missing. [1982 / 2020] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] Charles Horman and his family thought that being American would guarantee their safety and the truth, they were all wrong!
This tense real-life political drama about the 1973 kidnap and murder in Chile of young American journalist Charles Horman [John Shea], and directed by provocateur Costa-Gavras [‘Z,’ ‘State of Siege’ and ‘Betrayal’], follows the efforts of the journalist's wife Beth Horman [Sissy Spacek] [‘The Coal Miner's Daughter’] and father Ed Horman [Jack Lemmon] [‘Some Like It Hot’ and ‘The China Syndrome’] to uncover the crime and bring those responsible to justice. Causing controversy upon its release and prompting the US government to condemn the film, this powerful indictment of US foreign policy went on to win an Academy Award® for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1982 Cannes Film Festival: Win: Best Actor for Jack Lemmon. Win: Palme d'Or for Costa-Gavras. 1982 National Board of Review, USA: Win: NBR Award for Top Ten Films. 1982 New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Nominated: NYFCC Award for Best Screenplay for Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart. Nominated: NYFCC Award for Best Film [4th Place]. 1983 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart [Costa-Gavras was not present at the awards ceremony]. Nominated: Best Picture for Edward Lewis and Mildred Lewis. Nominated: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Jack Lemmon. Nominated: Best Actress in a Leading Role for Sissy Spacek. 1983 BAFTA Awards: Win: BAFTA Film Award for Best Film Editing for Françoise Bonnot. Win: BAFTA Film Award for Best Screenplay for Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Actor for Jack Lemmon. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress for Sissy Spacek. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Direction for Costa-Gavras. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Film for Edward Lewis and Mildred Lewis. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Score for Vangelis. 1983 ASECAN Awards: Win: Best Foreign Film for Costa-Gavras. 1983 David di Donatello Awards: Nominated: Best Foreign Actor (Migliore Attore Straniero) for Jack Lemmon. Nominated: Best Foreign Actress (Migliore Attrice Straniera) for Sissy Spacek. Nominated: Best Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero) for Costa-Gavras. Nominated: Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero) for Costa-Gavras. Nominated: Best Foreign Screenplay (Migliore Sceneggiatura Straniera) for Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart. 1983 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Nominated: Silver Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero) for Costa-Gavras. 1983 London Critics Circle Film Awards: Win: ALFS Award for Film of the Year. Win: ALFS Award for Director of the Year for Costa-Gavras. Win: ALFS Award for Screenwriter of the Year for Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart. 1983 Writers Guild of America: Win: WGA Award (Screen) for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium for Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart. 1985 Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD) Awards: Win: Best Foreign Film.
FILM FACT No.2: The film ‘missing.’ was shot in Mexico with a budget of $9.5 million from Universal Studios, marking director Costa-Gavras' most expensive production. The score is by the Greek electronic composer Vangelis. The film's piano theme has been used extensively used in commercials, but an official release of the film's soundtrack has not yet occurred. The main theme appeared first on Vangelis' 1989 CD album “Themes.” The main theme is also available on the Festival de Cannes (60th Anniversary) compilation of famous soundtracks. A bootleg release of the soundtrack exists. A sung version with lyrics by Tim Rice has been recorded by Elaine Paige and Nana Mouskouri. A 7-inch single and was released by Polydor in 1989.
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron, John Shea, Charles Cioffi, David Clennon, Richard Venture, Jerry Hardin, Richard Bradford, Joe Regalbuto, Keith Szarabajka, John Doolittle, Janice Rule, Ward Costello, Hansford Rowe, Tina Romero, Richard Whiting, Martin LaSalle, Terence Nelson, Robert Hitt, Félix González, María Eugenia Ríos, Jorge Russek, Edna Necoechea, Alan Penrith, Alex Camacho, Manuel Avila Camacho, Kimberley Farr, Elizabeth Cross, Piero Cross, Gary Richardson, Josefina Echánove, Robert Johnstreet, Linda Spheeris, Jorge Mancilla, Gerardo Vigil, Mario Valdez, Jaime Garza, Joe I. Tompkins, John Fenton, Jacqueline Evans, Jorge Santoyo, Juan Vázquez, Antonio Medellín, Albert Cates, Miguel Cane (uncredited), Emilio Guerrero (uncredited) and Harry Kopoian (uncredited)
Director: Costa-Gavras
Producers: Edward Lewis, Jon Peters (uncredited), Mildred Lewis, Peter Guber (uncredited) and Terence Nelson
Screenplay: Costa-Gavras (screenplay), Donald E. Stewart (screenplay), Thomas Hauser (based on the book: "Missing") and John Nichols (uncredited)
Composer: Vangelis
Costume Design: Joe I. Tompkins
Cinematography: Ricardo Aronovich (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 122 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Universal Pictures / Polygram Pictures / Powerhouse Films
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘missing.’ [1982] is based on a true story, of the disappearance, in September 1973, of American journalist Charles Horman [John Shea] and is living in Chile with his wife Beth Horman [Sissy Spacek] the couple and their friends get caught up in a nightmarish military coup that, unknown to them, is secretly sponsored by the US Government, and Charles Horman disappears.
