|
Bird | 
| Director: Clint Eastwood
Actors: Jason Bernard, Hamilton Camp, Bill Cobbs, Tony Cox, Peter Crook
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 26.21
Buy New: CDN$ 18.45
You Save: CDN$ 7.76 (30%)
New (14) Used (3) from CDN$ 18.43
Rating:  16 reviews
Format: Import, Ntsc, Special Edition, Widescreen
Language: English (Original Language)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WARD036880D
UPC: 883929008650
EAN: 0883929008650
ASIN: B0016OM3TA
Theatrical Release Date: 1988
Release Date: July 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item, factory Sealed. Buy direct from the U.S. and save! We only ship airmail to Canada (7-15 days).Caiman, les prix qu'on aime! Tous nos produits sont neufs. Envoi par avion des Etats-Unis
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Essential Video
Clint Eastwood's moody, evocative direction and Forest Whitaker's strong, sensitive performance are the chief proponents to recommend an otherwise muted biopic of '40s jazz legend Charlie Parker, who fell victim to his chemical excesses and convinced the doctor who pronounced him dead that he was a good four decades older than he actually was. The film doesn't try to assign clear blame for Parker's demons, though the era's racism is addressed unflinchingly. Clearly a labor of love, Eastwood's movie structurally attempts to ape the angular music of bebop itself (there are flashbacks within flashbacks, which gets a little confusing), but doesn't quite capture the smolder of the period. Diane Venora registers strongly as Bird's wife, Chan, the woman who can't rescue Bird from the abyss into which he peers. I--David Kronke/I
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 This Bird doesn't fly April 6, 2004
Anne La Mont (MI USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This movie was a disappointment for me. I had hoped to learn about a creative musician's life but that is not the story here. The acting is great but the threads of plot are just too disconnected. I suspect those who love this film know Mr. Parkers life so well that the holes in the story don't keep them in the dark the way I felt. Clint Eastwood directs this movie like my 15 year old son who doesn't understand how to show me something that he knows really well and I don't. That's the feeling I had watching this movie.pUnless you know Charlie Parkers life very well I'd pass on this movie.
 A MASTERPIECE OF JAZZ AND DRUG FILM NOIR. March 8, 2004
Unlucky Frank (Lalaland, CA United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Wow, I can't believe the negative reviews for this MASTERPIECE by Clint Eastwood. Being a big fan of Jazz, I've owned this film for many years in more than one incarnation, and have watched it more times than I care to tally.pMany reviewers said it's overly dark. Yep. Jazz musicians spend most of their time in dark smoke-filled nightclubs. So does BIRD. This is a great MOOD PIECE. It could also be called FILM NOIR. pMany said it doesn't establish why Charlie Parker was one of the greats of Jazz. In one particularly brilliant scene of writing in this film, Parker is talking about himself and the legend of BIRD to Red Rodney, partner in Jazz and fellow heroin addict. He talks about going inside the melody of Cherokee, a song he had played many times and was tired of doing. Parker decides to go around the melody with little notes and discovers his style. Thus, a whole new form of music called Be Bop is born. A superb scene.pMany reviewers said it dwelt too heavily on the negative aspects of Parker's drug abuse. This is true. However, heroin played a significant part in early Jazz music in this country. Heavily significant. A majority of the best and brightest Jazz stars were plagued by addiction for many years. Read Miles Davis' autobiography. He lists them all. Eastwood recognizes this in a scene where Parker is in Paris and is debating whether to return to the States. A fellow sideman is trying convince him to stay in France where he can make a decent living. SIDEMAN: You can't make no living playing Jazz in the States. BIRD: Dizz can. Duke can. SIDEMAN: Well you ain't Dizz. And you certainly ain't Duke. BIRD: So I kick. The Sideman laughs uproariously. BIRD: I can kick. The Sideman laughs harder. The point of this exchange: the only successful Jazzmen are Duke and Dizzy because they may be the only ones not hooked on heroin. Subtle writing. A brilliant exchange that conveys so much about the world of Jazz. For some Jazz musicians, heroin was used in a creative context whether people will admit that or not. And drug and alcohol abuse DID kill Charlie Parker. Artists can be extremely self-destructive human beings.pSome said it wasn't accurate. Many film biopics