The City of Lost Children (Cité des Enfants Perdus, La) (Umbrella) (1995)

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General		Extras
Category	Fantasy	Audio Commentary-Co-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet Featurette-Making of (26:05) Featurette-Behind the scenes (13:37) Interviews-Crew-Costume designer Jean-Paul Gaultier (3:25) Theatrical Trailer Teaser Trailer-x 3
Rating
Year Of Production	1995
Running Time	107:56
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Marc Caro Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Studio Distributor	Umbrella Entertainment	Starring	Ron Perlman Daniel Emilfork Judith Vittet Dominique Pinon Jean-Claude Dreyfus Geneviève Brunet Odile Mallet Mireille Mossé Serge Merlin Rufus Ticky Holgado Joseph Lucien Mapi Galán
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	?	Music	Angelo Badalamenti

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	French Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     It would be fair to say that French film The City of Lost Children (La Cite den Enfants Perdus) is unlike anything you are likely to see. It is a stunning, surreal, chaotic collage of images, colours, outrageous characters and ideas that will either confuse you or leave you mesmerised.

     On a pylon in the middle of the bay is a strange menagerie, all formed by an unknown creator. Krank (Daniel Emilfork) cannot dream so is getting old quickly. In response, young children are stolen from the port by a cult of “One-eyes” and sold to Krank so that he can steal their dreams; unfortunately all he is managing to steal from the abducted children so far has been their nightmares. Krank is supported on the pylon by a group of cloned servants (all Dominique Pinon), the mother (Mireille Mosse) and a brain in a tank (voiced by Jean-Louis Trintignant). Back in the port, the co-joined Octopus Twins (Genevieve Brunet / Odile Mallet) Fagan-like run a gang of street orphan thieves including Crumb (Judith Vittet). But when the young brother of fair strongman One (Ron Perlman) is abducted by the One-eyes his path intersects with that of Crumb. The two form a bond to help each other; Crumb to escape from the Octopus Twins and One to get his brother back. Neither task will be easy.

     After the success of Delicatessen (1991) co-directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet exercised their outlandish imaginations to came up with The City of Lost Children. This is a film about dreams and nightmares, a theme that is matched perfectly by the film’s production design in which everything is surreal. Each frame of the film is packed with detail and colour; the houses, rooms, laneways and wharfs of the port, the riveted construction of the pylon are all overwhelming in detail which is enhanced by the garish colours, such as the green of the water. The surreal images are matched by the maniacal, over the top characters; Krank in a Santa suit attempting to amuse the stolen children by miming to an opera record is only one of the bizarre creations. Add the opium addicted Marcello (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) with the deadly fleas, the Octopus Twins, the Diver and the One-eyes and the characters in this film are certainly nightmarish!

     These are the adults. It is fitting that the only innocents in the film are the children, the exception being the childlike One, who is also not that bright. A young Ron Perlman, who had to learn his lines phonetically, is excellent; until The City of Lost Children he had spent a decade mostly doing TV but now he is still going strong with 244 credits listed on the IMDb including feature films, TV, video games and voice acting in animation! His relationship with Judith Vittet, who is also very good, provides the much needed heart of the film. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, after the misstep that was Alien: Resurrection (1997), went on to direct more “normal” well regarded films such as Amelie (2001) and A Very Long Engagement (2004) although he did revert to more imaginative territory with Micmacs (2009).

     The City of Lost Children is an unusual film to say the least. The film is stunning to look at; whether you enjoy it depends on if you buy into the bizarre visions of the co-directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Video

     The City of Lost Children is presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It is in PAL and 16x9 enhanced.

     In a word, sumptuous, and for DVD probably as good as it gets. This is a film with many, many scenes at night or in dark rooms and laneways so there is a constant dark brown colour palate. Blacks are rock solid, there are shadows but the print reveals just what the filmmakers intend to be seen. The deep, sometimes garish colours, leap from the screen, especially greens, reds and yellows, showing out against the drabness. The background matte paintings are gorgeous, only the CGI explosions and fires and the green “nightmare smoke” looking fake. Close-ups are strong, skin tones natural, brightness and contrast consistent. I did not see any marks or artefacts.

     Clear white English subtitles are provided. They were error free.

Video Ratings Summary

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Shadow Detail
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Audio

     Audio choices are French Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps or an English dub, Dolby Digital 2.0 at 192 Kbps. I listened to the original French audio.

     This is a very front oriented track with only minor ambient sound, including rain, lapping waves and music in the rears. Dialogue is clear. The effects such as the crash of the boat into the wharf, the foghorn, running footsteps, the cranking of machinery, scraping metal and fire effects are sharp. The subwoofer added boom to the boat crash, explosions and fire effects. The score by Angelo Badalamenti is often circus themed and thus suits the film.

    Lip synchronisation is fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Audio Commentary

     Co-director Jean-Pierre Jeunet provides a candid and entertaining commentary. He talks about the look of the film, the difficulties of working with young children, animals and birds, the script, sets, the matte paintings, visual effects and the score. He also identifies actors in bit parts, has a bit to say about the personality of Daniel Emilfork, casting Judith Vittet and Ron Perlman. He is frank about things he does not like in the film, making for an interesting listen. In French, with removable English subtitles.

Making of (26:05)

     Produced in 1995, this featurette is sub-headed “A day in the filming of Caro & Jeunet’s film”. There is no narration and the camera wanders around the set during filming, where the French language on set instructions are subtitled. There are additional comments by directors Jean-Claude Jeunet and Marc Caro, cast Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon, Daniel Emilfork (all in French, subtitled) and Ron Perlman (who speaks in English which is subtitled into French), the production designer and various special, visual and digital effects people. There are sections showing blue screen and matte painting backgrounds, effects such as the Octopus Twins and the fleas, the cast. This also shows some of the problems in working with very young children and how noisy a set can be!

Behind the scenes (13:37)

     Made in 2001, this extra includes the construction of the set, drawings, the making of the “cloned” heads, digital morphing tests and lens tests. Most of the extra however is a number of sections, introduced by a text, that show various scenes in rehearsal and then the completed scene in the film. Included are Vittet’s screen test, a children’s workshop scene, the Octopus Twins, Daniel Emilfork and trying to get three year old Joseph Lucien to concentrate.

Interview with J.P. Gaultier (3:25)

     Made in 2001 this features comments from costume designer Jean-Paul Gaultier combined with film clips, costume sketches and behind the scenes discussions.

Trailers

     The film’s Trailer (1:15) plus three Teaser trailers (0:32 / 0:37 / 0:37).

     Previous DVD releases of The City of Lost Children in this country have been pan and scan with minor extras. This new release from Umbrella is in the correct aspect ratio and contains the same extras that are available elsewhere except that the US Blu-ray adds comments by Ron Perlman to a Jeunet commentary.

     The City of Lost Children is chaotic and outlandish, a collage of images and bizarre characters mingled in a nightmarish set. Although not for all tastes, the vision of co-directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet is certainly different! If you are a fan of the film this is the opportunity to discard those old DVD pan and scan releases.

    The video is spectacular for DVD, the audio fine. The extras are worthwhile and add to one’s appreciation of this unusual film.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall