Quentin
Tarantino’s (directed
Pulp Fiction, wrote True
Romance) third film, based on the Elmore Leonard novel
"Rum Punch," is finally available on DVD after a five year
wait. The story revolves around a flight attendant (Grier) who
finds herself in a jam. She plays the ATF and a street savvy gun
dealer against the middle to get herself off the hook. The film
is calm at the beginning, but builds to a rolling boil as the
characters begin scheming and plotting against each other, each
trying to chase and outrun everyone else. Don’t be fooled if
this sounds like a familiar formula. In Tarantino’s hands the
story takes on a freshness rarely seen in film today, filled
with the kind of subtlety and humor most writers and directors
just are not capable of.
Jackie
Brown has held up well in the years since its initial
release, better in many respects than Tarantino’s other
films. It is Tarantino’s most mature work. While his previous
two films were the works of a movie-obsessed kid stuck behind a
video store counter, Jackie Brown reads like the work of
a movie obsessed adult who has done some living. The writing is
as crisp as anything he has written; the dialogue crackles. The
pacing of the film is slower than what Tarantino has done in the
past, more deliberate, but the film never gets off track.
The acting
is flawless. The film is a showpiece for Grier, and she shines
as a flight attendant who is barely scraping by. You can’t help
but be entranced by her. The standout is Samuel L. Jackson. The
dialogue seems written especially for him, and Jackson turns in
one of his best performances, creating a character striking in
its realism. Also notable is Robert Forster as Max
Cherry. Seeing him this film will make you wonder why it took so
long for him to get a decent role. There isn’t a wrong note sung
by anyone in the cast, from the main characters to the bit
parts. Chris Tucker shows up for one scene and gives his best
performance ever. The performances are what make this film so
great, so adult.
The
characters that inhabit this part of the Tarantinoverse are less
like genre creations and more like people we might actually run
into. The last shot in Max Cherry’s office at the end of the
film is strikingly poignant.
10 out of 10
The
Video
The
transfer here is pristine. Especially admirable are the films
many dark scenes. Darkness dominates the film: night scenes,
dark interiors, a shopping mall. Too often the richness of a
dark scene is lost in the film to video translation; the scenes
get so dark we cannot tell what we are looking at. With
Jackie Brown we have a transfer of the highest quality, and
the picture is as flawless as if you were seeing it on the big
screen. Jackie Brown is presented in the original 2.35:1
widescreen ratio.
10 out of 10
The
Audio
While
perhaps not the best example of what surround sound can do, the
makers of this DVD didn’t scrimp on sound, making both DTS 5.1
digital surround sound and Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound
available to the viewer. From the soul music that scores the
film to the climactic Del Amo Mall scenes, the sound reels you
into the film from the first frame. When the characters are in
the mall, the sound is so clear you will think you are in a food
court, watching the film. Also available are French and Spanish
language tracks.
10 out of 10
The
Extras
With a
second disc devoted entirely to bonus features, just about
anything you have ever wanted to know about Jackie Brown
is here.
Quentin Tarantino Introductions
How It Went Down Original
Documentary
A Look Back At "Jackie Brown" -
Interview with Quentin Tarantino
Chick with Guns Video
Siskel & Ebert "At the Movies" -
"Jackie Brown" Review
And it doesn’t stop there. We get
a glimpse of the long road from novel to screen, the cast and
crew, and some interesting footage of Samuel L. Jackson and
Tarantino talking about The Q’s infamous predilection for the “N
word.” You can also put this disc in your computer’s DVD-ROM for
access to a screenplay viewer and other extras. Jackie Brown
comes in a handsome package with a replica movie poster and a
booklet that contains a letter from Elmore Leonard, the original
Los Angeles Times review, filmographies and more. No stone has
been left unturned, and the completeness of the features makes
this DVD well worth the wait.
10 out of 10
Overall
Jackie
Brown is Quentin Tarantino’s most mature work, and it is one
of the best recent examples of superbly executed
filmmaking. That alone makes this DVD well worth your
money. With the added features you have the most complete
version of this film there is ever going to be.
