Movie - The Dark Crystal

Movie- The Dark Crystal

(lire en Français) 

Score: 10/10
Year: 1982
Directors:  Jim Henson. Frank Oz

Story : Jim Henson. 

Screenplay : David Odell

Country: USA. UK
Langague : English
Duration:1h33 (the DVD editions seems to all be shortened 1h29 cuts ; the BD seems all to have the full theatrical 1h33 version)

Just like a good wine improves over time, so The Dark Crystal ages with elegance. Every time I watch it, my appreciation grows as I notice more details I had previously missed, and acknowledge its depths. 

Indeed, The Dark Crystal, a movie made with puppets, stands out of the lot in fantasy films : it incorporates a philosophical dimension, with a mystical story, and symbolic imagery.

Jen is a small Gelfling, who's dying master - a Mystic - gives the task of healing their world from absolute doom, and the domination by the evil Skeksis, a race which looks like a blend of reptiles and vultures, and their numerous armies. 

The story revolves around the duality in life, and is described by the complementary differences between the slow, spiritual and benevolent Mystics, and the dark, violent and power hungry Skeksis. Everything separates these races, just like day and night: The Mystics live in peace, and in pursuit of knowledge. They wear simply decorated rags and organise their society very simply, with no leadership ;

 the Skeksis want to seize power and rule the world with fear they instill with their many soldiers. They wear more sophisticated and opulent clothing, which matches their societal hierarchy.   

As the former appear to be herbivores (it's rather implied), the latter are definitely carnivorous and gluttonous. Lucky for us, no real animal have been hurt : everything has been manufactured since these are puppets!  

 

Lastly, the Mystics live as one with nature, whilst the Skeksis abuse it. Here, even an animal liberation message is passed.   

This duality isn't only about the characters, but also in every action depicted in this fable, with both its light and dark poles. 

Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Brian Froud created an onirique world, full of life : scenery, creatures and people inhabit a wonderfully imagined distant and vibrant planet, where the landscapes are various, and include stepps, lakes and waterfalls, but also mountainous and rocky areas. Everything looks very real, yet ''not of this world'', just like they were intended. 

The creatures are quite imaginative and very different ; some of them look like plants, and surprise the characters, to our great enjoyment.  

The cinematography is simply gorgeous, rendering the dreamy qualities of this powerful mystical story, with all its visual and symbolic ingredients. 

No strings ever appear, and the animation is very fluid, even though a couple moves appear less natural than the rest of the movie, it's not enough to deminish my overall admiration for the accomplishments of the entire crew in the making of this marvel. 

Each character has a back story, and an evolution - or resolution... maybe even a revolution...

Here are a few more screenshots... 

Trevor Jones' music reflects the adventurous quest, with its suspensful and action moments, and never fails to accompany this poetic fable.

 

The Dark Crystal... in the medias...

I had bought the UK collector's  DVD edition back in 2007 and watched the movie in its 1h29 cut there several times, a cut we assume to result from the older VHS editions, but with an improved image, to what is refered to as ''standard definition'' - on DVD that is. 

The back cover is erroniously announcing 1h39 runtime. 

The original screen formatis respected ; it's anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1.

Sound and languages : 

Dolby digital 5.1 (English) ; Mono (French) and stereo 2.0 (German and Spanish).

Subtitles (on movie only) : Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish and Turkish.

The DVD is limited to zone 2, and carries EAN 5035822014695.

This are the special features : 

• Deleted Funeral Scenes
• Original Language Work Print Scenes
• Filmographies
• Making of "The World of Dark Crystal"
• Character Drawings & Profiles
• Character Illustrations
• "The Mithra Treatment" Jim Henson`s Original Treatment of the Film
• Storyboards
• Theatrical Trailer

More recently, I found the US Bluray edition, which is an all region disc, with EAN 043396196841 

The image format is again respected (2.35:1), with video upgraded to full 1080p HD. It's beautiful, and more lit than the DVD edition, and in superb quality!

The audio is greatly improved to Dolby TrueHD and 5.1 for English, but also French and Spanish dubs.

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish (on the movie).

The movie is presented in its full 1h33 duration, almost 4 minutes longer than the DVD edition I just detailed.

On bonus materials : either HD or standard, in English (stereo sound), and only Portuguese or Spanish subttiles. 

And these are the features: ( * are new to the BD edition)

• The book of thra - Dark Crystal collector*
• SkekTek's crystal challenge - trivia game* (have to re-watch the movie and activate this)
• Picture-in-picture storyboard track* (same here)
• Commentary with Brian Froud (and again)
• Introduction by screenwriter David Odell on the original Skeksis language* (20 minutesz documentary ; too bad it didn't have more interviews and fewer exerts, nor been longer)
• The World of the Dark Crystal documentary
• Reflections of the Dark Crystal: "Light on the Path of Creation" & "Shard of Illusion"
• Original Skeksis language - test scenes
• Deleted scenes 
• BD Live access 

The French and American editions are mostly similar, slightly changing languages: French, English and German (instead of Spanish), Dolby TrueHD 5.1 as the US BD.

The subtitles on the French edition: French, English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Hindi, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish, English (for hearing impaired).

I chose the US edition mainly because I found it in a boxset with Henson's Labyrinth for an amazing price (13€ for both).

To my review about The World of the Dark Crystal book