Tierra (1996)

Julio Medem doesn't direct his films so much as weave them: images, characters, criss-crossing stories, and recurring motifs intertwine, blur, and transform through time. Tierra begins in the heavens and plummets to Earth, the camera rushing through space down to the red dust of a remote wine-growing region in Spain. Ángel (Carmelo Gómez) attempts to find grounding in his work (he's been hired to fumigate the area, which has been infested by wood lice) but finds his wandering soul torn in two directions. Initially attracted to the lovely, lonely, ethereal Ángela (Emma Suárez), he finds himself drawn against his better nature--in the form of a guardian angel, a phantom double that watches over him like an aggressive but well-meaning conscience--to the earthy, passionate, impulsive Mari (Silke). Medem sets his tale of love and lust amidst the stunning, austere landscape of fiery red hills, a world both primal and alien (dressed in white protective suits, the fumigators look like astronauts on Mars). Like his earlier film The Red Squirrel (which also starred Gómez and Suárez), Medem winds multiple stories together with natural history and philosophical musings until it all melts together in a lovely and unexpected conclusion. Medem crafts an equally dense story in his acclaimed follow-up film, The Lovers of the Arctic Circle, but where that film leapt into the emotional world of tragic melodrama, Tierra transforms "wrong" choices into revealing insights about the beautiful contradictions of human nature. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Great movie, awful DVD

Julio Medem is a tremendously gifted and under-appreciated filmmaker. The fact that he is under-appreciated is emphasized by the unavailability of some of his key films ('The Red Squirrel,' 'Lovers of the Arctic Circle') in the U.S., and the existence of reprehensible discs such as New Yorker's edition of 'Tierra.'

'Tierra' is such a beautiful film, with rich, transcendent images and an audio mix that is enveloping and detailed. This DVD honors none of this, instead downmixing the original digital soundtrack to lacklustre 2.0 stereo, and offering a low-resolution picture with drab, lifeless colors, visible compression and pixelation, and burnt-in subtitles. The mystical allure of Medem's film is all but lost in this shoddy transfer. New Yorker, which continues to snatch up films and dump them out like so much excrement (not unlike Wellspring and the improved Koch Lorber, né Fox Lorber), should know better: the discerning palate to which they market their discs is indeed discerning enough to realize these discs are rubbish. June 27, 2005

Tierra-a metaphysical exploration in sepia

I study Spanish by watching Spanish-language films. I bought this DVD after watching "Sexo y Lucia", also by Julio Medem, which I really enjoyed as well. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the plot suffers a little in this film, but nevertheless, it does not disappoint. I'd describe Medem as a cross between Roman Polansky and David Lynch. Medem knows how to film a sex scene. What Medem does visually with Emma Suarez and Silke in "Tierra" reminds me of what Polansky did with Nastasia Kinski in "Tess." You can't get enough of looking at these women--they are simply captivating.

Medem weaves a latent and pervasive natural terror to propel the film with a weirdly "earthy", mysterious, and disturbing subtext that brings to mind David Lynch's "Blue Velvet."

It's a surprising and captivating film devoid of the usual Hollywood cliches. The acting of all three main characters is suberb. The movie operates on several levels and is unified by a ubiquitous yellow lighting. It's a weird, sensual, and beautiful film to watch with interesting characters, excellent tension, and simply luscious sex scenes.

The only other criticism I have of the DVD is that the subtitles are small somewhat hard to read. With all the visuals that Medem offers the viewer, it's hard to get it all the first time through if you can't follow the Spanish. But since the film is such a pleasure to watch, you won't mind viewing the DVD several times. October 10, 2004

Stunning...

I would have to say that Medem was really on a roll when he made this film and its follow-up, Lovers of the Arctic Circle. They are two of the greatest films of the nineties (and beyond!). I don't want to give anything away about the insane and inspired plot of this movie, but I would like to call attention to one thing: There is a shot in this movie that was blatantly stolen by the makers of that awful, over-rated sci-fi movie, The Matrix. It is one of the most famous shots in the Matrix and was featured prominently in the ad campaign. When you watch Tierra (which you MUST!), you'll see what I mean. December 12, 2003

No split personality, just real life - A good movie

Medem masters again in his abilities to dig into the realm of the human nature, and reveals life, dilemas and the exercise of serious choices yet to be made.
Although the landscape, supporting characters and the script may seem a little too rough, the story covers everyday situations so common where the "macho" culture prevails.
When a lonely man (Angelo) is confronted with two choices he may have to make, his conscience takes the form of an "angel", just to reveal how one's mind works. And his final choice, non-orthodox, reminds us that logics may not be an exact science, just as mankind cannot be completely predictable.
Silke and Suarez are simply beautiful, but even more when playing their real life roles.
A hard movie, yet so close to life as it is, everyday! October 6, 2003

Interesting Spanish Cinema

Angel (Carmelo Gomez) is hired to fumigate a small town vin yard from a plague of wood lice. Upon arriving he encounters a dying man, which represents an underlying metaphysical theme of Earth. Shortly thereafter Angel is introduced to the various townspeople. Most notably are Angela, the neglected housewife, and Mari, a cliche lolita who describes herself as "an oversexed girl". Angel, in conflict with a split personality, becomes torn between his desire for Angela and lust for Mari.

Tierra, (Earth) directed by Spanish film maker Julio Medem, is arguably intrigueing. The first thirty minutes of Tierra are impressive and interesting. Even more interesting is the relationship between Angel and Angela and her father. Unfortunately the film drifts away from the unexpected and at times becomes tedious. The metaphysical theme fails to ever fully develop positively and neither do the characters, who too often seem detached from themselves or reality. Tierra is a good effort by Julio Medem and actor Carmelo Gomez but unfortunately falls short of being a great film. However it is both watchable and enjoyable and I would recomend viewing it at least once. In addtion to 'Tierra' I recomend seeing 'Abre Los Ojos'(Open Your Eyes) and 'Tesis'(Thesis). August 17, 2003

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