The director makes the brave decision to drop us, the viewer, into the heart of what appears to be a war zone without any explanation. Scraps of information informs us that a military coup has taken place in this unknown South American country, and that our lead couple, Beth Horman and Charles Horman are caught in the middle of it, having travelled there to live and write. The pair’s situation is a precarious one. As gunshots ring all around and bodies litter the streets, their American nationality is the only thing that keeps them safe. That is, until the husband gets arrested.
His father, Ed Horman [Jack Lemmon] a conservative New York businessman arrives in Chile a few days later to try to help Beth Horman discover what has happened to Charles Horman and where he might be. In the face of an increasing run-around by staff of the American Consulate, Ed Horman begins to lose faith in his US government and the integrity and protection he assumes is due to being an American citizen.
Ed Horman, of course, finally receives the confirmation of his worst fears; I swear you can visibly see his heart breaking. It is a typical understated performance and I so miss him in movies today; he had a gift for portraying an “everyman” that seems rather lacking in films now.
Ed Horman's disillusionment with his US government becomes our disillusionment, as Ed Horman learns that the interests of multi-national corporations trump freedom and liberty. While perhaps some might find this to be a bit too heavy-handed or preachy, research into American Cold War involvement in Chile in the early 1970s will show that this film stays true to actual events. While films rooted in distrust of government often feel cynical as a matter of course, the difference in ‘missing.,’ is that the film is rooted in a deeper idealism, be it Charles Horman's belief in economic justice, or Ed Horman's unstoppable search for the truth.
This indelible film is equal parts murder mystery and study of American involvement in the installation of a right-wing dictatorship in Chile in 1973. Through Ed Horman's point-of-view, we learn the truth behind the lies of politicians speaking of championing "freedom" and "democracy" abroad. Ed's bureaucratic nightmare becomes our bureaucratic nightmare “Kafkaesque” in its absurdity and the film personalizes the politics of the situation by making this the story of a father trying to find his missing son.
At the end of the film we hear the voice of Jack Lemmon saying, “Ed Horman filed a suit, charging Eleven Government Officials, including Henry A. Kissinger with complicity and negligence in the death of his son Charles Horman, and the body was not returned home until seven months later, making an accurate autopsy impossible. After years of litigation, the information necessary to prove or disprove complicity, remains classified as secrets of state. The suit was dismissed.”
Rarely do actors do “subtle” like Jack Lemmon managed to, even if it is just in the way he moves and walks or glances at people talking to him. Sissy Spacek, meanwhile, is actually a revelation as an actress I really haven’t seen much over the years, I was really impressed by her performance here; it is really quite endearing and I think I’ll have to look up some more of her work. Sissy Spacek certainly manages to hold her own against Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek complements him very well and you see two professional actors showing what they do best in a film of this calibre.
Although the film is decades old now and the true events fairly well known, sadly albeit increasingly forgotten today. I won’t go into any further details regards to the twists and turns of their efforts, as the film deserves to be seen to appreciate what a brilliant film it is.
Universal Pictures wanted the film to open with a title card that placed it specifically in Chile and 1973, but Costa-Gavras resisted as he wanted to play up the parallels to what the US was then doing in El Salvador and elsewhere.
Director Costa-Gavras: "I think the best thing that can happen with a movie, is it creates debate around a subject. I don't believe movies can change society, fortunately, and I hope not human beings. People must see the movies, read the books and then decide for themselves."
missing. MUSIC TRACK LIST
MY DING A LING (1952) (Written by Chuck Berry) (uncredited) [Performed by Chuck Berry]
ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL (1940) (Written by Arthur Altman and Jack Lawrence) (uncredited) [Performed by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra]
MY WHOLE WORLD IS FALLING DOWN (1963) (Written by Bill Anderson and Jerry Crutchfield) (uncredited) [Performed by Brenda Lee]
Eine kleine Nachtmusik (uncredited) (Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
missing. (Opening Theme) (Written by Vangelis) [Performed by Vangelis]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Universal Pictures, Polygram Pictures and Powerhouse Films presents us the film ‘missing.,’ and is given a wonderful 1080p image and enhanced with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and looks really good, especially with the celluloid's inherently pleasing softness image. Grain isn't an issue and contrast levels are solid. There are no cinematographic bells or whistles and every shot is artfully lit as natural as filmed reality can be. This recent Blu-ray release of the film from Powerhouse Films is as top-notch as we have come to expect from them. While the film’s master used isn’t a new one, its soft-focus, almost gauze-like picture and probably wouldn’t benefit hugely from a new 2K or 4K remaster, but all in all, it looks very good, has a gentle grain and solid colour. Please Note: At certain parts of the film you get the white Spanish subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Universal Pictures, Polygram Pictures and Powerhouse Films brings us the film ‘missing.,’ and has only one standard 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio and is well served with what is a very talkative film and you hear all the actors every word really clear and with no fuss, just a perfectly pitched soundtrack with those explosive gunfire bursts in the Chilean streets enough to make you jump along with the characters in the film.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: The Guardian Interview with Costa-Gavras [Audio only] [1984] [1080p] [1.85:1] [85:56] Here we get to hear a rare archival audio recording of an interview with director Costa-Gavras that was conducted by Derek Malcolm at the National Film Theatre in London on the 16th March, 1984. The following audio presentation exhibits a range of technical audio problems, which are to be expected from a recording of its age and type. Distortions and speed variations in the source recording have been left intact. Its importance as a unique archival document makes the inclusion here essential. We hope you agree. While the interview is being conducted, they show the film instead of usually showing an image from the film. Costa-Gavras confirms himself as a Greek by birth but at 18 years of age in 1956, he left his university studies to study film at the French national film school, IDHEC. After film school, he apprenticed under Yves Allégret, and became an assistant director for Jean Giono and René Clair. After several further positions as first assistant director, he directed his first feature film, ‘Compartiment Tueurs’ in 1965, and with most life stories, luck plays its part when getting into the film industry. There are a few moments of humour that I didn't catch, a double-whammy of a Greek-French accent speaking English and the bass heavy condition of an old recording. Costa-Gavras talks about directing the film ‘Z’ in 1969 and informs us how he came to be asked to direct the film, and the film is an investigating judge, played by Jean-Louis Trintignant, tries to uncover the truth about the murder of a prominent leftist politician, played by Yves Montand, while government officials and the military attempt to cover up their roles. The film is a fictionalised account of the events surrounding the assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963 and ‘Z’ won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Costa-Gavras talks about being sent the screenplay for the film ‘missing.,’ and found the scenario very similar to the film ‘Z’ and of course was keen to direct it, even though it was very controversial, especially towards a very uncomfortable United States Government, because in the bloody coup led by General Augusto Pinochet in Chile, it was backed by the United States Government in 1973. Costa-Gavras informs us that he actually met the real father Ed Horman and Costa-Gavras also found how naïve American’s did not know what was going on with the bloody coup led by General Augusto Pinochet in Chile 1973, because the whole of the American media was supressed by the United States Government. Of course politics comes up and Costa-Gavras refuses to be politically categorised making a great point about the shifts in the meaning of the word “socialist.” Once again the audience is asked whether they have any questions for Costa-Gavras, which is very frustrating for us, as the National Film Theatre never supplies a microphone for the audience and it is so bloody frustrating for us to hear what they ask and I find that so unprofessional and despite Derek Malcolm Malcolm's attempts at repeating the question asked off-mic. The general muffled quality of the recording really requires some concentration, as I personally like to hear what the question the audience ask. Costa-Gavras gets very lively and full-blooded and is asked why the murderer in ‘Z’ was gay and makes him so very angry because it was an historical fact, one no honest filmmaker could steer away from. Costa-Gavras is asked about his own movie tastes and among the list of directors and film titles he reels off, which was a very eclectic taste. This is a very solid and instructive Costa-Gavras special interview and despite some technical audio issues, it is still well worth listening to.
