Akenfield (DVD and Blu-ray) A film by Peter HallBased on Ronald Blythe's acclaimed oral-history book Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village, Peter Hall's long un-seen, extraordinary film offers a lyrical yet authentic depiction of British pastoral life.Akenfield tells the story of a farming family who have lived for generations in the bucolic Suffolk village of the film's title. Real-life local farmer Garrow Shand gives a compelling naturalistic central performance, in three roles, as farmhand Tom Rouse, his father and grandfather; a lineage which has experienced hardship, happiness and love, and struggled with the pressures of mechanisation, world war and shifting social mores.A profoundly romantic work of sublime poetic realism, Akenfield boasts compelling performances from its cast of non-professional actors (drawn from the living communities of several Suffolk villages) and a sweeping, rhapsodic orchestral score composed by Michael Tippett (Fantasia Concertante on a theme by Corelli).Special features Brand new 4K digital restoration by the BFI National Archive Akenfield Revisited (Rex Pyke, 2004, 39 mins): Making-of documentary with extensive interviewsAkenfield on Location (1973, 19 mins) 16mm footage capturing the film's productionOn-set interview with Ronald Blythe (1973, 3 mins): interview filmed on the first day of productionAn Interview with Sir Peter Hall (2004, 12 mins): an interview with the film's directorAn Interview with Garrow Shand (2004, 11 mins): an interview with the film s starAn Interview with Ronald Blythe (2004, 15 mins): an interview with the acclaimed writerAn Interview with Rex Pyke (2016, 37 mins): newly-filmed interview with the film's producerAkenfield Cast and Crew Interview at the National Film Theatre (2004, 27 mins): on-stage interview, presented with original mute 16mm location footageProduction Stills Gallery (4 mins)Fully illustrated booklet with essays by Sir Peter Hall and Ronald BlytheUK | 1974 | colour | English language, with optional Hard-of-hearing subtitles | 98 minutes | original aspect ratio 2.35:1 BD50 | 1080p | 24fps | PCM mono audio (48k/24-bit) | Region free DVD9 | PAL | Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (192kbps) | Region 0
Trustpilot
2 days ago
2 months ago