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Jauja

Viggo Mortensen (Actor), Lisandro Alonso (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: Blu-ray
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 52 ratings
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July 28, 2015 		—
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$24.34 $24.28
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Product Description

An astonishingly beautiful and gripping Western starring Viggo Mortensen, JAUJA (pronounced how-ha) begins in a remote outpost in Patagonia during the late 1800s. Captain Gunnar Dinesen has come from abroad with his fifteen year-old daughter to take an engineering job with the Argentine army. Being the only female in the area, Ingeborg creates quite a stir among the men. She falls in love with a young soldier, and one night they run away together. When Dinesen realizes what has happened, he decides to venture into enemy territory to find the young couple. Featuring a superb performance from Mortensen, JAUJA (the name suggests a fabled city of riches sought by European explorers) is the story of a man's desperate search for his daughter, a solitary quest that takes him to a place beyond time, where the past vanishes and the future has no meaning.

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 5.92 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Lisandro Alonso
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Blu-ray, DTS Surround Sound, Multiple Formats, Widescreen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 48 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ July 28, 2015
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Viggo Mortensen
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Cinema Guild
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YPY3C7U
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 52 ratings

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
52 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

NoobWithANikon
5.0 out of 5 stars Watch as a Connoisseur, not as a Critic...
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2015
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When I saw the trailer for this film, I was entranced and I had to see it immediately. Director, Lisandro Alonso's obscure and emotion-based storytelling remains a strong theme throughout the picture. Viggo Mortensen's performance is extremely solid and involving. However, the real gold within this film is the cinematography. Timo Salminen has brought the same classic and saturated imagery as he does in Aki Kaurismaki's productions. Timo has truly made this a modern masterpiece. Popcorn Flick-lovers will possibly despise this film's pacing and story. Then again, it wasn't made for them.
8 people found this helpful
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T.NAKAJIMA
3.0 out of 5 stars Strange Journey in Patagonia, 1882
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2015
Set in 1882, in Argentina's Patagonia region during the last days of the military campaign “Conquest of the Desert,” “Jauja” chronicles a strange journey of Danish Captain Gunnar Dinesen (Viggo Mortensen), whose 15-year-old daughter Ingeborg (Viilbjørk Malling Agger) goes missing in the middle of the desert. Dinesen sets out to search for Inge on his own, but the journey leads him into the territories he has never dreamed of before.

Like some of David Lynch films, “Jauja” is kind of a movie that fascinates some viewers because of its unreality and illogicality. Those viewers would like to discuss the content, especially what happens (or seems to happen) to Dinesen in the film’s last fifteen minutes, while others may find the deliberately paced film whimsical or even pretentious.

Whichever group you fall into, you will admit the beauty of Argentine director Lisandro Alonso’s film that captures the hauntingly beautiful nature of Patagonia with the muted colors. The credit goes to Finnish cinematographer Timo Salminen, best known for his work in Aki Kaurismäki films. The music is sparse, but quite impressive (from the album “Please Tomorrow” by Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen).

I attempted to be neutral in describing what you are going to see in “Jauja” (of which meaning you will find in the film), but frankly, I still do not know how to interpret the journey, let alone what the film is all about. This is a unique film experience, I am sure, but whether you like it or not depends on you.
6 people found this helpful
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KG
4.0 out of 5 stars Challenging, not always successful (for me at least), but striking and memorable
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2016
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After really loving the first Alonso film I saw, ‘Los Muertos’, I’ve struggled somewhat with all his films I’ve seen since. For some reason Alonso’s dedication to vaguely mythic and very enigmatic storytelling worked great for me in ‘Los Muertos’ -- creating a deeply disturbing portrait of a man who is leaving prison and returning to his family, perhaps to kill them (or perhaps not).

Jauja is also the familial story of a man on a mythic journey, in this case a Danish Captain in the army, stationed in an unspecific south or central American country that is in the midst of being colonized by the Spanish, with the Danish presence seeming to be one of both rivalry and co-operation.

Viggo Mortensen (always excellent) plays the Captain, who has brought his daughter with him (why he would bring her to such a hostile, dangerous and male dominated environment is never made clear). When she runs off with a young soldier, Mortensen’s character heads out to find her, and ends up traveling into his own soul, with the lines blurring between real and imagined, reality and surrealism.