Special Feature: The Guardian Interview with Jack Lemmon [Audio only] [1986] [1080p] [1.85:1] [115:49] Here we get to hear another rare archival audio recording of an interview with actor Jack Lemmon and was conducted by Jonathan Miller at the National Film Theatre in London on the 7th September, 1986. The following audio presentation exhibits a range of technical audio problems in the source recording caused by decomposition of the master tape, which has caused severe dropouts and un-removable echo in the second half. The distortions have been left intact. Its importance as a unique archival document makes the inclusion here essential. We hope you agree. While the interview is being conducted, once again they show the film instead of usually showing an image from the film. Jonathan Miller is clearly enamoured of the “myth” that is Jack Lemmon, which is quite odd choice of word to say, for me personally I would have used the word “legend.” Despite some technical recording quality, it is definitely is miles better than the Costa-Gavras interview, because Jack Lemmon speaks very clear English. What I found with this Jack Lemmon interview, is this American actor is so charming and delightful and starts his interview with the delightful story of how he fell in love with being a comic actor and it is a very hilarious story. Subjects touched upon by Jack Lemmon is the business of method acting, and especially with his performance when he had to dress up as a woman in ‘Some Like It Hot’ and he tells the hilarious story about this top drag artist from Paris was invited over to America for three days to teach Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis how to walk like a woman, and after three days he informed Jack Lemmon he was totally hopeless, but said that Tony Curtis was perfect, but after that with a little practice, Jack Lemmon was finally able to perfect his walk. Inevitably the subject of Marilyn Monroe comes up and Jack Lemmon says the actress would drive Billy Wilder and Tony Curtis crazy, and the reason the actress did not drive Jack Lemmon crazy, because he felt he was a little bit smarter, and of course Billy Wilder had no choice but to except the situation, because he was directing the film. But the other reason Jack Lemmon did not have any problem with Marilyn Monroe, is because he was off dancing with the actor Joe E. Brown with a rose between his teeth and at that point the whole audience laughs out loud. On top of all that, Jack Lemmon says that Marilyn Monroe was not selfish in the problems she had with her performance in front of the camera, it is just the way the actress worked and no one could find out what the problem was why at times she would start and ask for another take or quite a few for one scene, but other times Marilyn Monroe would surprise everyone when a particular scene would be done in one take, and again Jack Lemmon says that is how Marilyn Monroe would work, but overall, Jack Lemmon felt Marilyn Monroe had a great gift for comedy. Jack Lemmon gets onto the subject about scripts written by Billy Wilder and A. L. Diamond and it is treated like the Bible, and you cannot change a bloody word, but in the film ‘Some Like It Hot,’ Jack Lemmon was allowed to repeat a line twice, but normally you have to stick to the script 100% and if you tried to change just a word, Billy Wilder would blow a fuse. Jack Lemmon talks about the chemistry with some other actors he has worked with and says working with Shirley MacLaine was really wonderful and he has no idea why it worked so well. Jack Lemmon is asked about a scene in a film he was in where he produces genuine tears, but other times he has a job to produce any tears for an emotional scene in a film, but feels this does not make the scene in the film not good, whereas some actors can produce tears automatically with a very emotional scene in a film and what they do is think about some sad incident that has happened in their lives and it is called “Sense Memory.” Jack Lemmon of course is asked about his role in the film ‘missing.,’ which was very enlightening and also very fascinating, but one bit of rare insight that Jack Lemmon informed us about his motivation for his character in the film, is that he reminds people that in the majority of scenes in the film he is always wearing his hat or carrying it in his hand, which Jack Lemmon was an important aspect of his character, and after some discussion with the director, who agreed with Jack Lemmon’s motivation scenario and that is why the hat was so pivotal with the scenes of him in the film. At about 68 minutes, you get a sense that Jack Lemmon’s voice is battling to be heard, which is caused by the quarter inch tape suffering from age that causes other parts of the tape to 'rub off' or bleed into the primary audio and of course it is very hard going for a little while but Jack Lemmon’s answers are well worth persevering in hearing his wonderful anecdotes and eventually it becomes actually quite impossible to make out any words at precisely. Jack Lemmon denounces one critic as psychotic and I believe he was talking about John Simon. But after that, once again we are again not able to make out what is being said and even then the punch line about the Walter Matthau story is hard to discern, but one thing I did get to hear is when Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon was in a play together and Jack Lemmon loved working with Walter Matthau and they were also very good friends. At Chapter 5 at 45 minutes and 25 seconds, Jonathan Miller thinks it is just the right moment for the audiences to ask questions, and again it really makes me angry why the National Film Theatre can’t supply the audience with a microphone, as it is so unprofessional, it is only at the start of the question and answer session we get to hear the first audience’s question.The final 24 minutes is clear with stories about his theatrical work, and his regrets not taking on a Shakespearean role. So again, despite some technical audio problems throughout the interview, Jack Lemmon is totally fascinating and is such a totally very interesting nice person and to my mind this interview was so much better than the Costa-Gavras interview.
