Special Edition

Artisan has come through with a well-executed 10 Year Anniversary Edition of Glengarry GlenRoss. Well-executed, yes. Exceptional, no. The highlights of this set are definitely the DTS audio track and the new Widescreen transfer. Both are so exceptional as to make this set a “must purchase” for any fans of this movie or its cast. Beyond these two features, there is nothing particularly compelling about this set, however. Special features contain no standouts, and the second disc is largely the filler of a widescreen t...ansfer.

I approached this release without having seen the movie previously and was somewhat disappointed, given the media acclamation. Screenplays adapted from plays generally result in movies that hammer the watcher over the head with whatever message the movie is trying to communicate over and over and over again. Such is the case with Glengarry GlenRoss, and it quickly grew boring. David Mamet is undoubtedly a genius writer, but as we all know, that doesn’t necessarily translate into an enjoyable cinematic experience. Here’s my thought: In a play, the director, playwright, and cast have little to work with beyond dialog and some set design. In a movie, the director has full run of setting, special effects, weather, etc. As such, if the director doesn’t tone down the screenplay, allegory and heavy handed morality while perhaps subtly communicated on stage become a chore to watch on screen. In GgGR, the continual darkness, rain, and borderline pedantic dialog were all a bit too much for my taste.