Limbo [DVD]

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Actor), Kris Kristofferson (Actor), John Sayles (Director) Rated:
R
Format: DVD
IMDb7.0/10.0
$16.36
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE Returns
Additional DVD options Edition Discs
Price
New from Used from
DVD —
1
$7.09
$7.09 $7.81
DVD
November 16, 1999 		—
1
$16.36
$27.50 $11.55
DVD —
1
—
$199.00 $41.00
Watch Instantly with Rent Buy
Limbo $3.59 $12.99
Genre Drama
Format Anamorphic, AC-3, Color, Closed-captioned, DVD, Widescreen, Full Screen, NTSC, Dolby
Contributor Maggie Renzi, Kathryn Grody, Vanessa Martinez, Rita Taggart, Kris Kristofferson, David Strathairn, Casey Siemaszko, Limbus Productions, Inc., Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Laskin, John Sayles See more
Language English
Runtime 2 hours and 7 minutes

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  1. Lone Star
    John Sloss
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,363
    DVD
    $39.80
    Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jul 31
    FREE Shipping by Amazon
    Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
  2. Men with Guns
  3. Sunshine State [DVD]
    Angela Bassett
    3.8 out of 5 stars 89
    DVD
    $9.00
    Get it as soon as Monday, Jul 29
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
    Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
  4. Lone Star (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
    .
    4.7 out of 5 stars 45
    Blu-ray
    $19.99
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
    Usually ships within 1 to 3 weeks
  5. Silver City
    Richard Dreyfuss
    3.6 out of 5 stars 49
    DVD
    $9.98
    Get it as soon as Monday, Jul 29
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
    Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
  6. Casa de los Babys
    Daryl Hannah
    3.9 out of 5 stars 34
    DVD
    $11.93
    Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jul 30
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
    Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Next page

Product Description

Product Description

In the untamed wilderness along Alaska's coast, feelings and fortunes change as quickly as the tides in this "haunting and hypnotic thriller" (Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE) from critically acclaimed director John Sayles. Traumatized by a boat accident at sea many years before, Joe Gastineau (David Strathairn) has given up his hopes for a life beyond the odd jobs he takes to support himself. That quickly changes when Donna deAngelo (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), bar singer and nomad, and her troubled teenage daughter, Noelle, enter Joe's life. Both mother and daughter fall for Joe, increasing the already-present friction between them. The tension continues to build when Joe captains his shipon a mysterious sea voyage up the Alaskan coast, only discovering, after it's too late, that the trip may end up costing them their lives.

Amazon.com

There are three unforgettable characters in John Sayles's contemporary adventure-drama set in Alaska. They are never seen but live only in a frontier diary found by teenager Noelle De Angelo (Vanessa Martinez). The life of the diary's narrator is much like everything in this movie: hanging in limbo. The first half of the film focuses on why men and woman turn to Alaska, a land still ripe with opportunity. A small town is at a crossroads, with its pulp mill and canning factory closed and new investors seeing different directions in which to take the area (one even boasts the state is the ultimate theme park). A local (Sayles regular David Strathairn) is just escaping his past, taking up commercial fishing again. He attracts a traveling nightclub singer (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in her best role in years) who struggles daily with her daughter Noelle. Like any good theme park, Limbo presents the threesome with an unexpected adventure. In the wilderness, the three relative strangers learn more about themselves than was ever possible in town. Sayles's usual craftsmanship creates a singular blend of drama and suspense with an ending designed to ruffle feathers. Not as accessible as his breakthrough hit Lone Star, Limbo is nevertheless a hearty film from one of America's best storytellers. --Doug Thomas

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 4 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 6021224
  • Director ‏ : ‎ John Sayles
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Anamorphic, AC-3, Color, Closed-captioned, DVD, Widescreen, Full Screen, NTSC, Dolby
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 7 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ November 16, 1999
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Kris Kristofferson, David Strathairn, Casey Siemaszko, Kathryn Grody
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Maggie Renzi
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0767838440
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
162 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

kbkazoo
5.0 out of 5 stars accurate
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
having lived within walking distance of where this was filmed, I can say it is 100% accurate in plot and how it unfolds; yes, those things really happen there. more often than you think. people get irritated about the ending? we spend time talking about clues to what makes it Limbo and how it all turns out. amazing scenery and I love the music.
Helpful
 Report
Daniel J. Phillips
1.0 out of 5 stars Fooled me, shame on you
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great acting, involving characters, stirring scenery, riveting plot.

