Michael Jackson's This Is It [Blu-ray] [2009]

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Jean-Luc Godard was making his final break with his influences in American genre filmmaking when he produced Made In U.S.A., one of two films he shot at roughly the same time in 1966; it also preserved the final act of his relationship with actress, muse and one-time spouse Anna Karina, who had divorced him nearly two years before and would not work with him again. The film didn't receive a proper American release at the time thanks to legal issues (the film is very loosely based on a novel by Donald E. Westlake The Jugger, published under the pen name Richard Stark, and there were disagreements over the American literary rights), but the Criterion Collection has allowed American cinephiles to give the picture a careful study with this DVD release. Made In U.S.A. has been given a widescreen transfer to disc, letterboxed in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on conventional televisions and enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16:9 monitors. Raoul Coutard's cinematography is pin-sharp, with an eye-popping palate of primary colors (especially the vivid reds), and this transfer beautifully preserves the film's bold visual style, and was drawn from a flawless source print. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and the sound is nearly as crisp as the visuals. The dialogue is in French, with optional English subtitles but no multiple language options. In addition to the feature, this edition includes on-camera interviews with actors Anna Karina and Laszlo Szabo, a discussion of the film's political and emotional focus featuring film historians Richard Brody and Colin MacCabe, the film's original theatrical trailer, and a short visual "concordance" that identifies the many literary and cultural references that appear in the movie. And finally, the booklet includes a fine essay by critic and columnist J. Hoberman. Made In U.S.A. is often overlooked in favor of the other feature Godard was shooting at the time, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, but it's a bold and vital work from one of Godard's most interesting periods, and Criterion's excellent DVD release gives film fans a chance to rediscover the picture (or perhaps investigate it for the first time).