The film looks great, and has a lot of striking and memorable moments. But after two viewings, I wasn’t sure quite what it was saying, and – worse – I’m not entirely convinced it does either. That said, there are enough things I admire; the odd photography, the many strange and discomforting images and incidents that stick in my head like memories of a bad dream, that I’m willing to forgive it’s frustrations. To a point.
4 people found this helpful
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Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars 10/10
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2019
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Excellent product and service.
One person found this helpful
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Mountain Mist
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your Time and Money
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2015
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The landscape cinematography was awesome. But I really don't understand the need to focus on something for so long with the intent of making it look like still life. While some may consider this to be "artistic" I think it is a waste of my time to watch a movie that basically stands still. As for standing still... the movie stretches things out and out and out. Then, you reach the end and discover there really is no plot - none that I could see. Seriously, did Viggo really need to do a movie like this? The critics claim this to be one of the best movies of the year. Given the standard nowadays in the cinema world, I can't say I agree because most of the movies being made today are just garbage and this one is at the top of the pile.
2 people found this helpful
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Jennifer M. Valko
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2016
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Arrived in condition promised. Thank you!
One person found this helpful
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Peter A. Cohen
4.0 out of 5 stars Bunuel as done by Vigo.
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2016
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Bunuel as done by Vigo.
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Josephminieri
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2016
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good movie
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kalena
5.0 out of 5 stars Mortensen is excellent. The action moves slowly but deliberately as things become more and morre surreal, in a time and space..
Reviewed in Canada on August 24, 2015
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I loved it. But people buying this movie should know that it moves very slowly - it is NOT an 'action flick'. Instead, it lingers over each moment, and every shot of every scene is as carefully composed as a painting - and as beautiful, in a desolate kind of environment. Viggo Mortensen as the main character is excellent and basically carries the movie - other characters, except for his daughter - of whom we see very little - are incidental. It becomes surreal part-way through, but following the twists and turns is an interesting journey. This is a movie to watch more than once.
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Francisco
4.0 out of 5 stars Lost in la Pampa
Reviewed in France on December 31, 2015
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Jauja n'est pas un film d'auteur mais le film d'un poète.
Je suis entré sans trop de peine dans cette rêverie du cinéaste argentin Lisandro Alonso. Au coeur d'une Patagonie fantasmatique. Dans la culture sud-américaine la frontière entre rêve et réalité est souvent poreuse. Des oeuvre littéraires de Jorge Luis Borges et Mario Vargas Llosa aux films de Raul Ruiz, le temps et l'espace s'ouvrent sur de vertigineux labyrinthes. Il n'y a pas de leçon là où le sens se perd. Dans Jauja la lumière et les silences, l'attente et l'absence, règnent ici sur tous les discours. Les dialogues sont vains et ceux qui les prononcent semblent ne plus y croire. Les personnages évoluent dans le cadre comme des figurines. Des ombres ou des fantômes solitaires.
Une fugue radicale mais envoûtante pour qui aspire à se retrouver perdu. Une expérience toujours régénérante dans la vie d'un cinévore, Tant d'oeuvres visionnées, parfois brillantes mais trop souvent prévisibles. Sur l'histoire d'un père parti sur les traces de sa fille "prisonnière du désert" le réalisateur coupera tous les ponts avec le propos de départ pour dissoudre son personnage principal et déjouer toutes les attentes du spectateur. Joué avec un total abandon par le magnétique acteur-peintre et poète Viggo Mortensen, ce capitaine, plus seul encore que don Quichotte, traverse le paysage, semble un instant toucher au but avant de s'égarer totalement.
Mais Jauja n'est pas le genre d'oeuvre à conseiller avec insistance tant la traque dans laquelle se lance le personnage est destinée à l'échec. Figée dans des plans-séquence le plus souvent fixes, l'action devient vite dérisoire et se déroule sans gloire ni démonstration d'héroisme. Voir ce film classé dans la catégorie western est non-sens absolu. Soyons clair, il ne se passe presque rien dans Jauja. C'est l'histoire d'un homme vide à qui l'on retire sa dernière raison de vivre. Un "petit soldat de plomb" condamné à se perdre dans l'immensité de la nature. Seulement voilà, il y a du génie dans Jauja. Loin de la posture confortable d'un "cinéma de l'errance"la déconstruction du personnage comme du récit s'achèvera dans un dernier acte fabuleux. Une incroyable remise en perspective spatiale et temporelle défiant toute les lois de la logique. Ouvrant alors ce poème à une multitude d'interprétations. Cette audace est le propre d'un cinéma en liberté.
Filmé au format 1:33, comme les premiers films de l'histoire du cinéma, la splendeur de la photographie offre quelques tableaux mémorables comme une splendide nuit étoilée et un final totalement féérique. Le cadre comme le jeu des acteurs et leur position dans l'espace évoque directement les grandes heures du cinéma muet et les premières mise en scène frontales. Une dimension presque théâtrales. La mélancolie du propos et ce minimalisme gracieux en forme d'hommage aux origines du septième art m'ont fait penser au cinéma de Wes Anderson. Cinéphiles aventuriers et rêveurs patients, n'hésitez pas à découvrir Jauja. C'est suffisamment fascinant et mystérieux pour être revu. Lisandro Alonso a fait"son"film. Un geste artistique aujourd'hui réconfortant et nourrissant.
La magie du travail de l'artisan façonnant une pièce unique.