Special Feature: Costa-Gavras: Cannes Film Festival Interview [1982] [480i] [1.37:1] [3:10] Here we get to view a very short rare interview with the director Costa-Gavras on the La Croisette by Rémy Pignatiello and Aurélia Charrier and director Costa-Gavras is asked about the white horse scene in the film and his earlier work, as well as the conflict between the Americans who funded the project, a film which then criticises American involvement in foreign politics. Costa-Gavras talks about the film ‘missing.,’ and how it was well received at the Cannes Film Festival, where Jack Lemmon got the main acting gong and the film won the Palm D'Or. Original broadcast on the 20th May, 1982. It was produced for Antenne 2 Midi French TV programme. French with optional English subtitles.
Special Feature: Costa-Gavras: Journal Antenne 2 Interview [1982] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:30] Here we get to view another interview in the Antenne 2 Midi French TV studio environment, with director Costa-Gavras being asked questions by Journalist/Inteviewer Christine Ockrent. This is basically a publicity for the film, and the director talks about how the film is an American one and how much support it received from American senators. Originally broadcast on the 15th February, 1982. It was produced for Journal Antenne 2 French TV programme. French with optional English subtitles.
Special Feature: Many Americas – Costa-Gavras on ‘missing.’ [2006] [1080p] [1.78:1] [30:57] Director Costa-Gavras is more forthcoming about the production and reception of the film ‘missing.’ This is a more reflective interview covering the entire filmmaking process with loads of great titbits of information on the production. My favourite was the director Costa-Gavras's idea that Ed Asner, who was very keen to play Ed Horman, would not be convincing in one particular scene when hurt vulnerability was needed, something Jack Lemmon does expertly. Costa-Gavras says that Ed Asner would just punch the guy who insulted his son, perhaps he had a point. The other gem is what gave rise to the title of this special feature, where director Costa-Gavras' observation that there are many American’s who were very naïve on what was happening with the brutal dictator in Chile. Also what was slightly annoying, as the English subtitles did not translate fully what Costa-Gavras said, very lazy. We now and again get scenes from the film ‘missing.,’ that is dubbed in French, but luckily has English subtitles. Costa-Gavras was interviewed by Hugues Peysson [Producer | Director | Writer]. French with optional English subtitles.