Why one star?

Spoiler alert

Spoiler alert

Spoiler alert

Spoiler alert

Spoiler alert

Because the movie has NO ENDING. Build-up, resolution approaching, almost here, alllmoooost...and...and...THE END. That's it. Complete cop-out.

So a joke can have the best set-up in the world, but if there's no punch-line, I say it was a bad joke.

Knock-knock
Who's there?
I have absolutely no idea.

Okay, that's funnier than a movie that apparently doesn't know how to end.

This simply snips off before the ending. If you find that sort of thing deep and evocative and moving and profound, knock yourself out. Me, I felt my time had been robbed, and I wanted it back. I regret watching it.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Matthew Barrett
5.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical and simply unforgettable.
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 1999
Verified Purchase
An unleashing focus on the main characters is what I felt director John Sayles (Men With Guns, Passion Fish) was aiming for. This masterpiece is so lyrical in its photography - each frame of the film looks like an master work of art. And the title, LIMBO, fits the film perfectly. I had thought why it was called that, but somewhere in the beginning of the film I had grasped its meaning. This characters go throught their lives in a sort of life trap...a time loop...but through time...the painful events in their lives are always with them and they seem to relive them in the most crucial moments of their lives. The actress that interested most in the film is Vanessa Martinez. She plays Noelle DeAngelo with a air of tragic importance. Her pain is excruciating and self-evident and that is what makes the character so amiable. LIMBO reminds me of Piradello's classic SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR with its Mother-Daughter relationship. The scenes between Martinez and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Donna DeAngelo) are well thought out and are easy to relate to by practically anyone who gives the film a chance. A visually stunning masterpiece on DVD, this edition also offers a theatrical trailer, surround sound options, subtitles for the hearing impaired which help out a lot with understanding the storyline, and an unforgetable audio commentary by director John Sayles.
15 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
lindap
3.0 out of 5 stars The END
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
I would have rated this movie a 5 but the ending really was a cop out. Up until then I loved it.
Helpful
 Report
Dana Yaks
4.0 out of 5 stars compelling but
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
Generally, I love John Sayle's work, and always find it thought-provoking. Strathairn was excellent, and the girl was great, the mom is weak in some scenes, great in others. I did fast forward through some of the singing, especially the first couple of them.. I found the story surprisingly compelling, despite the movies flaws.
I haven't decided what i think of the ending... it made me want to look up what john sayles has to say about the meaning of the ending. He just leaves them in limbo (hence the title)?