LE BLU-RAY : Difficile d'encaisser le choix du format carré dans de tels paysages tant le soin apporté à chaque plan soigne tous les détails. Couleurs, lumières d'aubes, de soirs et de nuits étoilées ravissent l'oeil dans ce modèle de transfert HD. Un Top démo du cinéma d'auteur.

Également sur Les chroniques ciné de Francisco
6 people found this helpful
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Bob Salter
5.0 out of 5 stars A Land Where Even Time Loses it's Meaning!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2015
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***********CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS**********

I am giving myself a real challenge in trying to review this film because it is not an easy one to decipher. Akin to solving the riddle of the Rosetta stone over a cup of tea! At the end of the day I don't believe there are definitive answers. The answers lie with the viewer who is challenged to think and question, and even provide answers. But here I go anyway! Firstly I should give a small word of caution. The Argentinian director Lisandro Alonso is the guru of 'slow cinema', and this one falls firmly in that category with a capital C. If you don't like long lingering shots of vast vistas that stretch to seemingly endless horizons, then forget it, you definitely won't like this one!

The story is set in Patagonia in the 1880s during the 'Conquest of the Desert'. Viggo Mortensen plays Captain Gunnar Dinesen a Dane working with the Argentinian army who is in company with his beautiful young daughter Ingeborg. His daughter falls in love with a young soldier and the two run away into the hostile wilderness. The grim faced captain resplendent in his full uniform sets off in pursuit. He ventures deep into a land where even time begins to lose it's meaning!

Everything about this film seems sparse and minimalistic apart from the vast landscapes. The film was made with a tiny crew, sparse dialogue and very little music. What music there is by the way is superb from the cult guitarist Buckethead. The film is shot in 35mm film gathered from around Argentina and Chile, and it looks great. The carefully choreographed scenes often have a delightful antique daguerreotype look. The film has been mentioned in the same breath as John Ford's work, by Viggo Mortensen for one, and although the landscapes are on the same epochal scale as Ford's master work "The Searchers", and it has the same 'turning of the earth' quality, there the similarities end. Mortensen's character has more in common with Don Quixote than with Ethan Edwards from that film, stumbling across an alien world where he does not belong, on the strangest of quests.

I was reminded of Lavinia Currier's strange film "Passion in the Desert", with a Napoleonic soldier wandering dream like through the Sahara. Another place where 'the desert devours everything'! The first two thirds of the film are strange enough, but the final third takes you on a hallucinatory journey. No surprise that Alonso co-wrote the movie with the well known Argentinian poet/author Fabian Casas! Only a poet on his favourite absinthe could have dreamed this one up! You have to step up to the mark here and use a lot of imagination. The final scenes do throw some light on the directors question of 'why does life keep moving forward', in response to 'all families disappear eventually'. It is mind bending stuff and movie making that challenges the senses.

Much as I liked "Passion in the Desert" for daring to be different, I also liked this film. It is one you will either love or loathe! It is not the sort of film that will have mass appeal, but will certainly be cherished by a select few on the same wavelength as Alonso. The film is mostly in Spanish with English sub titles. The DVD contains a couple of extras. There is a brief introduction to the film by actor/producer Mortensen, who also does an interesting question and answer session at the Curzon Soho, which provides good insight into the making of the film. This is film making on the very outer spiral of the milky way, but the sort of film I would like to make if I lived in a parallel world where they let Walter Mitty's like me make films. Apologies for the "War and Peace" review. I didn't set out to do that, it just sort of happened!
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Mme F. Desmettre
4.0 out of 5 stars Eh bien.....
Reviewed in France on October 31, 2015
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Sans Viggo Mortesen ce film n'aurait que peu d'intérét ! C'est lent et l'histoire est sans grand émoi ! Quelques beaux paysages heureusement...

Bref, je n'ai pas trop apprécié !
3 people found this helpful
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Mr. Robert Chambers
4.0 out of 5 stars Thank goodness someone still makes thoughtful films
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2015
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Just the most beautifully shot film, truly extraordinary. With very little dialog, almost no music and a camera that rarely moves, the minimalist aspect is wonderfully balanced by the series of tableaux shots that characters move in and out of. Not saying much, not doing much, but more powerful as a result. Hollywood producers should all watch this film and take serious note.
My only complaint is that I think the story would have been better served as a straight forward lost/found plot without the fantasy element which is poorly resolved and with a focus on the wrong character. The director has shown he is more than capable of introducing originality in set pieces, the storyline as it stands left me a bit bewildered and disappointed. I could see what he was getting at but it conflicts with the overall balance of the film.
Give it a go, be amazed at how much can be achieved with so little!
4 people found this helpful
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