Death and the Compass

Starring:Pedro ArmendÃ¡riz Jr., Bruno Bichir, Peter Boyle, Karl Braun, Claudio Brook, Christopher Eccleston, Alonso EchÃ¡nove, MarÃa Fernanda GarcÃa, Gabriela Gurrola, Zaide Silvia GutiÃ©rrez, Martin LaSalle, Eduardo LÃ³pez Rojas, Mario IvÃ¡n MartÃnez, Ariane Pellicer, RenÃ© Pereyra, Miguel Sandoval, Roberto Sosa, Abel Woolrich, Luis de Icaza
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Interesting Take on Crime Novels (or Borges), But Too Long
interesting--but the short film smokes the feature
Too bad this doesn't include the original television version
feature's a mess -the short is great
Skip the Feature, Watch the Short (which is NOT by Alex Cox)

Death and the Compass
Starring: Pedro Armendáriz Jr. , Bruno Bichir , Peter Boyle , Karl Braun , and Claudio Brook
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Revengers Tragedy
Three Businessmen
The Second Coming
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Straight to Hell

ASIN: B000059PP8
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Take on Crime Novels (or Borges), But Too Long.......2005-04-24

Things started like this. BBC asked Alex Cox to make a made-for-TV film based on a novel of Jorge-Luis Borges, and the finished original version (55 minutes) was televised on August 5th, 1992. I regret to say that I haven't seen this, but it seems it was received with good reviews. (Interestingly, Cox first wanted Harry Dean Stanton as the lead, which eventually went to Peter Boyle.)

Later on, however, the extended version (88 minutes) was made, which I have seen. It's still not bad, but it is clear that the shorter format was more suitable for the material. The film suffers from too many talks and no actions, but some parts are still fascinating in their own ways.

[IT'S ALEX COX, IT'S PUNK] Like his more recent film 'Revengers Tragedy' the world of Alex Cox is a punk-rock world even if he is using the book of Borges. The film is set in the near future, when one master criminal Scharlach leads his gangs in tow, and robs the bank. Though he is a killer, the film says, he does it with some devilish charms so some people think him as a hero. The film reveals it's tongue-in-cheek attitudes when one 'Borges' appears (and he is blind), and he is played by Alex Cox himself.

But ... well, here's the weakness of the film. For the film is actually about another case, leaving the evil Batman behind. The protagonist and detective Lonnrot (Peter Boyle) is to investigate another murder in a downtown hotel. A Jewish scholar was killed, and though police chief Treviranus (Miguel Sandoval) believes the victim was mistaken for another guest at the hotel (a plausible explanation), Lonnrot insists 'I'm looking for a more rabinnical explanation.'

And another murder occurs, probably related to the first one. Helped by a young journalist Zunz (Christopher Eccleston), Lonnrot seeks for the truths, going through the labyrinth with the clues left on the crime scenes, and using the theological knowledge gained from Zunz.

We should know Cox is using a very intelligent method, knowing the original writer's intentions about the inverted rules of detective novels. The original meaning of 'clue' is literally interpreted, and the detective wanders the labyrinthine world. The inside of a police station is shot in one long shot, with the camara following the policemen going through the numerous turns and narrow alleys of the place, making us lose the sense of direction. OK, I see.

For all its good intention and good location (in Mexico, Cox's favoorite place), the film is extended too long, with too many dialogues and unnecessary flash-forward sections. The problem is Miguel Sandoval's character whose part makes a frame of the story of Lonnrot. Naturally Lonnrot should be the main character, but the police chief, who should be the secondary character, interrupts too much. Moreover, the main story itself does not interest us enough until the very final moment, in which we see everything in the right way. Until then, the 'truths' about the crimes, the identity of the criminal, or the unusual method of the detective all only help confuse our mind, instead of drawing us into the world of the film.

Of course, these apparently unrelated factors all fit in the end, but to see them in the right places we have to wait almost 80 minutes, which is 30 minutes too long. Then we come back to the origin of the film. Why not 55 minutes?

interesting--but the short film smokes the feature.......2005-02-07

Though "Death and the Compass" was reworked into a feature from a short project--and shows telltale signs of this--it might have succeeded better if only director Alex Cox had been content to allow the film's sound to come through clearly. The film has some great images and performances as well as funky avant-garde elements to both the visuals and story structure. However, when you're doing all that, you can only get yourself in trouble by also monkeying with the sound; here the dialogue is sometimes garbled, sometimes muffled, and sometimes mumbled (pick your poison).

Based on the Jorge Luis Borges short story of the same name, "Death and the Compass" follows a detective who has chosen an "intuitive" path of detection, finally risking losing himself deep in a labyrinth of speculation as he attempts to guess, second-guess, and out-guess the criminal pattern unfolding before him. Unfortunately the film, largely due to the sound trouble, ends up nearly as jumbled as the story. The film is commendable for its referencing of many other Borges stories, but ultimately it leaves one wishing for a great deal more cohesion.

One can look to Lars von Trier's "The Element of Crime" as a film that was, both in terms of story and stylistic flair, a comparable but far more successful venture. More obviously, one can look to Paul Miller's excellent "Spiderweb," a short film with a sort of "Guy Maddin" feel. "Spiderweb" is also based on Borges' "Death and the Compass" and stars Nigel Hawthorne. It is included on the DVD release of Cox's film (but somehow there is no reference to "Spiderweb" on the IMDB!).

