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Pola X [DVD]

Guillaume Depardieu (Actor), Yekaterina Golubeva (Actor), Leos Carax (Director, Writer) Rated:
NR
Format: DVD
3.9 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
IMDb5.7/10.0
Additional DVD options Edition Discs
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DVD
April 10, 2001
DVD Video
1
—
$37.89 $31.33
DVD —
1
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— $108.00
Format Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, DVD
Contributor Catherine Deneuve, Laurent Lucas, Delphine Chuillot, Jean-Pol Fargeau, Petruta Catana, Yekaterina Golubeva, Mathias Mlekuz, Samuel Dupuy, Lauren Sedofsky, Guillaume Depardieu, Dine Souli, Sharunas Bartas, Patachou, Herman Melville, Leos Carax, Mihaella Silaghi See more
Language French
Runtime 2 hours and 14 minutes
Color Color

Product Description

Based on Herman Melville's 1852 novel Pierre: or the Ambiguities, filmmaker LeosCarax (Lovers On The Bridge, Mauvais Sang) presents an ambitious tale of one man's search for the truth in a vague world. A young, successful author (Depardieu) is haunted by a recurring dream of a woman obscured in darkness. After discovering the identity of this mysterious figure, he finds his life spiraling downward into a world of lies, ambiguities and masquerades.

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.66:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.44 x 5.39 x 0.55 inches; 2.82 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Leos Carax
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, DVD
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 14 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ April 10, 2001
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Guillaume Depardieu, Yekaterina Golubeva, Catherine Deneuve, Delphine Chuillot, Laurent Lucas
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Language ‏ : ‎ French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Fox Lorber
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000059XTM
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Herman Melville, Jean-Pol Fargeau, Lauren Sedofsky, Leos Carax
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

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3.9 out of 5 stars
42 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Cesar S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars AAA+++
    Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2023
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    AAA+++
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  • Tim Ahern
    4.0 out of 5 stars Deeply unsettling, rather faithful adaptation of Melville novel
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2019
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    This is a very thoughtful production with an excellent French cast. I sought it out because I had just finished reading Melville's Pierre or the Ambiguities, and I was not disappointed by the movie. The novel is very problematic, and many of its features are more or less faithfully presented in the movie, although updated.
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  • Floyce Alexander
    5.0 out of 5 stars a masterwork
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2004
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    Carax's Melville is one of the great films of the last decade and certainly on a par with Claire Denis's Beau Travail, her version of Melville's Billy Budd. Pierre is Melville's most enigmatic work and Carax illuminates the mystery by placing it in our world, the dawn of the twenty-first century, where the spectator must enter--the viewer become a reader again--unriddling this Hamlet from the inside out.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • "juris69"
    1.0 out of 5 stars a complete miss
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2002
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    I am not too enthusiastic about writing reviews (for good movies there are already better ones than I might do and others are not worth to mention), but this one was unusually dissapointing. I have seen other Carax movies, and, although not being a great admirer, I found him at least interesting - thus, I bought this dvd, largely on the basis of other, some quite intriguing (if not always positive) reviews. However, so far this turned out to be the only dvd I would prefer not to have.
    Since my mistake was misinterpretation of other reviews, I will start with some statements what this movie is not. It is not (an any kind of) love story. It is also not a study of deep (or any) philosophical questions.
    The best description probably will be that it is a kind of horror movie. The mysterious Isabelle (Golubeva) really resembles a kind of vampire (in traditions how these are usually shown in movies) and meeting her is probably quite close to the meeting of death with the obvious consequences. Apart from that, the movie quite professioinally shows the kind of nightmares you may encounter on such an occasion and that's it. The nightmares are well done and as such may keep you interested, but they don't solve anything or give you anything - the feeling you are left with is just that of horror.
    It is true that there is some good photography, camera work, (maybe) some acting, but probably not more (just differently) than in a typical hollywood movie.
    Conclusions:
    You might like it, if you are looking for horror movie, or if you basically like hollywood-style movies (the style is different, but similarly valuable and works on the level of similar instincts). If you expect that movie must be a work of art, then most likely you will be dissapointed - this one is not.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Georgia C.
    3.0 out of 5 stars check out the melville book first
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2008
    I had a copy of "Pierre," the Herman Melville book the movie is based on, and could never quite finish it. I gave it to my boyfriend, who did read it, and then told me about this movie. I found it VERY helpful to watch this movie with someone who had read Pierre, since it fills in some gaps for the characters' motives which isn't at all obvious in the film.

