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Besieged
List Price: $24.98Our Price: $21.99 You Save: $2.99 (12%)Prices subject to change.
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Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 2
EAN: 9780780627765
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0780627768
Item Dimensions: 100
Label: New Line Home Video
Languages: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 SurroundEnglish (Subtitled),
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: New Line Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: December 09, 1999
Running Time: 92 minutes
Studio: New Line Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: May 21, 1999
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Editorial Review:
Two disparate worlds come together in thoroughly unexpected ways in this intriguing film directed by Academy Award winner Bernardo Bertolucci. The opening sequence, in an impoverished, unnamed African dictatorship, is painfully intense: we watch in horror as the movie's heroine, Shandurai (serenely beautiful Thandie Newton), witnesses the brutal arrest of her husband, a rebellious reformer. Then suddenly we are transported to Rome, where Shandurai is studying medicine and cleaning house for a reclusive, wealthy pianist, Mr. Kinsky (David Thewlis). Knowing nothing of her past, Kinsky falls hopelessly in love with Shandurai. She finds his clumsy courtship insulting, especially in contrast to the heavy load she's borne in her life. But it gradually becomes clear Shandurai has sorely underestimated Mr. Kinsky.
This is a film by a true master of moviemaking craft, who refuses to spell things out or bludgeon the audience with a message. The story builds almost imperceptibly, with an accumulation of details, striking visual imagery, and a haunting soundtrack, in which classical piano, African music, and silence are all used to powerful effect. A tantalizing erotic undercurrent bubbles to the surface as the narrative takes the story in directions both unpredictable and captivating. --Laura Mirsky
From acclaimed director Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor Last Tango In Paris) comes a breathtaking film rich in passion desire and intrigue about a reclusive British pianist's infatuation with an African exile housemaid.Running Time: 95 min.System Requirements: Running Time 95 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 794043485923
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - does she or doesn't she?
What a lovely movie. I was enchanted by the gorgeous music throughtout the movie. The two main actors are perfect in their roles. The movie moves at just the right pace, from slow resentment to full love. Masterful!
but how I hate a hanging ending!!!!! She never says she "loves" her husband only that she respects him, whereas she writes "Ilove you" to david Thewlis. But then, she gets out of bed. Conclusion? Up in the air. Satisfied? NO!
Rating:  - "Not Again", right?
I know, I know. Thandie Newton has been cast in a role that seems all too familiar. I don't even need to go into it; you know what I'm talking about. Looking past that, I must admit that she does it well every time though. And her performance in "Besieged" may very well be her best. It's a classic love story that's not exactly what you might surmise by looking at the DVD's cover. For some reason, the price of this DVD has remained rather high. I would recommend shopping around for a good deal. But ... Read More
Rating: - A cinematic triumph!
This is the rarest of all modern films, a MOTION PICTURE. It tells its story in image and facial expression, not in words. There is little dialogue; what sounds we hear are mostly music (the form of communication between the two leads) and ambient sounds, such as street noises.
This is another rare film in which the viewer (this viewer, anyway) can't imagine anyone else playing the leads. Newton (as Shandurai) and Thewlis (as Mr. Kinsky) fit into their roles so well, you believe them ... Read More
Rating: - Touches your soul
I love, love, love this movie. Every time I watch this movie I am enthralled by the great acting and beautiful yet haunting music. This is a movie with very little dialogue, however, it is a very memorable piece of art. Thandie Newton plays a woman who has lost her husband to the cruel injustices in her African country and moves to Rome to study medicine. She supports herself as a live in maid for a pianist.
Very early on in the movie we learn her employer has fallen in love with ... Read More
Rating: - Voice-over commentary bonus feature rates 5 stars
Many cinema lovers will enjoy this film; some will not. There's enough opinions on the film already posted that I'll not review the film again. But if you do see "Beseiged" on DVD, treat yourself to a second viewing with the voice-over commentary by the director, Bernardo Bertolucci, and co-writer Claire Peploe, which appears as a bonus feature. The commentary contains a wealth of information that amplifies and enriches the film experience and itself is worth the purchase price of the DVD.
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