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From ABC's 'At The Movies' with Margaret and David
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David:
The great chateaux of Bordeaux struggle to accommodate the voracious appetite for their rare, expensive wines, which have become a powerful status symbol in booming China.
Review by Margaret Pomeranz
A most fascinating documentary about the wine industry has been made by Australian filmmakers Warwick Ross and David Roach. RED OBSESSION focuses on the wine producers of Bordeaux, on the 'grand cru' estates, where for centuries the combination of ancient vines, soil, climate and devotion has produced some of the greatest wines in the world. The creation of a good wine is regarded as an art form by the winemakers, the grapes are more miracle than agricultural product.
But with the global financial crisis many traditional markets in the West fell away, leaving it to the rich of China to pick up the slack, which they did with gusto.
This beautifully shot and constructed film, cinematographers Lee Pulbrook, Steve Arnold and editor Paul Murphy must take a lot of credit, with narration by Russell Crowe, is a revelatory account of a crucial moment in history for the famous French vineyards. It is absolutely fascinating, jaw-dropping in some instances when you realize what prices are being talked about here, but at the same time the film is more than the sum of its parts. It's about the commodification of wine, the marketing of brands, the buying for status, it's a cautionary tale of our times. And all this began when Warwick Ross sat next to Master of Wine Andrew Caillard on a plane to London. The journey began there but went on to France, Hong Kong and the outer reaches of China. It really is an epic tale.
But with the global financial crisis many traditional markets in the West fell away, leaving it to the rich of China to pick up the slack, which they did with gusto.
This beautifully shot and constructed film, cinematographers Lee Pulbrook, Steve Arnold and editor Paul Murphy must take a lot of credit, with narration by Russell Crowe, is a revelatory account of a crucial moment in history for the famous French vineyards. It is absolutely fascinating, jaw-dropping in some instances when you realize what prices are being talked about here, but at the same time the film is more than the sum of its parts. It's about the commodification of wine, the marketing of brands, the buying for status, it's a cautionary tale of our times. And all this began when Warwick Ross sat next to Master of Wine Andrew Caillard on a plane to London. The journey began there but went on to France, Hong Kong and the outer reaches of China. It really is an epic tale.
Director: David Roach and Warwick Ross
Classification: PG
Duration: 79 mins
Release date: 15/08/2013
Release details: Limited national release
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: Roadshow Films
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