mia Farrow, Madonna, John Malkovich, Lily Tomlin, and Jodie Foster all on deck, as well as Allen himself. If you’re a fan of Allen’s work or just want to see a visually stunning movie, Shadows and Fog is very recommended.
This was one of his most ambitious projects, but writer/director Woody Allen proves he was more than up to the task. Allen is able to blend the comedic and dramatic elements with ease, which is impressive indeed, considering the material involved. As per usual, Allen supplies an excellent turn in terms of writing and his direction is better than usual, due to the more complex production issues involved with this project. But the scale is still small in the grand scheme of cinema, though much larger than most Allen pictures, to be sure. Other films directed by Allen include Husbands and Wives, September, Small Time Crooks, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Another Woman, and Sweet and Lowdown. In addition to Allen himself, the cast also includes John Malkovich (Shadow of the Vampire, Dangerous Liasons), David Ogden Stiers (Meet Wally Sparks, THX 1138), Madonna (Truth or Dare, Evita), and John Cusask (High Fidelity, Sixteen Candles).
Video: How does it look?
Shadows and Fog is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a good, but not excellent transfer and that is a slight let down, given the rich visuals involved in this movie. Even so, this is the finest presentation I’ve seen for Shadows and Fog, so an upgrade from prior editions is certainly a good idea. The print used looks clean enough and I saw no compression flaws, so the solid base is more than present. The contrast is stark and preserves the dark visuals, although the image isn’t as refined as I would have liked, to be sure.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included mono track is good, but of course, suffers from the usual mono limitations. Of course, this film is dialogue driven and doesn’t need much dynamic presence, so this mono option seems more than adequate. The musical score sounds terrific in this mix and while sound effects aren’t power driven, they come across well enough. The heart of the mix is the dialogue, which comes through in crisp and consistent form, no complaints in the least. This disc also includes audio tracks & subtitles in Spanish and French, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
