Synopsis

Willem Dafoe is the light sleeper of the title. He delivers drugs for Susan Sarandon, who has decided to get out of the business while she still can. Dafoe also re-encounters and old flame, who is in her own set of dire straits. Extricating her from her problem (which will require drastic action) becomes Dafoe’s road back up to the light.

Schrader has this thing for tormented protagonists wrestling with the fates and the judgment of a mysterious God. The film has great performances… and is well put together, but you can’t help but feel that by 1991 Schrader should, perhaps, have moved a little bit further from Travis Bickle than this.

Audio

2.0 Dolby Surround? Yeah, right. I was leaning closer and closer to the rear speakers, desperately trying to catch the slightest hint of sound. Nuthin’. The sound is clear, and quite handsome, but sure sounds like mono to me.

Video

Artisan should make up its mind. The picture is either “formatted from its original version to fit your screen” or “presented in the original 1.33:1 format in which the film was shot,” but it can’t be both. Either way, the colours are fairly strong, though there is a vaguely greenish tint to the blacks, and there is some grain as well.

Special Features

Not a damn thing, though the menu is scored and fully animated. Go figure.

Closing Thoughts

The film is worth seeing, but this DVD seems to be all about re-creating the VHS experience.

Special Features List

• None