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I'm sure there are many who argue that the teen rituals depicted
in American Graffiti and the art of "cruising" are long
since out of practice, but I don't know. I still get a chuckle
when I go back home to the Midwest and visit the local mall, and
see the throngs of kids hanging out by the movie theater or at
the Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors. The semantics of the ritual may
have changed, but the function is still the same...
Anyway, American Graffiti could be said to have ushered in the
sub-genre known as the "plotless examination of aimless teenagers"
flick, but its still the best. The simple setup is actually brilliant,
I think, in that we simply follow a group of teenagers over the
course of night, as their seemingly separate and pointless stories
intertwine. Some elitist critics have complained that this is
really all just pseudo-artistry, but I'd argue George Lucas' approach
is anything but accidental. Lucas stages the night in question
as the last before these recent high-school graduates are off
for the first day of college, which is a masterstroke.
Within this short timeframe, the film presents a dead-on cross
section of character archetypes, as this film isn't really about
the specific particularities of these individuals, but rather
an obvious allegory for the passage to adulthood. The loss of
innocence, the fear of change, and the passage from childhood
to adulthood... to have characters spout off about these things
would be ludicrous and dumb, and I think Lucas was well aware
of what he was doing. Low-budget, his direct and simple (but not
simplistic) style and visual shorthand is perfect, and cinematographer
Haskell Wexler does extraordinary work with little to no money.
His camera holds back, usually static, letting the actors go through
their scenes, seemingly detached. But it is precisely this detachment
that ultimately gives the film its meaning and power. We are invited
to watch, listen and eavesdrop without any heavy-handed attempts
to impart "meaning" or invent instant nostalgia.
Perhaps the only point where the film really steps wrong is right
at the end, with unnecessary title cards informing up what happened
to all the characters. I think we already know them and that these
idyllic days of youth can't last, so these end cards are overly
melodramatic, stating in a far too obvious way what is already
understood. Of course, I've totally overlooked the performances,
and needless to say, the cast makes or breaks a film like this.
Reading like a who's who of major success stories over the last
25 years, American Graffiti helped launched the careers of Richard
Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Kathleen Quinlan, Cindy Williams, Candy
Clark, Charles Martin Smith, Suzanne Sommers and, oh yeah, some
guy named Harrison Ford. You get the picture...
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1
only, and anamorphic to boot. The THX-certified transfer is quite
good, easily the best presentation yet on home video (and quite
a bit better than the previous non-anamorphic and grainy laserdisc).
But, this film is 25 years old, and was shot on intentionally
grainy film stocks almost entirely at night. The image certainly
lacks the snap, crackle and pop of current films, but impressively
captures the intended look and film of this film. Black level
is dead on, and overall does not seem too contrasted, as did the
laserdisc. It does look a bit dark overall, but that was George
Lucas's intention, and he was actively involved in overseeing
this new DVD. The compression work is also topnotch, with no artifacts
apparent (way to go, George). In the end, I was quite pleased
with the image and fans of the film should be, too.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The audio is a little less impressive. It is presented in Dolby
Digital 2.0 surround only, but since Mr. Lucas was involved, I
have a feeling the original audio element were probably not present
in order to do a full 5.1 remaster (though I could be wrong).
Still, it sounds good, if a bit dated, though is not the type
of surround-sound extravaganza that would really benefit from
a 5.1 remix. Dialogue sounds good, bass response is okay, but
overall the music and sound in general does sound a bit tinny
and flat. This is to be expected with soundtracks of this age,
so overall the audio is pleasing if unspectacular.
There is also a French 2.0 mono alternate track present, which
obviously lacks the surrounds, but is fine nonetheless. There
are also Spanish Subtitles and English Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? This is a Universal Collector's Edition, and contains the usual
supplements fans of special edition DVD's have come to expect.
There is a 90-minute, newly-produced documentary on the
making of the film, containing new interviews with just about
all the main cast and crew members from the film, including George
Lucas, Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and even a normally reticent
Harrison Ford. It is a topnotch documentary, filled with great
recollections and antecedents, as well as a wealth of great stills
and even a few behind-the-scenes shots. Not to be missed and worth
the price of admission alone.
There are also some brief production notes, the theatrical
trailer and the lame Universal Weblink feature (which simply
links a DVD-ROM player to the Universal web site). But, however
great the supplements provided are, the extras do seem a bit lacking
in comparison to some other Universal Collector's Editions, namely
due to the absence of a commentary track. But, it is still a nice
set of supplements, and the doc alone makes this a must-see.
Parting Thoughts
In the end, a great film, a great DVD. A must-have for any serious
film enthusiast. Although some may balk at $34.95, it has all
the goodies DVDers expect, and is worth the price tag despite
the lack of a commentary track. Definitely recommended.
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