Product Description

"Stunning" (The Village Voice), "stylish" (Los Angeles Times) and "potent" (Variety), this exquisitely crafted film charts the tale of ten hapless tourists lost in the heart of the African desert. Compelling performances from a "strong international cast" (The Hollywood Reporter) highlight this "original, epic vision [that] reacquaints us with the mystery of what it isto be human" (Film Quarterly)! When their bus breaks down in the middle of the Namibian desert, a mismatched group of travelers meets the absurdity of their situation head onby staging an impromptu production of "King Lear." But as tempers flare, passions ignite and their hopes of rescue dwindle, they soon begin to realize that in the heart of the African wilderness, the only thing more fearsome than Mother Nature is human nature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50544 in DVD
• Brand: ANDERSON,MILES
• Released on: 2002-11-19
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 106 minutes

Customer Reviews

Reach Exceeds Grasp
"The King is Alive," is problematic in a very good way. It's a Dogme film, which means it was made under a set of rules that holds the film maker to natural light, ambient sound, actual locations, and possibly a few more restrictions. Working within that format the director, Kristian Levring, has made something quite remarkable. His location is the Namibian desert, and he has captured the splendor of the light, color, and landscape quite well. The intrusion of a soundtrack is blissfully missing, and the only music in the film leaks from a set of headphones for a disc player, lasts about 5 seconds, and works with great effect. Mr. Levring also made good casting choices, and the cast does a good job except for a few moments that are miserably improvised. The big problems are with the script. There's one plot hole that you could drive the broken down bus through, and a conclusion that's not conclusive - it's as if the production just ran out of film, or tape. Otherwise, it's entirely believable that a group of people disintegrating in a survival situation would choose to take their minds off their impossible situation by enacting a drama, especially because their situation is one of waiting rather than action; and it's conceivable that "King Lear" would be the drama, but it seems to me that if that's the set up then the play within the play should have some relevance to the play itself, and though Lear contains madness and betrayal, the connections are tenuous at best. Anytime you let Shakespeare into the picture you raise the audience's expectations for a work that will illuminate the master's vision, or vice versa. Unfortunately, neither occurs. The study of survivors in extrema is not enhanced by the use of "King Lear," and "King Lear" is not enhanced by the situation - or the film. Too bad, because it was an interesting concept. Given that, the film is worth seeing. It's certainly better than most of what Hollywood has to offer, and is a great example of how less can be more.

Powerful film, **not** a "Lear" remake!
"A group of people stranded in the desert decide to stage King Lear" does not begin to summarize this powerful and challenging film, which shows how extremity reveals both flaws and strengths of our characters. One of the stranded characters, who has unresolved issues with his own daughter, attempts to convince the other characters to stage "Lear," or as much of it as he can remember and write down. This attempt proceeds haltingly against crisis incidents between the various characters and against fragmented revelations of character that have the allusive quality of Japanese haiku. Finally, the cast does not so much stage "Lear" as become "Lear."

The story's resolution resonates deeply with the "Lear" theme while avoiding allegory or simplistic, one-to-one correspondences. There are disturbing, even shocking moments, and characters do not go unscathed, but there are also small moments of redemption. At the conclusion, I was left with that sense of surprise and inevitability that marks the most excellent drama. The Dogme 95 emphasis on actor improvisation worked well for me in this depiction of a situation which, in real life, would require improvisation for survival. And even with the Dogme 95 technical restrictions (available light, natural sound), this film captures the beauty and immensity of the African desert and light. One is left with a heightened awareness that our own human dramas are played out against forces, both external and internal, that are only partially under our control.

Be prepared to concentrate, perhaps even view the movie more than once, to understand fully what's happening. This is **NOT** a "Hollywood rip-roarer" or love story. It **IS** one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking films I have seen in a long time.

Amazing script, performances and filmmaking
I first saw "The King Is Alive" at the Halfway2Hollywood Film Festival in Kansas City earlier this year, and this weekend I had the opportunity to see it again during its regular theater run. It is well worth watching at least twice, and I plan to buy the DVD when it's released simply so I can study the editing more closely.

It's an art house movie, definitely Eurpoean in flavor. If you're after big action adventure, go see a Hollywood knockoff because you won't like this film. But if you appreciate good character studies with unpredictable twists, you'll like it. This is a film that will do lousy at the box office, but people will still be watching 20 years from now.