Shine
by Scott Hicks
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DVD details
Actor: Armin Mueller-stahl, Geoffrey Rush, John Gielgud, Lynn Redgrave, Noah TaylorDirector: Scott Hicks
Brand: NEW Line Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1997-07-16
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: New Line Home Video
DVD Reviews of Shine
DVD Review: "SHINE" - For the Most Part, It Does
Summary: 4 Stars
Before I watched this movie yesterday, I knew this was Geoffrey Rush's Oscar-winning performance, that Joel Siegiel considered it to be one the greatest movies ever, and that it won plenty of trophies. But I had no idea what the movie was actually about. I'd seen no trailers and knew very little about the actors' resume (even Rush's movies I can only count to about 10). So I was fortunate to watch this DVD with a fresh perspective.
This is the fall-and-rise (that's not a typo) of David Helfgott, a very gifted pianist who is trained since he was a boy by his deeply disturbed father Peter. Eventually, after enduring unbearable turmoil within the family, teenage Helfgott attends the Royal College of Music, and practiced Ragmaninoff's "Rach 3" (supposedly the most difficult piece in the world) with such determination and focus that he perfected the technique, while the emotional ride eventually broke him. When the movie first introduces us to Helfgott, he is a rambling confused man, who finds his way back into a small Australian restaurant and starts joyfully playing the piano.
If this sounds like another version of "A Beautiful Mind," have no fear. This movie wisely ignores the psychological talk, and focuses on the emotions of the characters. "Shine" does not care about what's going on inside David's mind; instead, we see how his somewhat abusive childhood and unattended confusion affects his interaction with the world around him. The facial expressions tell the story, not doctors' diagnoses (which there is none). Armin Mueller-Stahl's performance as Peter Helfgott is absolutely marvelous. He is a man capable of loving his son, but is so intense (and sometimes violent) that he can't embrace his gifted son the way David needs. John Gielgud gives another great performance as David's College professor, who also pushes David to reach his potential, but with more balance and affection than Peter does. Lynn Redgrave is also excellent as the woman who befriends and helps heal (in a way) David. Geoffrey Rush is terrific in "Shine," but the movie could've better defined him. You see, Rush is kind of the lead role, but we don't really get into his performance until the second half of the movie. We begin "Shine" by seeing this bizarre, over-friendly stranger who wanders into a cafe -- we're supposed to think, "Who is this baffling man?" I actually find Noah Taylor's turn as the teenage David more compelling and moving than Rush's portion of the character. Which is probably why I don't like this movie quite as much as most do.
You see, "Shine" is actually two stories. The first act focuses on the tension between David and Peter. This is very well-executed, because Mueller-Stahl's intensity opposite Taylor's innocence and desperation is absolutely amazing. Even when the two characters aren't together, you can still feel the anger and conflict. David and Peter must have felt those same strong emotions...day after day, night after night.
The second story is Rush's half of the film, when the grown-up David Helfgott is trying to cope with the world now that he is alone. Director Scott Hicks makes it very clear that the people in David's life helped him reassimilate into the world, but what about David's efforts? Instead of feeling genuinely moved, there are times when adult David is used simply as a mentally-damaged man who has difficulty compiling a comprehensive thought. We share the frustration and test-of-patience the characterx feel, but it's almost too effective. When Peter coldly tells his rambling son, "Get to the point," the monstrous antagonist became my hero for a brief moment. The second half of "Shine" is several genres of movies crammed into a hour-length.
Don't get me wrong...this is a well-made movie. There are no plots holes or character inconsistencies whatsoever. Hicks has great control of the camera and wonderful attention to the simplest detail. His timing is dead-on, and listening to his interviews on the DVD merits a second viewing. I just felt that the comeback part of the movie needed more story. This movie is only 105 minutes including credits. With actors like this, I would've gladly taken a 2-hour picture.
However, Rush and Redgrave are still heart-warming in their roles. When the world applauses David's skills in a concert, and we see his tears, we are relieved that pain and suffering have ended...even if for only a brief moment in time. Very few films invoke a stronger sense of hope.
FINAL NOTE - If you're wondering why the movie is called "Shine," Scott Hicks answers that question on the DVD. But you should watch it for yourself, because you'll understand soon enough.
Description of Shine
Synopsis: 0Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: NR
Street Date: 02/08/05
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
This tearjerker by Australian filmmaker Scott Hicks is a surprising story about real-life classical pianist David Helfgott, an Australian who rose to international prominence at a very young age in the 1950s and '60s, and suffered a psychological collapse after enduring years of abuse from his father (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Hicks has three very fine actors portraying Helfgott at different stages of his life, including the adorably wry and goofy Noah Taylor (Flirting), who takes up the character's teen years, and Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, giving a great performance playing the musician as a schizophrenic adult. Despite the Helfgotts' compromised psychological health, Shine is hardly a depressing experience. If anything, the story is really about how long one person's life can take to make glorious sense of itself. Sir John Gielgud, in golden form, plays Helfgott's teacher. The DVD release presents the film in its widescreen format, and also includes a Q&A with director Hicks and Rush's Golden Globes acceptance speech. --Tom Keogh
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