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[tab title="Movie Review"]
I said goddamn!
Sometimes a movie is so insanely cool that there can be no stopping its ascension through the gates of classic cinema. Let the Corpses Tan (Laissez bronzer les cadavres) is one of those movies. From the beautiful Mediterranean summer that hugs this modern day spaghetti western-type flick to the sudden carnage that paints many of its scenes with artistic flair, this movie – co-directed by Belgian filmmakers Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani (of Amer and The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears fame) – is a breath of fresh air.
When Rhino, in a wicked Hawaiian shirt, and his mask-wearing gang of gun-toting criminals steal a massive load of gold, their escape plan is thwarted by the artistic vision of a woman who lives inside an abandoned Mediterranean homestead along the sun-bleached coast. They feel safe here and possibly protected by the seclusion and the weirdness of it all. But she wants inspiration for her art and so, hiding the gold in a nearby well, they hideout, staying low on the horizon, ignoring the tension that is gathering about them as best they can . . . until two cops show up and the whole hamlet EXPLODES in a massive display of firepower and violence.
Based on a novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette and featuring a brilliant score by Ennio Morricone, Let the Corpses Tan is a freewheeling, stylized sprawl where friendship is borne more out of convenience than of honest connections. The smiles remain locked in place under close-ups of suspicious gazes until the guns are loaded and the gold is threatened. It is a movie ripe with orgies and mass-killings and, with hyper-stylized scenes involving loading guns, painting women, and simply laying back and smoking cigarillos, the film remains an engaging FEAST for the senses. {googleads}
And the blu-ray, absolutely crackling with details and texture, from Kino Lorber is something to celebrate. The film is a blistering display of solid camerawork. There isn’t a frame wasted by these visionary directors. From spinning close-ups to the shots of the coast (and the violence that springs forth suddenly), this film gives your home theater system one hell of a workout. Even when the darkness descends and the script, stretched to a paper-thin tale of revenge and survival among a steady spray of bullets, begins to buckle under the weight of so much style, the film remains expressive and artistic, fully committed to its spaghetti western revival.
Starring Elina Löwensohn, Stéphane Ferrara, Hervé Sogne, Bernie Bonvoisin, Michelangelo Marchese, and Marc Barbé, Let the Corpses Tan is a strong vision of modern day violence against a very yellowed canvas. There are close-ups of faces and wrinkles cutting so deep that even Sergio Leone would be jealous. And these close-ups, running throughout the movie, absolutely NAIL the vibe of the film, its intentions, and work in unison to create something MORE THAN a tip of the hat to the past.
Let the Corpses Tan is a portrait of the future. It is filmmaking at its finest; stylized to the hilt and, yes, quite deadly. I dare you to blink.
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[tab title="Details"]
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 92 mins
Director: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
Writer: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
Cast: Elina Löwensohn, Stéphane Ferrara, Bernie Bonvoisin
Genre: Thriller
Tagline: Laissez bronzer les cadavres
Memorable Movie Quote: "Don't you like gunshots before breakfast?"
Theatrical Distributor: Kino Lorber
Official Site:
Release Date: August 31, 2018
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: January 8, 2019
Synopsis: After stealing a truckload of gold bars, a gang of thieves absconds to the ruins of a remote village perched on the cliffs of the Mediterranean. Home to a reclusive yet hypersexual artist and her motley crew of family and admirers, it seems like a perfect hideout. But when two cops roll up on motorcycles to investigate, the hamlet erupts into a hallucinatory battlefield as both sides engage in an all-day, all-night firefight rife with double-crosses and dripping with blood.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray - January 8, 2019
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Kino Lorber’s widescreen presentation of this movie is damned inspiring. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio showcases the vision of this film so well that you will be bowing before your television sets and the gold coastline, the sweaty faces, and the golden wash of the bars of gold. Start fanning yourself now. This 1080p presentation is PERFECT. The blues are deep and layered and the browns are crisp. Even the few greens in the field of vision practically sparkle with fertility. And the blood! My god, the blood flows throughout. The French language DTS-HD 5.1 is also very fine indeed.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- Fans get a very knowledgeable commentary track from Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and John Edmond. The two discuss what the film does so well in its game-playing genre time trip.
Special Features:
- None
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[tab title="Trailer"]
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[tab title="Art"]
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