SPOILER..
or does the way it cuts imply a certain ending (SPOILER)... if it were a happy ending, it wouldn't cut that like, right? As usual for Sayles, it left me thinking. I'm pretty sure it was a conscious choice and not just a "no budget for an ending" moment, as some reviews seem to infer.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
RootlessAgrarian
5.0 out of 5 stars Sayles does it again
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2000
Verified Purchase
I've been a fan of Sayles' work from way back and am glad to see that he is still as quirky, original, and full of genuine human feeling as ever. Success has not spoiled Sayles.
"Limbo" surprised and pleased me at every turn. All the characters, from bit parts to the principals, are sensitively and accurately written. Sayles never fails to get a little scathing social commentary into the picture, and his throwaway dialogue about the Disney-fication of Alaska is true enough to hurt.
You could call "Limbo" the antithesis of Lone Star. In Lone Star, one protagonist reassures the other at the end, "Forget the Alamo," meaning that we can cut free from our past and live for the present; in Limbo, all the characters are marked and haunted by their history, especially Strathairn's leading man (a remarkably appealing bit of acting).
I was angry with Sayles, like many viewers, at the end [warning, spoilers!] -- so much suspense has been painstakingly developed, and then, agh, you never know whether these characters, about whom you have come to care deeply, will survive. However, I respect his decision to avoid a cliche in either possible resolution.
"Limbo" is quite simply unforgettable, and a reminder that cinema doesn't have to be noisy and stupid, or exclusively focussed on pretty young people, to be fine and memorable. I recommend it to any serious film fan and particularly to those already charmed by the Sayles style.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jillie0808
5.0 out of 5 stars Create your own ending
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
Ok, yeah it has an ending that leaves you not knowing what happens to the main characters, but I have concluded that this movie has got to be one of the best I have ever seen, and certainly the best of John Sayles. Sayles has captured what our lives are like: sometimes comedic, frequently sad; occasionally terrifying, and in the end, the best option is to cling to one another and hope for the best.... set against an Alaskan wilderness. Don't try to fool with mother nature and watch out for human nature. If you as a viewer haven't figured out that this movie is art imitating life, well, you are living in la la land. I chose it initially because it had Kristofferson and he was great in Lone Star. This is a better movie. Strathairn and Mastroanni are brilliant in turn playing characters with tragedy in their lives discovering each other and facing the future, whatever it may bring together. Hey, it's a tiny little message of hope. Create your own ending.
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Tavernier
1.0 out of 5 stars dvd défectueux
Reviewed in France on December 26, 2018
Verified Purchase
Impossible de lire le dvd jusqu'au bout. Je l'ai renvoyé au vendeur et ne semble pas avoir été remboursé. Ce que j'ai pu voir du film était très original
Report
spacemonkeymafia
5.0 out of 5 stars Great to see David Strathairn as the leading man
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
I love this film. David Strathairn and John Sayles have worked effectively together on a number of projects like Brother from Another Planet, Matewan, Passion Fish etc. but to my mind this is their best collaboration. The wonderfully talented Strathairn gets a rare leading man role as the damaged Alaskan ex-fisherman who falls for lounge singer Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (also excellent) and his performance is so subtle and natural and moving that you can't take your eyes off him. For the first half of the film you're willing their characters, Joe and Donna, to come together and find comfort in one another, their tentative romance set against the ravishing Alaskan scenery and colourful lives of a host of background characters. But then Sayles makes an abrupt switch and the romance becomes a survival story and the scenery becomes threatening and we're moving towards a controversial and much discussed ending that I personally found both challenging and thrilling.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Elleppi
3.0 out of 5 stars John Sayles da riscoprire
Reviewed in Italy on April 24, 2013
Verified Purchase
Ha scritto film thriller/action e diretto roba indipendente a volte socio/politica a volte intimista. Non sembra darsi limiti. Qui tenta la strada di un film diviso in due, anche come stile e approccio: tutto ambientazione, attese, atmosfere sospese nella prima parte, e poi un'immersione nei rapporti umani tra i protagonisti nella seconda. Da vedere tenendo a mente che tocca lasciarsi andare al film e ai suoi bei attori, senza pretendere la solita "trama"
3 people found this helpful
 Report
大松貴子
4.0 out of 5 stars 最果ての地
Reviewed in Japan on July 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
ジョン・セイルズの作品は好きだから。人間、絶望の中でも1%の希望を信じて生きていく、考え、気持ちの換えかた次第でガンバっていける気になれたから、落ち込んでいるときに見るのがおすすめ。
One person found this helpful
 Report
KalteStern
4.0 out of 5 stars One of those films where you just have to keep watching..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2004
Verified Purchase
This got very mixed reviews from mainstream film critics, but anything by John Sayles is probably worth a look I thought, so despite the initial plot premise not really sounding quite my bag, I started watching. And 'Matewan' didn't look my kinda thing on paper either..
Suffice to say this is one of those films where the combination of script , actors, and cinematography is of such a high calibre that suspension of disbelief is absolute - you just get completely caught up in the unfolding drama. It is also, cleverly, one of those films that wrong foot you completely, in that you just cannot assume you know what kind of film it is going to be as it unfolds - romance? modern tragedy? psychological thriller/puzzle? Other films have tried to pull this off , often very much more crudely, but with this one you utterly believe in the characters, and just have to keep watching to find out what happens. Be warned though, the ending could drive you wild with frustration.....
All in all a film for anyone who wants more than mental popcorn from their movies, with a great soundtrack (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio sings! .. amazingly well, so much so in fact that I assumed it must be someone else until the end credits), including songs by Bruce Springsteen,Richard Thomson and Tom Waits, glorious craggy scenery in the form of John Strathairn and Kris Kristofferson's cheekbones, and Alaska, of course.
16 people found this helpful
 Report