Archipelago (Review)
Monday, 23rd May 2011, 12:00

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The Disc

Extra Features

The solitary bonus feature on the disc is the trailer but there is also an audio commentary by Joanna Hogg, who is joined by Jason Wood, a film critic and programmer and, as she says that the very beginning, they are both DVD commentary virgins. If this was a solo effort by Hogg, it would probably have been extremely gappy, unfocused and hard to sit through but thankfully Wood acts as a moderator, prompting her for information on certain scenes, locations, actors and she responds by and showing his questions fully and seems quite happy talking about the film even though she hates watching her films after they are finished.

The Picture

This was shot digitally and there are some scenes where the contrast levels aren't perhaps as deep as they might have been if this was shot on 35mm film. However, the picture quality is generally very good as the camera picks out slight drizzle and does a terrific job with the scenery in and around Tresco, which is why the subplot involving Patricia's painting makes so much sense.

Joanna Hogg's directing style is very minimalistic where she is friends and composes a scene, puts the camera in the correct place and lets the actors do their job so it is sometimes like watching a stage play and, in a film like this, that is no bad thing.

The Sound

You have the choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 surround or 2.0 stereo and there is very little to choose between them. There are only several occasions when the front and rear surrounds come into play and these aren't integral to the narrative and I found the dialogue to be slightly clearer on the stereo track.

One of the more interesting features is the complete lack of music, with the atmospherics and bird song providing the only 'musical accompaniment'. This works in the film's favour as there is no music to distract you and it allows the characters and the direction to increase the emotion without resorting to unnecessary music which could be heavy-handed.

Final Thoughts

Archipelago is an exceptionally well written and directed film with superb performances by the entire cast and is an extremely rewarding watch. It is the sort of film where you get out of it as much as you put in so, if you emotionally invest yourself in the characters, it will help a great deal when it comes to the more emotional scenes and exchanges between different people.

The disc may not be packed to the rafters with extra features but the commentary is an interesting and informative listen and probably provides more information than a making of/behind-the-scenes featurette would. If slow burning dramas appeal to you and you enjoy working hard as a viewer rather than having everything spoonfed to you, there is a great deal to like here and a blind buy isn't out of the question.

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