HOME   News   Reviews   Adv Search   Features   My DVD   About   Apps   Stats     Search:
  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Full Frame
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital Stereo
  Subtitles
  • None
  Extras
    Tai-Pan
    Force Entertainment/Force Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 115 mins . M15+ . PAL

      Feature
    Contract

    Born in Sydney, Australia in 1924, James Clavell’s name is synonymous with several historical literary blockbusters, which feature exotic Oriental landscapes and whose lead characters, it seems, are almost always involved in cultural clashes and revolutionary situations. Most recognised for his 1966 novel "Tai-Pan" and, perhaps his greatest work, the 1975 epic "Shogun", Clavell’s lucrative career as a best-selling author originated from his military experiences in World War II and his fascination with the Hollywood motion picture industry.

    The son of a commander in the British Royal Navy, Clavell served in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War. In 1942, however, he was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army during their Singapore campaign, and transferred to the infamous prisoner-of-war camp at Changi, where he remained a captive until its liberation in 1945. Following the war’s aftermath and an accident which enabled him to be honourably discharged from military service, Clavell became interested in cinema and made the conscious decision to emigrate to the United States in 1953.

    His most significant credits as a screenwriter included the perennial science fiction classic The Fly (1958) and Watusi (1959), the sequel to King Solomon’s Mines; as a co-writer, his collaborative efforts consisted of the motion picture favourite The Great Escape (1963) and the biological suspense thriller The Satan Bug (1965). As a director-writer-producer, Clavell made his debut with the forgettable Five Gates to Hell (1959), but cemented himself as an accomplished film-maker with the immortal To Sir With Love (1967), starring Sidney Poitier.

    Written during a Hollywood writers’ strike, Clavell’s first novel "King Rat", a semi-autobiographical account of his experiences in Changi, was published in 1962 and made into a film in 1965, directed by Bryan Forbes. Clavell’s 1975 masterpiece "Shogun" was adapted into a spectacularly successful ten hour television mini-series, with a streamlined theatrical version released and directed by Jerry London in 1980. "Tai-Pan", Clavell’s second novel and the first in the "Noble House" series saw publication in 1966 and became a dismal 1986 feature film; it was followed by the 1988 television mini-series Noble House, based on the 1981 novel of the same name.

    Tai-Pan focuses on the founding of Hong Kong as a British colony, circa 1842, and revolves around the unscrupulous merchant trader Dirk Struan (Bryan Brown), the Tai-Pan - or, according to the Chinese translation, “Supreme Leader” - of the independent trading company Noble House, and its influence in England’s subjugation of Hong Kong. Struan’s personal fortune is made from the dubious practice of trading opium and silver with China; understandably, the Chinese government refuses to tolerate the trafficking of the lethal narcotic to its citizens.

    The Chinese forcibly banish Struan and his fellow merchants from the trading port of Canton, instigating a maelstrom of civil disruption which results in the appropriation and the destruction of the British caches of opium and their dockyard facilities. In retaliation, the British Parliament issues the decree for their Naval warships to proceed to China and bombard the mainland; the drastic action enforces the Chinese to sue for peace, negotiating and signing the treaty that will allow England the moral right to operate Hong Kong as an independent port.

    From grand expectations, Tai-Pan’s plot soon degenerates into an insipid soap opera centering on the long-standing feud between Struan and another merchant, the villainous Tyler Brock (John Stanton), whose son Gorth (Bill Leadbitter) is a depraved sadist who indulges in frequent acts of torture and mutilation. Struan, it seems, is ensnared in a twisted web of intrigue; he has a mistress, May-May (Joan Chen), an illegitimate son Gordon Chen (Russell Wong), and his legitimate son Culum (Tim Guinee), recently arrived from Scotland. The rivalry between Struan and Brock becomes murderous as both groom their heirs to inherit Hong Kong itself.

      Video
      Audio
      Extras
    Contract

    Tai-Pan is presented in a screen aspect ratio of 1.33:1, cropped from its original ratio of 2.35:1, and is, therefore, not anamorphic.

    Black levels are quite poor, often appearing opaque as though there is a constant thin mist over the camera lens. Details are variable; there are occasions where foreground objects seem to exhibit adequate sharpness, but objects regulated to the mid and background are often soft, indistinct, and lack any semblance of definition. The film’s last chapter is particularly atrocious, with little degree of detail to be seen; shadow detail is somewhat mediocre. There is evidence of slight oversaturation at 58 minutes and 45 seconds, involving the uniforms of a military band, and, it seems, minor colour-bleeding.

