Search - Cria Cuervos [Criterion Collection] on DVD

Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1975 DVD Release: 08/14/2007 Format: DVD - Color,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: Spanish Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 1 hrs 49 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 18 Genres: Drama, Family Drama, Childhood Drama

Carlos Saura wrote and directed this powerful psychological drama in which family crises which reflect the embattled soul of a nation are seen through the eyes of an unusually perceptive child. Ana (Ana Torrent) is an eight-year-old girl growing up in a troubled household -- her father Anselmo (Héctor Alterio) is a general in the Spanish military during the waning days of Franco's repressive regime, and her mother (Geraldine Chaplin) is dead, Ana having witnessed her agonizing final moments. Anna, her older sister Irene (Conchita Perez) and younger sister Juana (Maite Sanchez) are looked after by their emotionally chilly Aunt Paulina (Monica Randall), while housekeeper Rosa (Florinda Chico) provides what little warmth there is to be found in the household. While Ana's mother is gone, the girl frequently sees and hears her mother's spirit, and is convinced Anselmo's emotional neglect and infidelity is responsible for her death, leading the youngster to take her own form of revenge against her father. The title Cria Cuervos is taken from a Spanish proverb -- "Raise ravens and they'll pluck out your eyes." The film was originally released in the United States under title Cria!, and has been screened in English-speaking territories as Raise Ravens and The Secret of Ana. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Carlos Saura's powerful and poetic 1976 drama of a young Spanish girl growing up in a damaged household amidst the slow collapse of Franco's regime has been given a superior presentation in this DVD edition from the Criterion Collection. Cria Cuervos has been given an excellent new high-definition transfer for this release, presented in its original European widescreen aspect ratio of 1.66:1 (letterboxed on conventional televisions and enhanced for anamorphic play on 16x9 monitors); the rich color scheme of Teodoro Escamilla's cinematography has been reproduced with impressive accuracy (especially the dark tones on the interiors), and this looks as good (perhaps even better) than the picture did on its initial release. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, retaining the original single-channel audio mix, and this DVD sounds as good as it looks. The dialogue is in the original Spanish, with optional English titles but no multiple language options. A bonus disc is included which features A Portrait of Carlos Saura, an hour-long documentary on the filmmaker originally produced for Spanish television, the film's original trailer, and new interviews with actresses Geraldine Chaplin and Anna Torrent. Finally, the packaging includes a booklet dominated by an essay from Paul Julian Smith, which discusses the film and the unique moment in Spanish history that it reflects. Cria Cuervos is a bold but graceful landmark in the Spanish cinema, and Criterion are to be congratulated for making it available on DVD in North America at long last, especially in such a thoughtful and well-crafted release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide