BARCELONA Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Release Date: April 19, 2016
Director: Whit Stillman
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Purchase: Amazon

The opening three films of Whit Stillman’s directorial career are now all available on The Criterion Collection as a Bluray box set which includes Metropolitan (1990), Barcelona (1994) and The Last Days of Disco (1998); although, for whatever reason, I’m only covering the release of his sophomore effort – Barcelona – the follow-up to his critically-revered debut Metropolitan which garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

The most notable aspect of Criterion’s release of Barcelona would have to be the robust supplements included alongside the 2K digital transfer (under the supervision of Stillman himself and the film’s cinematographer, John Thomas); various extras can found among the standards – the inlet essay (titled Innocence Abroad, written by Haden Guest, a film historian and director of the Harvard Film Archive), the trailer, a making-of documentary, deleted scenes, an alternate ending and audio commentaries.

The audio commentaries feature the involvement of Stillman and lead actors – Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols; there comments can be found be peppered in the deleted scenes (of which, there are four), the alternate ending and, of course, throughout the entirety of the film itself where Stillman demonstrates his geographical knowledge of Barcelona, rattling off the various locations each time a new scene starts. In-between his travelogue discourse, Eigeman and Nichols offer tidbits surrounding the nature of shooting certain scenes and the various items from the film that they still own to this day…or, at least, in 2002, when the commentary was recorded.

Also included is a triplet of press appearances that Stillman made around the time of the film’s release. His Today Show appearance with Katie Couric features a laser-focused Stillman sits unfazed as Couric rattles off the title of Stillman’s debut a opening question regarding his possible displeasure of the constant talk of his debut. The Dick Cavett Show appearance from 1991 seems to last forever as Cavett stops and starts, stammering through a stiff sequence of questioning that appears to have been snatched out of the air randomly. It has the feel of a lingering discussion, strained in interest and effort in an attempt to fill the time.

The absolute standout, though, has to be a video essay from critic and author, Farran Smith Nehme. Utilizing selected scenes from all three of the aforementioned Stillman films, she discussed the thematic throughline in Stillman’s triptych. She provides a thoughtful examination of Stillman’s dialogue (even travelling a grammatical angle) and Eigemen’s delivery; while also touching upon a number of topics like the financial nature of the characters, the apprehension and convictions of youth, and the use of dance. Dissecting Stillman’s direction and what he chooses to capture subtly within the frame as a counterpoint compliment to her earlier praise of his verbose screenplays. The greatest aspect of her video essay is the way in which she mirrors the overarching themes of Stillman’s films that she posits – social inclusivity; even though a sense of familiarity would definitely benefit in a way as to the overall gleaning and intake of the topics Smith Nehme discusses, but even in the throes of ignorance the way in which she broaches her ideas lend themselves an inviting quality, an almost handholding guide into the films of Stillman evoking the same sense of inclusion that she proffers to be found in Stillman’s works.