    Yet, the irony associated with this is that Tai-Pan’s video presentation is seriously devoid of colour, exhibiting an anemic, washed-out appearance. In addition, there are instances where MPEG artefacts are quite discernible; consisting of mild pixelation and minor macro-blocking, these anomalies are most noticeable in the film’s opening sequence with the arrival of the Chinese galleons in the Pearl River, wreathed in fog. Film-to-video artefacts are present towards the end of the film, commencing from 1:35:04 and consisting of linear blips.

    Grain is visible throughout the film, making its presence known mostly in dark or dimly-lit environments; however, it cannot be considered too intrusive. Although flesh-tones are critically muted and the characters appear, in some moments, as though they are pale wraiths, skin complexion seems quite ruddy in the film’s nocturnal and intimate love scenes.

    There is only audio selection available, that of the English Dolby Digital 2.0. At best, the audio presentation is lamentable and seems to be severely lacking in both low and high fidelities, with dialogue and the film’s climatic monsoon sequence being the major casualties. To compound matters, Brown adopts a hideous pseudo-Scottish accent, while Chen is content to sprout nonsensical monologues in pidgin English; as a consequence, dialogue is, at times, unintelligible. The tropical storm in Chapter 11 is the pinnacle of this disc’s poor sound quality, and is both weak and insubstantial.

    In keeping with the DVD’s mediocre and sub-standard presentation, there is no additional material.

    His most notable credits including the 1974 television series Harry O, the mini-series The Thorn Birds (1988) and several Columbo TV movies in the early 1990s, Canadian director Daryl Duke’s vision is wildly askew. His direction is misguided and lacks even the most elemental sense of creative artistry and coherence, resulting in a film that takes monumental leaps in logic, leaving its audience bewildered and confused. Not even the masterful talents of production designer Tony Masters (2001: A Space Odyssey) and cinematographer Jack Cardiff (The African Queen) can save Tai-Pan’s convoluted mess.

    Clavell’s novel is an ambitious semi-fictional work of epic proportions that has been radically condensed, even stripped, of its intricate sub-plots in order to fit into a nearly two hour long unmitigated disaster, which neither captures the spirit, depth, or complexity of its literary counterpart. Although flawed, David Lynch’s Dune (1984) had at least managed to encompass the scope and mysticism of Frank Herbert’s masterpiece and infuse it into his screen adaptation; not so with Duke's Tai-Pan. This pitiful film deserves no less than a contemptible transfer.


  • LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=807
  • Send to a friend.
  • Do YOU want to be a DVDnet reviewer? If so, click here

    Cast your vote here: You must enable cookies to vote.
  •   And I quote...
    "A disastrous film which fails in every department of its production, aided to no end by an appalling transfer. Tai-Pan is a poorly conceived epic whose title should have been Gone with the Monsoon.... "
    - Shaun Bennett
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Panasonic SC-HT80
    • TV:
          Panasonic TX-43P15 109cm Rear Projection
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard Optical
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
      Recent Reviews:
    by Shaun Bennett

    Engelbert Humperdinck - Live
    "With his superlative vocal technique, smouldering sensuality, and acute witticism, Humperdinck exudes radiance in a concert performance that borders on the sublime..."

    Illuminations - The Tea Party Collection
    "Currently, this stands as the definitive pictorial document of a formidable group who, despite the never-ending comparisons and ridicule, seem destined for greatness. Highly recommended..."

    Tangerine Dream - The Video Dream Mixes
    "The digital equivalent of an acid-fueled hallucinogenic experience, featuring a mind-altering barrage of ethereal imagery set to pulsating trance-orientated electronica... "

    Cleopatra - Special Edition
    "Maligned and misunderstood, Cleopatra can be perceived as either a forgotten classic or as a grand folly... "

    What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?
    "Ample proof, if needed, that a sequel does not necessarily equal... Few moments of brilliance cannot save the film’s lack of direction or characterisation... "

      Related Links
      None listed

     

    Search for Title/Actor/Director:
    Google Web dvd.net.au
       Copyright DVDnet. All rights reserved. Site Design by RED 5   
    rss