Too bad this doesn't include the original television version.......2005-01-23

According the movie commentary, this movie was originally made as a 50 minute movie for BBC television, but with funding from a Japanese production company, this version was made with adding an extra 40 minutes of footage. Though I haven't seen it, the 50 minute version sounds like a more cohesive film, judging once again from the movie commentary with Alex Cox. Another problem with the movie is its muddy soundtrack. Following what's being said by the characters is rough business all the way through. One of the most irritating additions is a jarring collection of progressively incoherent monologues by Treviranus (Miguel Sandoval), a cowardly character in the film, that only serves to break up the (limited) momentum of the story. Even with better editing and a sharper soundtrack, this would still be, I think, a mediocre movie. The main characters come off as wooden and unsympathetic. The extra short "Spiderweb", mentioned by an earlier review, is watchable, but isn't in my opinion worth the price of the DVD. As a saving grace for big Alex Cox movie junkies, the commentary is fun listening. For anyone else, I suggest Repo Man on DVD, or tracking down Cox's Highway Patrolman on VHS.

feature's a mess -the short is great.......2003-11-07

I watched the short film that was part of the extras on this disc and was very entertained. It was smart, to-the-point & had a sort of retro black & white foreign film feel while retaining the existential twist that makes it interesting.
Unfortunately,( don't get me wrong, I love many of Alex Cox's films )the feature was over-written, badly cast & had some of the worst recorded dialogue sound I've ever heard for a film.
I wish that someone would release Cox's 'Highway Patrolman' on dvd as this one seems like a wasted effort.

Skip the Feature, Watch the Short (which is NOT by Alex Cox).......2003-02-28

For any aficionado of Jorge Luis Borges' writing, "Death and the Compass" by Alex Cox is a must skip. Any trace of Borges' subtle fantasy and intricate intelligence is lost in the glut of this unsuccessful Terry Gilliam-wannabe. Its post-apocalyptic setting, flashy colors and characters, warped camera angles and close-ups may all stylistically remind viewers of Terry Gilliam films such as "Brazil". Except unlike a Terry Gilliam film, I can't seem to find a point to this movie. There's a complete lack of intelligent dialogue, even the actors appeared stumped by the lack of interesting or realistic lines. All of its flashy techniques and synthesizer sounds give the impression that Cox aimed too hard to make this film an instant "cult" classic. Along the way, the original short story is lost all together. The sole redeeming point of the movie comes at the finale, where an impressive vision of the labyrinthine Triste LeRoy is recreated. I really liked two of Alex Cox' other movies, "Repo Man" - which is about the supernatural adventures of a newcomer in the car repossession business, and "Sid and Nancy". I think both movies have incredible merit, but "Death and the Compass" is a miss.

So why am I giving this DVD five stars? Well, the previous reviewer was correct in that this DVD contains a "lost gem". It's just that this "gem" is not the feature film most would suspect; it is instead the "bonus" short film by Paul Miller called "Spiderweb", also based on Borges' story "Death and the Compass". Though according to the audio commentary by Alex Cox, this 20-minute short film was made in the seventies, it is shot in clear black and white, reminiscent of a 1930s' film. It's steeped in visual symbolism that interpret literary expressions. The entire film is thoughtfully shot and carefully edited. Unlike often-seen student shorts, it feels more like a mini feature film. Like a Borges story, it is short and sweet. And similarly, I will keep my review of it short. For any Borges aficionado, "Spiderweb" is a rewarding treasure find. For any movie aficionado, it is an intelligent adaptation of a Borges story that the author himself would have approved of.

The Alex Cox Collection (Straight to Hell/Repo Man/Death and the Compass/Three Businessmen)

Average customer rating:

Excellent collection of wide ranging movies

The Alex Cox Collection (Straight to Hell/Repo Man/Death and the Compass/Three Businessmen)
Starring: Alex Cox
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007JMD3
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Description

From the very start, filmmaker Alex Cox has kept his audiences off-guard and unprepared for what he had in store. Even his detractors would be hard pressed to argue with that. He's one of the most independent and free-thinking filmmakers out there and this box set celebrates his career with the special edition DVDs of DEATH AND THE COMPASS, REPO MAN, STRAIGHT TO HELL, and THREE BUSINESSMEN.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent collection of wide ranging movies.......2003-02-23

Alex Cox is probably the most underappreciated guy in the business. All four movies are unique, fun, intelligent and -different-.

Repo Man is simply a classic 'indie film' - humour, insight, bizzare plot twists - it's all here. A must see. Straight to Hell is similar to "Dusk Till Dawn" - yet somehow better. But the standout is Three Businessmen --- Cox goes Becketesh to wonderful results.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Take on Crime Novels (or Borges), But Too Long.......2005-04-24

interesting--but the short film smokes the feature.......2005-02-07

Too bad this doesn't include the original television version.......2005-01-23

feature's a mess -the short is great.......2003-11-07

Skip the Feature, Watch the Short (which is NOT by Alex Cox).......2003-02-28

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