Eye For Film >> Movies >> Blancanieves (2012) DVD Review
The term Collector's Edition does seem to be pushing it a little for a disc that only contains one substantial extra - although it does come with a nice set of art cards. That being said, the Making Of 30-minute feature that is included is impressively put together and genuinely offers some insight into the making of Pablo Berger's black and white melodrama.
Berger himself is on-hand to discuss the origins of the project - which began when he saw Eric von Stroheim's Greed with a full orchestra - and the film covers interesting ground regarding the "big challenge" of creating this silent extravaganza.
Sharply edited, it's interesting to see full-colour behind-the-scenes footage that would be transformed into the monochrome finished product, while members of the costume department talk about the difficult of creating clothes that were "real and unreal at the same time" and the make-up designers discuss the meticulous way they went about selecting colours that would give them the right shade of grey in the finished prduct. It's also interesting to hear how much CGI was employed for something that harks back to the earliest days of cinema.
There are even some comic moments courtesy of cinematographer Kiko de la Rica, who spent several hours in a cage at the centre of a bullring being charged at by 70st of angry Sunday lunch. "I don't want to die," comes the plaintive cry. "Pablo you bastard. Tell my kids I love them!" Needless to say, he lives happily ever after.
Reviewed on: 06 Aug 2013