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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
5.1 |
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
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Multi-angle
feature |
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Annie Ross: 'Life's good
/ It's bad / It's somewhere in between / But it's the unexpected
and the
uncertainty that
keeps us going / You know what I mean'
The everyday lives of a number of
Los Angeles residents are the subject of this loosely-knitted collection
of short stories.
 As
a cinematic adaptation of twelve discrete works of literature,
Short Cuts offers a unique opportunity to study the differences
and similarities between these two media. Because these stories
were all written by a single author, studies of the film so far
have focused on the question to what extent the film remained true
to the original stories. The many changes effected upon Raymond
Carver's original stories and characters have given many
critics cause to argue that the "spirit" of Carver
has been lost in the film, and eclipsed by the director's
own preoccupations and sensibilities. And indeed, few will argue
with the fact that there is at least as much Altman in the film
as there is Carver.
But several key episodes in the
film constitute less of a departure from their literary source than a superficial
analysis might suggest. Screenwriters Robert Altman and Robert Barhydt have found
ways to translate elements of Carver's stylized prose into the language
of cinema. In some cases this
required a change of scale, enlarging a minor symbolic act so its impact could
be felt more clearly within the film's formal structure. In other cases,
an effective cinematic telling of the
story called for the omission of a key passage. Other examples illustrate
how the absence of subjective narration can affect a story in its adapted form,
and what solutions may be found for the ensuing problems.
 Beyond these discrete examples, Short Cuts as a whole reveals how cinema
can use its strengths as a medium to overcome some of its weaknesses in literary
adaptation. By allowing characters and narrative lines from discrete stories
to collide and intersect with each other, the film finds its own way of revealing
the subtext yielded by close reading of the stories. The parallel, simultaneous
nature of the many narrative lines in the film draw explicit attention to the
themes of isolation, disempowerment and the random nature of life that typify
Carver's fiction. A more literal adaptation would fail to communicate these
themes, as they exist only beneath the surface of the stories and in the connections
within a volume of his fiction. With its unrelenting forward movement, film by
its nature offers little time for restful contemplation of such implicit themes.
Altman therefore has chosen to communicate them by the cinematic means
of editing, framing, and performance.
His film, which succeeds as a unified, cohesive work in spite of its diverse
narrative structure, actually enters new territory in its semi-experimental connecting
of discrete stories. Altman's film gives the sense that human beings
live in a web of connections with each other that is so typical of Carver's later
work.
This
implicit
sense
of connection also yields a more complex view of life than Carver's original
stories, because
characters appear in more than one context, revealing different aspects of their
personality and casting a different light on the narrative in which they participate.
It gives the film a structure more like a novel than like the individual short
stories on which it is based. This observation has inspired the popular claim
that Short Cuts is the novel that Carver never got a chance to write.
This may be too bold a statement for a film that is so clearly also a product
of the sensibilities
of its screenwriter and director, but the film can be seen as an admirable tribute
that successfully marries the qualities of two creative forces by bringing out
the best of both media.
[excerpted and adapted from the author's Master's Thesis "Short
Cuts -
Adapting Raymond Carver's Fiction" - download PDF] |
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Previously available on DVD
only in an incorrectly framed Spanish release, Short
Cuts is now available as a Region 1 double-disc special
edition released by the Criterion Collection.
The anamorphic widescreen
image is framed at an aspect ratio of approx. 2.35:1. Shot
on Super35 mm, largely in natural light conditions, the stock
is naturally grainy, especially during the nighttime sequences. This
natural, fairly rough-hewn look comes through very well on
this terrific transfer, which features strong, bright colors
and is completely free of damage or debris.
The film is presented on this DVD with two soundtrack options:
a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix drawn from the six-track soundtrack
that accompanied the film's limited 70mm theatrical run,
and a Dolby 2.0 Surround mix taken from the film's 35mm prints.
Surprisingly, the second track has a stronger surround presence,
with the 5.1 mix more heavily concentrated on the front
channels, but also boasting higher fidelity.
 Arriving
in an appropriately bulky package for such an expansive feature,
the first main extra of note is the well-chosen inclusion
of a specially reprinted edition of the nine stories and
one poem by Raymond Carver on which the screenplay was primarily
based. An essential companion to the film and its supplements,
this collection serves as an excellent introduction to the
author's work and a highly rewarding way of exploring some
of the film's literary sources.
The beautifully packaged foldout packaging that holds both
discs fits snugly into the outer cardboard slipcase together
with book. Disc One carries the film along with both sound
mixes and an isolated music track that highlights
the unique way in which the jazz tracks complement and support
the narrative and visuals.
The best place to start on the second disc is the outstanding
feature-length documentary 'Luck, Trust
and Ketchup', which offers a unique fly-on-the-wall look
at the full production. It features cast and crew interviews,
alternate takes and plenty of on-set footage, and is a treasure
trove for any fan of the film. Equally rewarding is the
newly recorded 30-minute discussion between Robert Altman
and Tim Robbins, in which Robbins guides the avuncular director
through an insightful look at his history, working methods
and some specific anecdotes on Short Cuts. An 18-minute
segment from the terrific BBC program 'Moving Pictures' also
features Robbins in an engaging but rather brisk look
at the adaptation of the story 'Jerry, Molly and Sam' in
the film.
A TV documentary and an audio interview offer welcome information
on author Raymond Carver, while other extras include three
brief deleted scenes and an elaboratte gallery of marketing
materials.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed:
November 30, 2004
Click
here for IMDB info on Short
Cuts.
Click here
to return to the front page.
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