Special Feature: Freedom of Information – Joyce Horman on ‘missing.’ [2006] [1080p] [1.78:1] [27:22] Joyce Horman discusses the real-life events behind the film ‘missing.,’ and the experience of being portrayed on screen and was recorded specially for the French DVD release. This is a really cracking interview. Joyce Horman is Charles Horman’s wife as played by Sissy Spacek and it's a delight to hear the real person behind the events. Working with Costa-Gavras became a great experience, a director sensitive enough to listen to advice from those that lived through the coup but tough enough to present this story emotionally and truthfully in as much as a two hour film can achieve this. Joyce Horman’s story about the real Ed Horman meeting Jack Lemmon is priceless and I also got a kick out of seeing the autographed photos from the cast. You got a sense that the actors were also politically engaged with this story. Joyce Horman was invited to the Cannes Film Festival to bask in the success of the story of her life but it's also important to understand that Joyce Horman didn't stop her political involvement and it's still official that the U.S.A. had nothing to do with the coup in Chile, which of course was false with typical American cover-up. This was recorded before Pinochet died and it's clear that Joyce Horman still had the dictator in her own sights. George W. Bush was president at the time of the interview and talks about the abusive treatment of Iraqi prisoners is still reverberating around the world, something Joyce Horman refers to. I would very much welcome her thoughts on the Donald Trump administration. Joyce Horman talks about the “TRUTH PROJECT” and was an event held in New York that celebrated the film ‘missing.,’ in 2002 and people attending the event was the Chilean Ambassador, Jack Lemmon’s son Chris Lemmon, because Jack Lemmon had not long ago passed away, actor Gabriel Byrne, director Costa-Gavras, actress Sissy Spacek, actor John Shea and Joyce Horman said, “I know of very few films that could be celebrated this way and it warms me just thinking about it. It's a win for decency and in this world at this time, that's a big win.” This was a very moving and emotional interview. Interviewer was Laurent Daniel.
Special Feature: Politically Personal – Filmmaker Keith Gordon on ‘missing.’ [2018] [1080p] [1.78:1] [24:11] Here we get to view a new filmed appreciation of the film ‘missing.,’ by filmmaker and actor Keith Gordon. Keith Gordon did a series of youthful acting roles but his career blossomed as a director of quality TV. He's instantly recognisable as a 57 year old and has come a long way from ‘Jaws 2.’ Keith Gordon enthusiasm for the film mirrors my own. An insight worth repeating is that the film ‘missing.,’ appealed to those people without any real political interest and spoke emotionally to audiences. That they would leave the cinema accidentally more enlightened about what their own country got up to outside of its borders was something of a plus. Keith Gordon champions Jack Lemmon's performance asking us to look at his eyes when he's merely a passive observer. It takes Jack Lemmon's work to a new level. Keith Gordon believes the fil ‘missing.,’ gave birth to the term “docu-drama” and therefore was protected against certain legal action. I'll end my appreciation of this extra with Keith Gordon's own last words, which are spot on from my perspective... “Movies make you think and when you think, your politics evolve because you consider things from new angles and that's an important part of being a human being...” High five!
Theatrical Trailer [1982] [1080p] [1.85:1] [2:56] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘missing.’ It informs us “The following is based on a true story, some names have been changed to protect the innocent, and also to protect the film.” By using composer Vangelis' pulsing atmospheric music, this trailer gives you almost the whole film in a perfect miniature time frame. It is also a very classy trailer and no annoying voice over, especially with the well-chosen clips cut together with some sensitivity.
Special Feature: Image Gallery: Here we get to view 25 stunning original black-and-white and colour promotional photography and publicity material. This includes four black-and-white stills, eighteen colour and four poster examples with the Polish one being the most striking; with a surrealist depiction of the mark of a corpse with an 'X' for a face and blood spots where the bullets went in. It is striking in the way that the US posters were certainly not. To view the images, you have to use the Next > < function on your remote control to navigate the image gallery.
Finally, ‘missing.,’ is a film that reminds us what happens when dark men poison enlightened societies and is so much more relevant in today’s climate, than it may have been in 1982. But as a superbly acted political drama, it's also well worth your time. This is a superbly quietly directed film, as also a highly charged political film that shines its spotlight on the ugliest and most despicable treatment that the far right regimes can dish out in pursuit of power. Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek are mesmerising as their hopes grind them down searching for Charles Horman. The threat hangs over the film like fog and there are scenes of undeniable ugly and upsetting visual power that make you ask the same question over and over. Why do people do these things they do? Or is it more pertinent, given human nature, to ask why most of us don't? ‘missing.,’ is an accessible film about heartache and loss which also packs a hard political punch. If you have never seen ‘missing.,’ then this release is the perfect excuse to correct that folly, and if you have, well, I’m sure you likely own this disc already. In all honesty ‘missing.,’ is actually a much better film than I remembered when I viewed in the cinema, and I shall no doubt be returning to when I feel up to it, as it drains your emotion. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
