If the first word you associate “Chateau” with is “Marmont,” then close the TMZ tab on your computer and embrace some culture by watching Red Obsession.
The documentary, narrated by Russell Crowe, is not so much a history lesson as it is a glimpse into the wonderful world of wine. Directing duo Warwick Ross and David Roach explore the unique history and traditions of our culture’s Red Obsession and the result is a film that’s bound to pique the interest of any wine enthusiast.
One could make the assumption that this documentary is arrogant, or dismiss these “wine critics” as snobby and privileged, however, the film strikes a good balance between history and politics, all the while keeping true to its artistic integrity. The Bordeaux wine is described like a work of art, lasting only for a moment in time, until the cork gets pulled. This colorful imagery is a compliment to the beautiful sweeping and aerial shots of the vineyards and Chateaus by directors of photography Lee Pulbrook and Steve Arnold.
The film strikes a good balance between history and politics, all the while keeping true to its artistic integrity.
One of the many interesting facts to take away from this documentary is that China is predicted to be the biggest producer of wine in the coming years, no longer the South of France. To cope with the increasing product demand, China is now planting over 20,000 acres of vineyards every year.
Red Obsession captures the acute attention to detail any good documentary needs; high-definition shots of laborers harvesting the vineyards and actually turning the freshly picked grapes into a bottle of Bordeaux are fascinating processes to watch. What’s just as interesting, however, is the grower’s connection to the wine.
The key ingredient that makes a “great” wine is the same ingredient that makes a great film: love. “It’s the human factor,” explains one grower, “you need love.” Through Red Obsession, it is evident that Ross and Roach are extremely in tune with what their target audience, aka wine enthusiasts, would want to see. Rumor has it, even Robert De Niro called the film “wonderful.”
