Tierra

Newly released from an asylum, Angel (Carmelo Gomez) is beset by metaphysical voices and a meddlesome doppelganger who occasionally pops up as he sets about fumigating a Spanish winery region plagued by wood lice--an insect credited by some as imparting a pleasing earthy bouquet to the wine. Attracted to both an unhappily married woman (Emma Suarez) and a motorcycle-riding vixen (Silke), Angel eventually finds himself torn between two lovers--and his own split personality. While the lofty philosophical pretensions of writer-director Julio Medem (The Red Squirrel) border on mumbo-jumbo, this sporadically intriguing film is striking to look at, presenting a picturesque arid landscape in a Panavision panorama that is gratefully preserved in letterboxed format. Optional. (T. Rich) [Blu-ray Review—Feb. 6, 2018—Olive, 124 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1996's Tierra features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack but no extras. Bottom line: Medem's beautifully-lensed but uneven drama looks luminous on Blu-ray.]