Carlos
Blu-ray | DVD
Directed by Olivier Assayas
Written by Olivier Assayas and Dan Franck
Starring Edgar Ramirez, Alexander Scheer
The Criterion Collection
Release Date: September 27, 2011

THE FILM:

Some stories have to be told in a longer time period than most films are allotted.  And despite having a theatrical version out there (admittedly absent from this otherwise extensive release), the newest film from director Olivier Assayas entitled Carlos is exactly that story.

Clocking in at just around five-and-a-half hours in length, Carlos tells the story of the infamous terrorist Illich Ramirez Sanchez, aka Carlos The Jackal.  A leftist militant to the very definition of that two-word descriptor, the man was behind a cavalcade of kidnappings, hijackings, and even bombings for two decades.  Now released thanks to the Criterion Collection in its original, complete director’s cut, Carlos is a film that is as in your face and engaging as the central, charisma-oozing figure on which it focuses.

Starring Edgar Ramirez, as much as one must truly admire the bravura filmmaking, it’s the lead performance that is what most will remember from the film.  Ramirez is a revelation here.  Spanning decades, moods, and even body sizes that this infamous man went through, Ramirez gives an almost neo-Orson Welles-like performance, embodying not only ages, but also thematic and intellectual changes that made this man such a complex figure.  Originally sparked by true blue activist beliefs, Carlos, and in turn Ramirez as the man portraying him, goes from leftist militant to what one must believe to be a man simply looking for a place to call home, and a place to hear his name sung in praise. Driven by everything ranging from pure political activism to pride and ultimately by ego, Carlos was an interesting entity, and a tough one to nail down, but Ramirez is an absolute revelation here.

The supporting cast is equally superb. Alexander Scheer is great as Carlos’ right-hand man, Alexander Scheer, and both Nora Von Waldstatten and Julia Hummer play well opposite Ramirez as romantic and political soulmates for the latter.  With great performances also being given by Ahmad Kaabour, Christoph Bach, and Rodney El-Haddad, this is definitely a great collective of actors, that given the 330-plus minute runtime, really get the chance to breath and prove that while this film may focus on one man, those surrounding him are not only important to the makeup of this man, but given the great performances to truly prove that.

But director Olivier Assayas shouldn’t be overlooked.  Truly the post-punk auteur that he has been called, Assayas infuses this film with an absolutely killer sense of style and depth that while we may not have the shorter theatrical cut to compare, this full-length take feels about half as long as its 300-plus runtime.  Very much akin to Steven Soderbergh’s Che, the film may not have the high contrast cinematography that Soderbergh is known for, but it more than makes up for it with some wonderful framing and some breathtaking visual flourishes.  With the second “act” being almost entirely focused on the events of a raid orchestrated by Carlos, the film’s middle episode truly shines as both the most engaging and also the most visually striking.  The entire raid sequence is one of the most briskly paced and intensely shot pieces of filmmaking that we’ve seen in years, and that’s just one of three brilliantly paced and put together pieces of narrative filmmaking.  This is an epic life full of different layers, names, and storylines, and it is a masterful bit of filmmaking from Assayas to make it not only feel dense and complete, but also an entertaining watch.

THE EXPERIENCE:

Not working from the oldest or roughest of source materials, the film looks and sounds wonderful.  The transfer is top notch, and the soundtrack, which is one of the best collections of music I’ve heard in years, is rapturous.  It all makes the film more entertaining than a film of its length has any damn right to be, and is again, one of the best DVD and Blu-ray releases of 2011.

THE EXTRAS

This thing couldn’t be more extensive.  Despite not having a full length commentary or the film’s theatrical cut as a part of this release, there is a scene-specific commentary featuring cinematographer Denis Lenoir, and also a collection of interviews with Assayas, Ramirez, and Lenoir.  A trailer accompanies the release, as well as a twenty-minute making of featurette, looking at the making of the breathtaking OPEC raid sequence that makes up the majority of the second episode.

THE SPECIAL FEATURE:

With any Criterion release, it’s always about context.  And this thing gives one as much context as humanly possible.  Two feature length documentaries looking at Carlos and even a bombing that was ultimately not featured within the film are included here, as is an interview with Carlos crew member Hans-Joachim Klein, which may in fact be one of the most intriguing pieces involved with this release.

THE RATING:

Overall, this thing is a must purchase.  The runtime is definitely an intimidating one, but if there is one thing one must leave this review thinking, it is that the film will only feel about half as long as that paltry 330 minutes. Featuring one of the best male performances in years (one of this writer’s favorites since a certain oil tycoon hit the big screen back in 2007) and an equally good bit of filmmaking, Carlos is not only a potent character study, but is also an intelligent look at what happens when political beliefs become more fueled by ego than the heart.  Encompassing over two decades, Carlos is at times dense, but at all times engaging.  Pick this one up.