Product: The Bill Douglas Trilogy (1972)
Rating: 5.0
Probably one of the top five releases of 2008
Serious film lovers are surely blessed that Facets Video (which brought out top rated 'Decalogue' and recently Bela Tarr's 'Satantango') has now released a totally pristine DVD of this almost forgotten 1970's U.K. filmmaker.Here is Douglas' own poverty stricken childhood in a small Scottish village, recreated using mainly non-professional actors in three one hour segments. According to the added special feature documentary, Douglas (who died in 1991 of lung cancer) escaped the brutality of his surroundings by virtually living in his town's dumpy movie theater. If this brings to mind Antoine Doinel in Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows,' that's fine, but replace Antoine's Paris with a landscape straight from Samuel Beckett.Douglas' genius was very much appreciated at the time but the producers also knew he had little commercial appeal. He was only to make one commercial film ("Comrades") before his death.He was very much enamoured of silent movies and in this trilogy, dialog is very limited. Instead, his camera lingers long enough on a face or an abandoned yard or a shabby table, so that words become superfluous.This is a great film experience. Several days after seeing it for the first time, the images still replay themselves in my mind. Once you own it, you'll know exactly what to buy next for your dedicated film buff friends.