    Basic, basic plot: Young man is in love, also kind of sketchy dynamic with his mom. Meets woman who claims to be his half-sister. He decides to abandon his secure life to run off with her, and the results are not good.

    Guillaume Depardieu, as well as the two female supporting characters in the form of his girlfriend and the half-sister, do their best in a movie that is just a little too difficult to follow without a knowledge of what Melville had in mind. Catherine Deneuve isn't in the movie enough - she is powerful, beautiful, and absolutely packs in the psychological compulsion that make her scenes the most fun in a mostly humorless movie.

    Guillaume Depardieu died a week ago. I am sure that his father, Gerard, was proud of him, but I would have been particularly so given his ability to take on such a potentially ridiculous screenplay and bring it closer to the psychological turmoil that comes across more obviously in the original book.

    recommended for: arthouse freaks who would like everyone to know that they also read Melville.

    p.s. I didn't find it THAT sexually explicit, particularly for a French film, but there's one scene a lot of reviewers refer to, and yes, it's pretty crazy, but not in an x-rated way. More in a "whoa?! what?" way.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • bglm
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2019
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    One person found this helpful
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  • MICHAEL ACUNA
    2.0 out of 5 stars 2 Stars for the sex scene
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2001
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    Leos Carax's "Pola X" is at best problematic and at worst an incoherent mess. It is rumored that Herman Melville went insane while writing "Pierre: or the Ambiguities" on which this film is based. This explains a lot in regards to what we are forced to endure while watching this film. Pierre (Guillaume Depardieu, Gerard's son)is a good-looking, blond, rich author living with his sister, Marie (Catherine Denueve who manages somehow to keep her dignity) and engaged to blond, good looking, Lucie (Delphine Chuillot). While having a beer with his cousin (Laurent Lucas who is always dewy-eyed for some reason)one sunny afternoon, he sees a dark haired woman, Isabelle (Katerina Golubeva) spying on him and proceeds to follow her as he realizes this is the woman of whom he's been dreaming. Up until this point the film has been about light: bright sunlight, white clothing, blond hair,etc. But the minute Isabelle comes on the scene everything goes dark, dank and miserable. Pretty obvious symbolism. Isabelle claims to be Pierre's long lost sister and Pierre decides to turn his life upside down and take care of Isabelle which leads him into a fast spiral downward. Golubeva's recitation regarding her previous life and her delivery of it in an irritating voice that sounds like a young, drunk Marlene Dietrich is one of THE most irritating scenes in movies that I have ever been unfortunate to witness. The only small saving grace of this movie, besides Deneuve, was the sex scene between Pierre and Isabelle (Yikes!). It was mildly erotic.
    35 people found this helpful
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  • Tom Hilborn
    4.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric with some fascinating musical punctuation
    Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2013
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    An interesting look into the impact of depression. Further it was based on a Herman Melville book I've yet to come across which will hopefully add to the films mystic.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Manuel Grosso Galvan
    4.0 out of 5 stars OTRA PELICULA MALDITA
    Reviewed in Spain on February 17, 2014
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    Leos Carax es un director especial y sus peliculas inclasificables. Esta la rodo despues de los Amantes del Pont Neuf, presentada en Cannes gue un desastre en taquilla lo que motico que hasta Holly Motors no volviera a rodar. Intensa y maligna es todo un retos visual. Palicula llena de un lirismo salvaje y donde todo parede no tener limite. Desgraciadamente carece de subtitulos en español, si en ingles, pero merece la pena para los amantes de ese otro cine que existe.
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  • Hans Schoeneberger
    5.0 out of 5 stars comment
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2020
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    Everything was fine.Great seller.
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  • Vincenzo Fidomanzo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pierre
    Reviewed in France on April 8, 2015
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    Il est difficile de transposer les événements du passé dans le temps présent.
    Il est difficile de traduire les sentiments du passé dans les présentes.
    Il est difficile d'actualiser un texte de la dix-neuvième siècle.
    Il est difficile de transposer un roman dans le film.
    Carax a réussi à faire tout ça, bien assez.
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  • 1234
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2015
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    Fantastic film would recommend this to anyone to buy
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  • G. I. Iversen
    1.0 out of 5 stars Awful
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2007
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    "Pola X" is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. And that's saying a lot. The plot was confusing and the acting was not very good. Also, it was a problem that it was so dark a lot of the time, you can't really see what's going on.
    I have to admit I bought this movie mainly to catch a glimpse of Till Lindemann and Christoph Schneider, but if that is why you are considering purchasing this; don't! You can't really see them at all, it's not worth it.
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