use composite characters for dramatic effect and change some history for storytelling purposes. Films can't possibly contain a person's whole history. It's not possible. But BIRD conveys Parker's fame and troubles with amazing grace and skill.pYes, BIRD is dark and depressing. It is also a brilliantly realized ART FILM. However, the timeline can be very confusing. I screened this for a friend, who was lost in the flashbacks. He did however, enjoy the film. pAnother thing I love about the script, is that it portrays Charlie Parker as an articulate and eloquent man, as many Jazz musicians were at the time and still are. (Wynton Marsalis comes to mind.) Even in the midst of my disorientation, Parker remains articulate. One of my favorite lines of dialogue is when Parker is waking up on the floor after passing out in a wealthy patron's house. She explains to him that he has passed out, and Parker retorts from the floor, Very undignified of me. BEAUTIFUL WRITING.pI just had to chime in, because this film is an overlooked TREASURE. Forest Whitaker gives us probably the most amazing death scene I've ever witnessed on film. He should have won the Oscar for his performance. It was shamefully overlooked. Diane Venora is superb as are the rest of the cast. And as for Clint Eastwood; this is without a doubt, HIS BEST FILM. And one of my all time favorite flicks. Thanks Clint, for giving me many hours of enjoyment, and taking me back to a time I wish I had lived through, with this WORK OF ART. YOU are a TRUE JAZZ LOVER.pIf YOU are A TRUE LOVER OF JAZZ or A TRUE LOVER OF FILM ART, YOU MUST SEE THIS POIGNANT PIECE OF JAZZ HISTORY. THIS IS SUPERLATIVE MOVIEMAKING.
 Never forgot it July 15, 2003
Kimberley Wilson (VA USA)
Forrest Whittaker is one of the best actors in Hollywood. It's a shame we don't see more of him but he had a triumph with Bird. Some critics have said it wasn't completely accurate. That's true. Bird spent his adult life as an addict and there's nothing romantic or touching about that. Bird's relationship with Chan wasn't as portrayed in the film but the full, unfiltered story of his life would've been more than most audiences could bear. This is the lite version, kind of like Lady Sings the Blues but it's still a great film that gives you an idea of it's subject's genius and it well worth the money.
 Warning - DVD does not play in computers February 15, 2003
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I saw this movie a long time ago and liked it. Unfortunately,brthe DVD is copy protected and will not play on mostbrcomputers unless you have CSS cracking software. Too bad.brI don't want to buy a DVD player just to watch a few DVD'sbrso I play them on my computer. But not this one.
Birdland Revisited.... November 18, 2002
L. Shirley (fountain valley, ca United States)
"Bird" is an excellent film depicting the music and downfall of American Jazz legend Charlie Parker. This labor of love Directed by Clint Eastwood takes us from the early beginnings of "Bird"s" musical career as a saxophonist, playing with such greats as Dizzy Gilespie(who gave him his nickname "Yardbird"), to his eventual self destruction and death due to his abusive life style. Eastwood was awarded Best Director for this film at the Golden Globes.p Forest Whitaker turns in a superb performance as the strung out musician, as does Diane Venora as his wife who supported him wholeheartedly but could not help him. Whitaker and Venora were also both honored for their work, Whitaker with Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival and Venora was the New York Film Critics choice for Best Supporting actress.p The Soundtrack, mostly Parker's music was remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is outstanding.It too was awarded with Best Sound at the Academy Awards.One of the songs that really stood out for me was "Bird's" rendition of "Laura" from the film noir of the same name.p The film does not glamorize Parker's life, but is an honest look at his departure from life and dependence on drugs.We see him turn inward at the loss of a child, the attempt at suicide, desperate attempts at finding work, and his depression at the change in the music world during the rock and roll revolution in the 50's, and finally his death at such a young age.pAs far as the DVD, the sound was very good in the Dolby Dig 5.1.The picture was presented in the original widescreen aspect, but was very dark in places, making the actors undistinguishable at times.This may have been the way the film was made due to the dark content of the story. It was slightly distracting (my only reason for 4 stars) but otherwise an engrossing well made story with a great soundtrack.pBebop Lives On in this film........Laurie
|
|
|
|
| |
