Plot: What’s it about?
Death, it’s a real bummer, but we all have to go sooner or later, right? Some of us die in plane crashes, some get the back of our skulls blasted out by gang gunfire, and some of us just seem to cease being. Usually, when death makes the fateful knock on your door, there’s not much symbolism or meaning behind the act. But if death is in the right hands, could it have a deeper meaning and purpose? While some people view death as a tragedy, some might see it as an art form, a chance pass on while leaving behind a message to the living world. Such is the goal of a young performance artist in this movie. For his final performance, he intends to take his own life in a most unique manner. He will melt a large block of ice using his own body heat, and expire due to hypothermia. The young man calls this performance an “ice burial,” and those who are aware of his intentions are worried. Can the young artist avoid those who would end his final performance, and be able to leave the world as he wishes? If you’re looking for an upbeat movie, this title is not the disc to pick up at the store or rental location. While the movie is depressing at times, there is some hope and inspiration to glean from the wreckage. What matters most to me with movies is whether or not I am entertained. Sure, I like to have my mind challenged sometimes, and I want to see some symbolism at times, but more than anything, I just want to enjoy the movie. While the same type of entertainment found in say, Armageddon is not present here, this movie presents some interesting characters and good dialogue, which makes up for the lack of explosions and near miss collisions. The pacing is also quite deliberate, so those with short attention spans will want to stand clear of this one. If you have the patience however, you’ll find a very moving storyline here, and a very good way to spend an hour and a half. While this movie will interest fans of foreign fare the most, I recommend it to all those who enjoy complex character work. I have to recommend a rental only though, as the disc is not up to standards we expect from this format.
Video: How does it look?
Frozen is presented in a 1.33:1, or full frame transfer. I am not sure of the original ratio, but the framing leads me to believe this is an open matte of a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. I am also not sure of the condition of the source material, but I think it is not good, as this image is below standard…way below. The image is riddled with nicks and other signs of print wear, but the image also suffers due to inadequate authoring as well. The colors usually appear consistent, but sometimes the colors haze and take on a blue tint, which is quite distracting. The flesh tones often flash and distort also. There are many instances of compression errors of all varieties, leaving the viewer with a below par image for a superior movie.
Audio: How does it sound?
There is no audio information for this DVD.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The disc includes filmographies and production credits. A commentary would be awesome, but the director wishes to remain unknown, so that just wasn’t plausible.
